For the first time in the history of the mode, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Zombies will be taking the fight against the undead to an open world. While this bold new approach has Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War fans excited to try the mode out when Season 2 launches, some have found a way to play it early.

This is not the first time Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War fans have accidentally accessed content before it was properly released. Ahead of the H.A.R.P. Scorestreak’s actual debut, players were able to use the Advanced UAV stand-in freely. Similarly, the midseason weapons of Season 1 could be viewed and unlocked early, with Treyarch eventually realizing the mistake and stripping the weapons from player inventories. However, early access to a new Zombies experience is absolutely the biggest slip-up of this kind so far.

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While Season 2’s update has arrived early so players can download it before the new content goes live, creative fans have found a way to use this pre-loading to their advantage. After downloading the update for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Season 2, players can then go offline and head to the Zombies mode. From there, the process is as simple as selecting custom games and Outbreak, with three different maps available for players to enjoy.

While players have known Outbreak mode’s different objectives for the past few days, they were unsure of whether the mode would always see players starting in the same area and progressing through the same Fireteam map. Fortunately, this sneaky early access strategy confirms that numerous maps will be available on day one, giving Outbreak some variety from the very beginning. The maps to play on include the snowy Alpine, woodland Ruka, and the brand new Fireteam map Golova.

So far, the only Fireteam map absent from the lineup is the post-launch addition Sanatorium. It remains to be seen if this map will come to Onslaught further down the road or simply remain a purely multiplayer location. Considering that the map is the most visually appealing Fireteam location thus far, it would be great to see Zombies rip it to shreds. Regardless, three maps on launch day is still exciting, and the different locales should give Zombies players some variety in their Outbreak experience.

For any players hoping to go in blind, though, staying off the internet until tomorrow would be a wise idea, as several fans have posted footage of the mode online. As for those looking to play the mode early themselves, making good use of Field Upgrades will be necessary, as Outbreak can currently only be played solo.

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

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