Canceled CoD Zombies spin-off was made as Treyarch planned to abandon the mode

A canceled Call of Duty Zombies spin-off game was poised to be one of the first true live service games way back in 2011 before its cancellation. Developed by Raven Software, the team behind Modern Warfare Remastered, the deceased CoD game was planned to be a constantly updated version of the iconic Zombies mode.

Speaking to CoD Zombies YouTuber Glitching Queen, ex-Raven-Software lead designer Michael Gummelt revealed the developer’s plans to revitalize the Zombies formula over 10 years ago.

In a lengthy interview, Gummelt revealed that Raven started work on a standalone Zombies game after his work on the Chinese free-to-play game Call of Duty: Online. After working for years on the spin-off game’s Zombies mode — which used cyborgs instead of the undead — Raven got the opportunity to work on a full Zombies spin-off.

Call of Duty: Zombies, known internally as Project Zed, planned to use the framework of CoD Online to create a new, Western-focused spin-off that provided players with a “constant stream of new modes, maps and character customisation”.

Project Zed came due to Treyarch’s plans to abandon the Zombies mode for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. The spin-off generated numerous ideas that would eventually be used in Modern Warfare 2’s DMZ mode.

“At the time, Treyarch wasn’t sure if they wanted to continue zombies because it was a tonne of work,” Gummelt revealed. “I wrote this whole design doc. It was going to be a four-player co-op, you were going to have a world map.”

In the game, players would start off as a gladiator in a Mad Max style arena before staging a breakout with your fellow players. Once you escaped, you’d be able to explore the open world and find new Zombies arenas and stories to play through, unlocking new weapons and character customisation options.

“It was kinda like Mad Max meets CoD Zombies,” Gummelt explained. “It was going to be live service, there was going to be microtransactions so you could make yourself look like anything. I think it would’ve been really awesome.”

While recent reports claim that Raven Software worked for years on the game, Gummelt revealed that the Call of Duty: Zombies spin-off never started actual development. While a full design document was written and a producer was on-board, Raven Software was never allowed to start making Project Zed as Treyarch decided to continue making the mode.

“I never got an absolute: ‘Yeah, they want it back and you guys can’t do it anymore.’” Gummelt explained. “That’s the impression that I got. Actually, they are going to do Zombies again and they don’t want that competing. But, to look at it another way, if that hadn’t happened, you wouldn’t have gotten Black Ops 2, 3 and 4 Zombies.”

The Call of Duty: Zombies mode has since lived a very eventful life with the mode even making its way into Infinite Warfare and Modern Warfare 3. At this point, Zombies is an integral part of CoD’s DNA and while Raven may have made a great Zombies spin-off, it’s also nice that the mode has continued to be a staple of new releases for the past decade.

With a return to Black Ops coming for Call of Duty 2024, we could see a classic, stripped back Zombies mode once again. With the current Zombies modes moving towards complex open maps and long-winded storylines, a simpler take on the mode could be a great addition.