The trailer forCall of Duty: Vanguard’s Zombies mode recently dropped, giving fans an idea of where Treyarch is taking the game mode next. One fan noticed during the trailer that it appears players will be returning to the classic Zombies map Shi No Numa inCall of Duty: Vanguard.
There was a time when Zombies was not a regular part of theCall of Dutyseries. At first it was a hallmark of Treyarch’s installments, debuting inCall of Duty: World at War, but once Activision included Sledgehammer Games into the rotation ofCall of Duty’s developers, it began implementing its own Zombies modes, the first being Exo-Zombies inCall of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Now in 2021, it was confirmed thatCall of Duty: Vanguard’s Zombies was being handled by Treyarchdespite being primarily a Sledgehammer Games entry. WithVanguard’s Zombies reveal trailer having finally dropped, fans can finally see what’s next in the Dark Aether storyline.
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Call of Dutyinformant ModernWarzone noticed what appears to be Shi No Numa inVanguard’s Zombies reveal trailer. In the video they posted to Twitter, ModernWarzone shows a frame-by-frame clip of the trailer, where the camera flies through what is unmistakably Shi No Numa. Furthermore, as the camera swings through Shi No Numa’s lobby area, the person running bares a strong resemblance to Takeo Masaki, with his iconic bun and katana sheath. Takeo is originally a member of thePrimis group of the Zombies storyline, who was introduced back inWorld at War, though his story continues throughout the rest of Treyarch’s Zombies.
As ModernWarzone mentions in their tweet, Shi No Numa was the third Zombies map ever made forCall of Duty, also being introduced inWorld at War. Shi No Numa drastically changed the zombie slaying setting, moving players into a sprawling jungle-like map and away from the bleak industrial environments of the first two maps, Nacht der Untoten and Verruckt. SinceWorld at War,the map has made appearances in otherCall of Dutytitles, most recently being the firstZombies map inCall of Duty: Mobile, though the map has been since been removed as the entire game mode has been reworked.
The return of Shi No Numa brings both good and bad tidings forVanguard’s zombies. On one hand, seeing the map rebuilt after all these years with likely new story ramifications will likely please many fans of the Zombies game mode. On the other hand though, with recent reports that someWorld at Warmultiplayer maps will be inVanguard, one might begin to wonder if Treyarch and Sledgehammer are leaning a bit too heavily into nostalgia. Zombies has referenced classic maps in the past, but to see Shi No Numa in the first trailer for the mode inVanguardmay not sit well with fans looking for something new.
Call of Duty: Vanguardis scheduled to release November 5 on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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