Black Ops 6’s Reckoning Just Divided the CoD Zombies Community, and I Know What Side I’m On

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 5 has brought the game’s Zombies content to an end, and for the most part, Reckoning sticks the landing. There are some interesting lore explanations for things like the mode’s announcer, some well-acted payoffs like Grey’s reaction to what happened to Samantha, and a fun layout that feels truly fresh for the mode’s map design. Sure, there are criticisms to be had, such as Panos’ fate feeling rushed, the Gorgofex Wonder Weapon arguably being weaker than it should, and so on, but a complex main quest with multiple endings and some entertaining boss battles ultimately make the map a win. That said, its ending is going to be a hit or miss depending on who is asked.

Depending on which path is chosen, either SAM or Richtofen will win the day. The former’s path sees Black Ops 6 players defeating a mech-wearing Richtofen, with the director failing to save his family. SAM then gets the human form she has been searching for, with the AI seemingly keeping her powers on top of that. Richtofen’s ending is much more positive, with the unhinged AI defeated and Richtofen reunited with his wife and son. However, neither of these outcomes are what has split the community, as fans are instead debating about what happens afterward. In both scenes, the final thing players see are some new variants of the original four characters stepping out of the shadows, welcoming the Terminus crew “to the party” as a cliffhanger for Black Ops 7’s story. Sadly, this teaser didn’t leave me eager to see what happens next, which is a first, as everything from Origins’ ending to Terminus’ final scene had left me excited for the future.

As convoluted as the original Aether storyline was, I absolutely adored it. It was a vital part of my teenage years, as I still remember reading theories and watching videos breaking down the radios spread throughout each map. The community coming together to figure out the story, just as it had to do for Easter eggs, was always a special experience, and an official timeline not being released until Black Ops 3’s Zombies Chronicles DLC meant that many interpretations were valid. In Black Ops 4, though, the Aether story came to an end, and while I wish it played out differently – a fight with Dr. Monty, the promised Great War map, and one last playable experience with the classic heroes are all things that really should have happened – retconning the conclusion is problematic in my opinion. As such, I’m not excited about the old characters returning like some other fans are… I’m disappointed.

Why Black Ops 4’s Ending Being Retconned is Such a Shame

Though it’s true that Primis and Ultimis deserved more than a slideshow cutscene (fully animated cinematics had been scrapped by that point in Black Ops 4‘s life, as many developers had shifted over to Black Ops Cold War), Tag Der Toten’s ending was impactful nonetheless. Players learn that Richtofen had been prolonging the inevitable in Black Ops 3 Zombies, as there was no option for Dempsey, Takeo, and Nikolai to survive outside the cycle they were trapped in. For the undead threat to truly be eliminated, both the Primis and Ultimis versions of the original four characters had to be destroyed for good, something Nikolai did himself.

What was particularly effective about this conclusion wasn’t just all the campfire conversations hidden throughout Tag Der Toten that built up to it, nor was it Samantha Maxis having to put down Primis Nikolai to fully complete his mission. Instead, it was Sam and Eddie’s walk into the new universe where players hear what Primis and Ultimis would be doing in their ideal lives. This moment hit myself and many others hard because of the idea that we would never be seeing these characters again after bonding with them for years. Their final words were an emotional gut punch that stuck with me for hours after I first heard them, and while the path to this demise was unfortunately rushed, the ending itself did work well and provided real finality. Now, though? It feels meaningless.

Call of Duty has always leaned into nostalgia, whether it be the years of Shipment and Nuketown remakes, certain Wonder Weapons re-appearing constantly, or Black Ops 6’s Prestige rewards, which are themed around classic Black Ops games. Hell, part of the reason Blackout worked so well was because it was an homage to what came before, as its POIs were made up of multiplayer and Zombies areas while all its playable characters came from the franchise itself. Still, the nostalgia grab of reviving the classic crew with no explanation provided for why they’re back feels like a step too far to me, and a slap in the face of Nikolai’s tragic sacrifice in Tag Der Toten. Even though the ending was imperfect, it was presented as an ending, and Treyarch will have a lot of explaining to do if it wants to justify bringing the original four back for BO7 – which it has to do alongside providing a canon ending for BO6, explaining Panos’ benefactor, and more.

Black Ops 7 Zombies Playing the Greatest Hits Doesn’t Feel Necessary

Considering how successful Black Ops 6 Zombies has been, it’s odd that Treyarch is digging up the corpses of Richtofen, Dempsey, Nikolai, and Takeo. The studio could have fully leaned into the Chaos story going forward, finally picking up on the cliffhanger from Ancient Evil. Considering how the O4 were just brought back out of the blue, Scarlett and the gang showing up would be no less jarring, and a fish-out-of-water scenario for their dialogue could have made them fun to control. Alternatively, Treyarch could have pushed forward with the Terminus crew, as they have been a solid cast of characters. Sure, they could use some more development – especially Carver – but it feels like they’re unlikely to receive it now. With the most iconic characters back, they’ll likely be the playable cast for BO7 and figures like Weaver will be back on radio duty, serving as map guides instead of getting standout moments themselves.

Bringing back the old crew has some fans reinvigorated, as they love the era of CoD Zombies where they were the focus and only that era. I understand this outlook, and I’d be lying if I said they weren’t my favorite characters as well. Still, as much as I adore them, I’d prefer it if they were left alone and new ideas were explored instead. The whole situation feels desperate and comparable to RDJ returning to the MCU as Doctor Doom. Sure, it’s not truly the same characters, so the sacrifices made still “matter,” but it becomes harder to care about everything that comes after. If we grow attached to these new versions of Richtofen, Takeo, Demspey, and Nikolai over the next few years, only for their story to come to an end as well, what’s to stop yet another set of variants from replacing them? Funnily enough, it feels like we’re all trapped in a cycle where everything comes back to the same cast of characters in the end, no matter what Treyarch tries to do.

The Dark Aether story doing its own thing with only a few returning characters was brave, and it felt like it was finally starting to find its footing, only for Treyarch to pivot back to the “safe” approach. On the bright side, Tom Henderson’s reports on BO7 bringing back the OG crew proving correct means that his map-related claims are likely accurate as well. At least I’ll have bold map locations like a nuked New York City to look forward to, because after this nostalgia play, I’m a bit worried about where the Dark Aether storyline is going. For years, the CoD Zombies narrative was just as important to me as the gameplay, but going forward I could be stuck in a spot where the only thing I can get invested in is the gameplay.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

9/10

Released

October 25, 2024

ESRB

Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Suggestive Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs

Engine

IW 9.0