Why Call of Duty Zombies Should Take Another Stab At Its Worst Map

Debuting all the way back in 2008 with the release of Call of Duty: World at War, Call of Duty Zombies has enjoyed a rather lengthy and prosperous career so far, going from a simple secret mode that was never really intended to be in the game, to one of the main selling points of the entire franchise. Over the last 16 years, Call of Duty Zombies has seen its fair share of controversial changes, with some of the most recent swapping the traditional round-based structure for a more open-world approach. But a good Call of Duty Zombies map can come from anywhere, regardless of a game’s odd new mechanics or unnecessarily different structure.

As of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3‘s release, there have been almost 60 Call of Duty Zombies maps, with a total of 38 of those coming just from Treyarch’s mainline releases. Naturally, not all 60 (give or take) Call of Duty Zombies maps are considered equal, and there’s one that often finds itself at the very bottom of the pile, at least when compared to its other Treyarch siblings. But Call of Duty Zombies‘ Tranzit map really isn’t all that bad, it just needs a bit of a touch-up.

Call of Duty Zombies’ Tranzit Map Has a Lot of Potential

Tranzit Doesn’t Necessarily Deserve All The Hate It Gets

Upon its initial release, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2‘s Tranzit map was met with some pretty severe backlash from fans. An ambitious map that attempted to link together a handful of smaller locations using a looping bus system, Tranzit bit off far more than it could chew, resulting in a map that led to more frustration than fun, and it being the only Zombies map at launch didn’t help its legacy.

But Tranzit wasn’t all bad. Though certainly overly ambitious, Tranzit’s larger scale was unlike anything fans had seen before from Call of Duty Zombies, and though most of its individual locations weren’t anything to write home about, there were still a handful of POIs that have gone on to be pretty iconic. The vast majority of Tranzit’s problems actually come from the limitations of the technology of the time, with Treyarch being forced to put Tranzit’s infamous fog and accompanying Denizen monsters in the game to ensure the larger scale of the map wouldn’t crash consoles.

The actual concept of Tranzit is an incredibly intriguing one, especially at the time of its initial release. While open-world Zombies maps have become a much more frequent occurrence, Tranzit attempted to offer an all-in-one map all the way back in 2012, and a lot of that groundwork still holds up today, it just needs a bit of an overhaul.

Tranzit Could Thrive in Call of Duty 2024

Rumors surrounding a possible Tranzit map remake have circulated the internet for years now, with the most high-profile rumor dropping in May 2020. Initially spread by YouTuber TheGamingRevolution, Call of Duty Zombies‘ Tranzit was apparently going to be remade in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, but the mode’s drop-off in players caused Treyarch to cancel its plans. According to this leak, Tranzit was also going to be remade for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, though it’s unclear why that never happened.

If past rumors are to be believed, it’s clear that there’s a desire at Treyarch to remake Tranzit, and now might be the best time to do so. Though it isn’t officially confirmed yet, it’s been heavily rumored that Treyarch will be leading development on this year’s Call of Duty entry, and if that’s true, then it’s time for a Tranzit remake. So much of Tranzit’s concept would be perfectly suited for a modern-day Call of Duty Zombies mode, it just needs some major changes, the most important being the removal of the map’s fog and Denizens.

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023)

Released in November of 2023, Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023) continues Captain Price’s story from the 2019 and 2022 games. 

Released

November 10, 2023

Genre(s)

First-Person Shooter

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Drugs

How Long To Beat

5 Hours

Metascore

60

Platforms That Support Crossplay

PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S

Split Screen Orientation

Horizontal Only

PS Plus Availability

N/A

Local Co-Op Support

1-2 Players