Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Zombies fans are closing in on Mauer Der Toten, the first Survival map since Firebase Z back in February. With five long months between releases, fans are desperate for this map to deliver. Outside of fresh intel, Treyarch has set up the map’s story via a second Outbreak easter egg. While the main quest features some simple objectives and can be completed by just about anyone, its big story moment is interesting.

At the end of the quest, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Zombies fans see what looks to be a normal exfil ending. With these anticlimactic escapes being a big downside of the game’s quests, Treyarch thankfully changes things up. As Requiem attempts to leave, they are shot down by Kravchenko and Omega. The cruel Russian then tells the Operators they will be working for him, setting up an exciting change for Mauer Der Toten. If Treyarch capitalizes on this surprise ending, the next Zombies map could blow fans away with a completely fresh tone.

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Thus far, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War players have only had a few interactions with the Omega Group. Further, all those moments have been tied directly to Dr. Peck, with characters like Valentina and Kravchenko kept to cutscenes. However, Mauer Der Toten could be changing that. With the playable characters now in Omega custody, they could find themselves working with different members of the faction on their missions.

Similar to how characters like Weaver and Dr. Grey talk to the player during a match, figures from the Omega Group could take a more prominent role in the map. Instead of conversing with members of Requiem, Omega characters could guide Call of Duty Zombies players through their objectives. This could allow Treyarch to flesh out Dr. Peck a bit further while also giving insight into Valentina. Kravchenko could take on A Weaver-like role, commanding the missions and telling players what they should be doing as the easter egg quest progresses.

This new format could make the map feel different from the others, as a new cast could liven things up a bit. While it is not the same as having playable characters with lots of dialogue and special conversations, it is still a step in the right direction. With players already knowing a fair bit about Requiem, getting to know Omega in the same way would be terrific. It could give the villains some more complex character arcs, making whatever happens next in the Dark Aether story more meaningful. There is also the topic of Omega’s mole in Requiem, something that an Omega-focused map could finally reveal to the audience.

Mauer Der Toten will likely make use of the campaign’s brainwashing to re-wire Requiem. The quickest way for Kravchenko to make the Operators work easily for him, they could be forced to undergo the same torture as the likes of Russell Adler, Alex Mason, and Bell. The Numbers could be used for this process, something that would not be too hard to pull off given that the two are connected. While Weaver’s involvement makes Zombies canon in the main Black Ops narrative, using the campaigns’ sleeper agent technology could further that connection.

On top of this, the increasing involvement of Kravchenko makes the campaign connections even clearer. Featured heavily in the original Black Ops and killed off in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Kravchenko takes on a larger role in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Appearing in both the campaign and Firebase Z’s end cutscene, he has made his presence known on a few occasions. However, while many assumed him taking Peck’s eye was a cameo, he instead stuck around via some Zombies intel. With him getting even more involved through the Outbreak end cutscene, it seems like he will have a key role in the next map.

While having a campaign character on both sides of the conflict is interesting, Kravchenko is a bit different from Weaver. While Weaver’s fate is unknown, as he disappears after the first Black Ops game, gamers know when Kravchenko dies on the Black Ops timeline. With this in mind, Treyarch is a bit more limited on what they can do with the villain. With him needing to survive the events of the Dark Aether story, it will be interesting to see how Treyarch writes him out of the plot. With it being impossible to avoid the set dates of the campaign, Treyarch has a specific window to work with when it comes to Kravchenko’s story. Still, with him being the one that took Weaver's eye, their personal conflict should definitely be brought up at some point.

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While this Omega focus will surely impact the storytelling of the map, it could also see gamers doing different things as they progress the main quest. While they have stolen Omega gear in the past, they may have easier access to it in the new map. Further, their objectives could be aimed directly at hurting Requiem, the opposite of what has happened in the story thus far. A more destructive focus could be seen too, with everything from Mauer Der Toten’s subway to the Berlin Wall able to be damaged.

On the flip side, the map may see players putting the Cold War on hold. Through intel, players have learned that Omega is far more afraid of the Dark Aether than the West. As such, they are turning their attention toward stopping the undead and The One, the being that controls them. Mauer Der Toten’s quest could ultimately see them failing to contain the threat, with the group forced to partner with Requiem in the next Zombies map. Regardless of what happens, though, the entity in charge of the Zombies will likely take on a far bigger role in the new map.

With players either fighting against Requiem or focusing directly on the leader of the undead, their objectives are guaranteed to be different from what came before. As such, Mauer Der Toten seems like an exciting leap forward for the mode. Not only does it have a bit more personality due to its city setting, but it seems to be pushing the story forward in a major way. While Requiem’s Operators being captured could be treated as an afterthought, doubling down on this twist would be huge for the mode. Working for Omega could take the story in a whole new direction, giving Zombies fans a far more memorable experience.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

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