Despite The Tomb’s mixed response and continued complaints about the recasting of Samantha Maxis, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies is once again gaining interest thanks to the imminent release of Shattered Veil. Come April 2, players will be entering the Mansion featured in Liberty Falls’ intro cinematic. The map is poised to be a heavy hitter for fans of CoD Zombies’ ongoing Dark Aether narrative, as the Order from the Chaos storyline, Edward Richtofen, and Samantha Maxis are all set to be explored. The Mansion will be home to memorable landmarks like a T-Rex skeleton as well as new Toxic Zombie and Elder Disciple enemy types. To combat these foes, players will be wielding the returning Wunderwaffe DG-2 and Ray Gun Mark 2 Wonder Weapons – with the latter deserving to appear outside Shattered Veil.
First introduced in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, the Ray Gun Mark 2 is a three-round burst variant of the classic Wonder Weapon, beloved by fans due to its visual design, consistent DPS output, and lack of splash damage. Much like with its appearance in Alpha Omega, the Black Ops 6 version of the Mark 2 will have multiple variants that can be used by players in addition to the base form. However, there will only be three variants this time around, and based on their descriptions, the variants themselves seem slightly – or hugely – different. The SMG version ignites foes, the shotgun variant spawns invulnerability zones for players to stand in, and the entirely fresh Marksman Rifle firing pattern deals poisonous area of effect damage. Hunting down these variants will surely be a core part of the Shattered Veil gameplay loop, and they should be exclusive to that map because of it. However, the same cannot be said for the base Mark 2.
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Black Ops 2’s Ray Gun Mark 2 Wasn’t Exclusive to One CoD Zombies Map
The beloved Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 map Buried technically served as the introduction for the Ray Gun Mark 2, but it was not exclusive to that classic release. Instead, if players purchased the Vengeance map pack, the Mark 2 would be added to all the maps they owned. On maps with the original Ray Gun, players could acquire either version, while the Mark 2 served as a much-needed horde killer on the Nuketown Zombies bonus map. Retroactively adding the Mark 2 to TranZit, Nuketown, Die Rise, and Mob of the Dead, while featuring it again in Origins, ensured that players could rely on the weapon being in the Mystery Box no matter what map they were in the mood to play.
This is not the only time that Treyarch retroactively added something to maps that had previously released. Upon the addition of the Mule Kick perk in the original Black Ops, Treyarch added the three-gun beverage to the game’s other maps.
The Ray Gun Mark 2 Can Add Some Much-Needed Depth to Black Ops 6’s Mystery Box
Just like the Ray Gun Mark 2 motivated players to spin the Mystery Box within new and old Zombies maps alike in Black Ops 2, it could give Black Ops 6’s Box a new burst of life. After all, one common criticism from fans of traditional Zombies is how little importance the Mystery Box has in Treyarch’s modern releases, as gamers often spawn in with their bullet gun of choice through loadouts, acquire the Wonder Weapon via a quest, and never bother touching the Mystery Box at all. If the Ray Gun Mark 2 were to be retroactively added to Terminus, Liberty Falls, Citadelle Des Morts, and the Tomb, then each hit of the Box would finally be more exciting, as the Mark 2 could be just around the corner.
While it is currently unclear if this will happen, there is precedent for the Mark 2 not being a map-exclusive Wonder Weapon. Sure, there is something to be said for it being part of Shattered Veil’s identity, as that map only offers the returning Wunderwaffe DG-2 and the Mark 2 in terms of Wonder Weapons. Still, as long as Treyarch ensures that the three variants of the Mark 2 are powerful and fun to chase (and that the base Mark 2 is also strong), there would be no harm in treating the variants as the exclusive Shattered Veil Wonder Weapons and making the original Mark 2 into a default Mystery Box gun. Hopefully, Treyarch considers this approach, as it would help address a complaint about the current game while brilliantly playing on the nostalgia for old-school Call of Duty.
Forced to go rogue. Hunted from within. This is Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
Developed by Treyarch and Raven, Black Ops 6 is a spy action thriller set in the early 90s, a period of transition and upheaval in global politics, characterized by the end of the Cold War and the rise of the United States as a single superpower. With a mind-bending narrative, and unbound by the rules of engagement, this is signature Black Ops.
The Black Ops 6 Campaign provides dynamic moment-to-moment gameplay that includes a variety of play spaces with blockbuster set pieces and action-packed moments, high-stakes heists, and cloak-and-dagger spy activity.
In a best-in-class Multiplayer experience, players will test their skills across 16 new maps at launch, including 12 core 6v6 maps and 4 Strike maps that can be played 2v2 or 6v6.
Black Ops 6 also marks the epic return of Round-Based Zombies, the fan-favorite mode where players will take down hordes of the undead in two brand-new maps at launch. Post-launch, players can look forward to even more exciting maps and groundbreaking experiences dropping into both Multiplayer and Zombies.