Call of Duty: Modern Warfare to Ditch Zombie Mode

If you’ve been waiting the face the waves of zombies in the newest Call of Duty, we have some bad news for you.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is ditching its classic zombie mode in favor of more realistic gameplay, according to a PlayStation Lifestyle interview with campaign gameplay director Jacob Minkoff.

Modern Warfare, which was revealed last week and launches on PS4, Xbox One and PC on Oct. 25, just didn’t work with zombies. The Nazi, sci-fi vibes of earlier Modern Warfare games fit along with the campy bunker battles with zombies, but it seems the series reboot is trying for a more authentic, realistic feel by dumping the casual fan-favorite shooter mode we’ve grown accustomed to since 2008’s World at War debut.

However, those who remember 2007’s original Modern Warfare know that zombies were never initially included. In fact, zombie mode was entirely absent from the original Modern Warfare trilogy, but the success of the Black Ops series brought zombie modes to Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and Call of Duty: WWII, among others.

“We don’t have the flexibility to do something like put zombies in the game,” Minkoff told PlayStation Lifestyle. “That would compromise the feeling of playing in a world that feels realistic and authentic and relative to today’s conflicts and things we face.”

The hope is to have all the Modern Warfare modes feel connected, rather than having one feel out of place and take the player out of the world developers are trying to create.

The lack of zombies may mean some players will stick with Black Ops 4 instead of shifting to the new Modern Warfare, but game-makers are hoping to win over Call of Duty fans looking for more realistic gameplay and a darker, grittier depiction of war.

“In the visceral and dramatic single-player story campaign, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare pushes boundaries and breaks rules the way only Modern Warfare can,” the description of the game’s latest reveal trailer explains. “Players will engage in breathtaking covert operations alongside a diverse cast of international special forces throughout iconic European cities and volatile expanses of the Middle East.

So no zombies. Got it. But what will the new Modern Warfare have? Minkoff says the new game will have a single-player storyline that weaves directly into the co-operative storyline, in a clear departure from 2011’s Modern Warfare 3’s two-player Survival co-op mode.

The PlayStation Store’s game listing shows that Modern Warfare’s multiplayer mode will feature a 20-player mode, while past games were capped at 18 players.

The forthcoming Modern Warfare also sparked its fair share of early criticism after a presentation last month showed a playable child soldier scene plucked from the game. The game is also said to draw inspiration from the equally controversial 2009 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which allowed users to play as an undercover CIA agent and kill civilians to gain the trust of a Russian terrorist groups. Pretty dark, huh?

Bid zombie mode farewell and check out the official reveal trailer for the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare below.