Vanguard Zombies trick entirely skips Perk animation

Liam Mackay
Call of Duty Vanguard Perk fountain

Perks are key to survival in Vanguard Zombies’ Der Anfang, but the animation could spell trouble if you’re swarmed by the undead. However, there’s a small glitch that allows you to apply Perks instantly, skipping the animation.

Zombies fans have been treated to two years of undead slaying, with Treyarch returning to carry on the Dark Aether storyline in Vanguard. Some players haven’t been too impressed with the mode, but it’s a great place to get your Zombie-slaying fix and level up weapons.

Perks have returned with the Der Anfang map, giving players powerful upgrades to survive hordes of the undead. Your Operator needs to drink the Perk before you get the upgrade, which can mean certain death if you’re in a pinch. However, there’s a small trick you can employ to skip the animation.

How to skip Perk animation in Vanguard Zombies

zombie in call of duty vanguard zombies

As Reddit user NLbawz revealed, you just need to press melee and buy the Perk at the same time. The OP also clarified that you should try to “start off with the melee first,” to ensure it works.

The melee animation appears to cancel out the drinking animation, so the Perk will be instantly applied. This is especially useful if you’re trying to buy a Perk mid-round when Zombies are swarming the fountain.

Zombies glitches are almost as old as the mode itself, with players using them to skip doors and unlock unlimited everything. But, these usually end up getting patched once the developers have cottoned on to what players are up to.

One user noted that this glitch also existed in Black Ops Cold War, but was later patched. Like most glitches, you can expect the same to happen in Vanguard, so you might as well use it while you can.


For more Vanguard Zombies, you can check out the best weapons and tips to master the mode.

Image Credit: Sledgehammer Games

About The Author

Liam is CharlieIntel's Editor who focuses on Call of Duty but also plays lots of fantasy RPGs or anything else in his massive gaming backlog. After graduating in Journalism from Edinburgh Napier University, Liam freelanced in games journalism before joining CharlieIntel in November 2020. You can contact Liam at [email protected].