Black Ops Cold War Zombies map Firebase Z gets behind-the-scenes trailer

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The Cold War Zombies Firebase Z map goes live Thursday

Treyarch has launched a new trailer for the forthcoming Black Ops Cold War Zombies map Firebase Z featuring veterans of the Zombies dev team.

The Black Ops Cold War Firebase Z map was announced last month, and its first proper trailer dropped a few days ago. The fan-favorite Zombies map makes its triumphant return on Thursday, February 4 as part of the free season 1 update. Firebase Z features a gorgeous (if you can ignore the flesh-eating zombies) Vietnamese jungle setting and continues the Dark Aether storyline following the events of the Die Maschine map. Requiem's next mission is to unravel the secrets of Outpost 25 to save Samantha Maxis, a character lead writer Craig Houston says we'll get to know "to an extent we never, ever have before."

Black Ops Cold War Zombies guide | How to upgrade DIE Shockwave in Cold War Zombies | Firebase Z Wonder Weapon 

Activision also says to expect "new enemies, game features, hidden secrets, and a powerful new Wonder Weapon to wield against the undead." Likewise, the unique layout of the map itself means it'll take some getting-used-to even for seasoned Zombies vets. Calling back to the Zombies Moon map from Black Ops, Firebase Z is divided into two distinct sections, starting players off at the village and then bringing them to the outpost via a teleporter. "The way you play in Die Maschine might not necessarily translate over to Firebase Z," says lead level designer Anthony Saunders.

Senior sound designer Collin Ayers, who's been working on Zombies maps since 2008's World at War, says the new map's music and ambient noise is just as "seat-of-your-pants," "wild and crazy," and genuinely scary as old school Zombies. It also doesn't help soften the scare factor that there's a massive, tentacled monster disguised as valuable items and hiding in plain sight throughout the map, ready to maul the next player brave or unwitting enough to approach it. Needless to say, you'll want to equip yourself with the best guns in Cold War Zombies to survive the Firebase Z map.

In case you're stuck, here's our Black Ops Cold War Zombies Easter Egg walkthrough. 

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick
Staff Writer

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.