Call of Duty Vanguard Zombies Easter egg, Der Anfang explained

The Call of Duty Vanguard Zombies Easter egg Der Anfang has been hotly anticipated for a while now, with a major story update for zombies in which players can follow a hidden plotline through the map. While the Der Anfang easter egg story has been delayed, we know some aspects and details around it already, including release dates and more. In the meantime you can try our Vanguard Zombies guide to get started on what's currently in the game, or take a look at the new Vanguard zombies perks system.

How to find the Vanguard Zombies Easter egg

Bad news - at time of writing, there is no Easter egg or running playable story in Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies mode, and isn't likely to be for a little while. In a recent blog post, the developers confirmed that the Der Anfang Easter egg quest would be added to the game at a later date - specifically with the commencement of the game's first season, which launches on December 2nd. While details are thin on the ground, the blog does give this information:

"This Main Quest will be tied to the arrival of an unexpected ally after Season One, which will further expand the narrative of the Dark Aether, and reveal more details about the characters and entities that players will have encountered thus far."

Not especially helpful, but on the plus side, a month to wait isn't too long, and will give players the chance to get acquainted with the map itself before having to engage with the more esoteric plot elements.

However, available information in the blog also makes it clear that this will only be the first stage of Vanguard's zombie-related plotline, and like previous COD games, will likely be followed up both by other Zombie maps and locales, or changes and developments to existing ones (likely both, but information is currently thin on the ground). Whatever happens, we'll be sure to update this page accordingly when new information is available, both regarding the Zombies Easter egg and additions to the Vanguard Zombies mode, post launch.

Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and Very Tired Man with a BA from Brunel University, a Masters from Sussex University and a decade working in games journalism, often focused on guides coverage but also in reviews, features and news. His love of games is strongest when it comes to groundbreaking narratives like Disco Elysium, UnderTale and Baldur's Gate 3, as well as innovative or refined gameplay experiences like XCOM, Sifu, Arkham Asylum or Slay the Spire. He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook, and if they already have one, they should probably add another just to be safe. You can find old work of his at Eurogamer, Gfinity, USgamer, SFX Magazine, RPS, Dicebreaker, VG247, and more.