CoD executive reveals MW3 Zombies is “best rated third mode” in a decade

Max Candelarezi
MW3 Zombies

Despite causing a divided reaction in the CoD community, MW3 Zombies was described as the “best rated third mode in a decade,” by Johanna Faries, Call of Duty’s General Manager, during an interview with VentureBeat.

Modern Warfare 3 was 2023’s premium Call of Duty title, and since its launch, players have enjoyed all the changes that the SHG team introduced. Some of the best recognition has gone to its Zombies mode, developed by Treyarch, being the first-ever within the MW saga.

The mode deviates from Treyarch‘s original Zombies formula, which initially sparked a division within the Call of Duty community, but MW3 Zombies successfully blends elements from Warzone’s DMZ and Black Ops Cold War’s Outbreak.

Although a previous Zombies mode for the Modern Warfare saga was initially scrapped, given that the devs couldn’t persuade people that “zombies fit vibe-wise in an MW game.” However, the mode eventually made its way to the franchise with SHG’s MW3.

Activision’s “bet” pays off for MW3 Zombies

In an interview with VentureBeat, Call of Duty’s General Manager, Johanna Faries, revealed that despite MW3 Zombies being a “bet,” the mode is “probably the best rated ‘third mode’ in a decade.” Faries then followed with: “I’m not making that up. And you know, we listen, and we see that, so you feel it.”

As with any “bet,” the Activision team knew that when entering into Modern Warfare territory, “there’s canon and universe and usually… Zombies experience is not shown.”

However, Faries acknowledged that MW3 Zombies presents “a different way to play Zombies” where the “gameplay architecture is different.” Yet, the game still managed to make its way through, as Activision considers the DMZ-Outbreak hybrid mode forged a passionate community.

While the future of Zombies in Modern Warfare is uncertain, as are Activision’s plans for the mode after its success, it’s expected that this won’t be the last time players will be able to enjoy this version of the mode.

On the other hand, for fans of the traditional round-based system in Zombies, CoD 2024, which is reportedly being developed by Treyarch is expected to bring back this beloved system – although for now, it’s all just speculation.

For more on Call of Duty, be sure to check out the best guns you can use in Modern Warfare 3’s multiplayer or everything we know about Call of Duty’s next installment, CoD 2024.