Black Ops 6’s Reckoning Splits the CoD Zombies Community – Here’s Where I Stand

So, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’s Season 5 just dropped this bombshell Zombies map called Reckoning. It’s kind of like the last hurrah for this Zombies stuff, and, well, it mostly nails it. The story bits, like the announcer’s backstory and Grey’s emotional meltdown about Samantha? Pretty solid, honestly. The map itself is fresh, gives you something new to chew on. But, yeah, there are some hiccups. Panos’ storyline feels like it was on fast forward, and don’t even get me started on the Gorgofex Wonder Weapon—the thing should pack more of a punch, for real. Still, the main quest is a tangled web of goodness with multiple finales and boss fights thrown in for kicks, so it’s not all bad. But, that ending? Depends who you ask.

If you pick SAM, you end up beating this mech-suited Richtofen guy, but he loses his fam. SAM gets her human form back and keeps her powers—nice little god-like package deal. Richtofen’s end is happier, though—beats the crazy AI and gets back with his wife and kid. But here’s the kicker: the community is buzzing more about the aftermath. New versions of the OG characters pop out of the shadows at the end, inviting the Terminus crew to the “party,” teasing Black Ops 7. And, I don’t know, maybe I’m jaded but unlike previous endings, this one didn’t leave me on the edge of my seat.

The OG Aether storyline—man, it was intricate but I was hooked. It was a whole world I geeked out over. I used to be glued to forums and YouTube, breaking down every hidden radio message. Those were the days, before the official timelines dropped and messed with our theories. But then came Black Ops 4, drawing the curtains on the Aether plot. Honestly, the finale felt rushed—no epic showdown with Dr. Monty, no grand war, no last adventure with the main heroes. Now they’re tossing these legends back into the mix, and it’s not hitting the mark for me like it does for others. Feels like a letdown, you know?

Why Black Ops 4’s Ending Being Retconned is Such a Shame

Even though Primis and Ultimis got shafted with a slideshow end rather than full-blown animation—thanks to shifting focus towards Black Ops Cold War—Tag Der Toten’s curtain call stuck with me. Learning Richtofen had been delaying the unavoidable was like a gut punch. There was no end game for our guys, Dempsey, Takeo, and Nikolai, except obliteration of both their versions to finally squash the undead menace. Nikolai made that call.

It wasn’t just the fireside chats that were hidden in Tag Der Toten that made it impactful or the sight of Samantha putting down Primis Nikolai. It was that walk into a new universe with Sam and Eddie, where we heard what these characters were dreaming for—man, the feels, right? Their final words hit hard because it promised we’d never hang with these guys again after years of bonding. And even though the path there felt rushed, the conclusion worked, giving real closure. But now, the meaning seems… lost.

Nostalgia is CoD’s secret sauce—a decade of Shipment and Nuketown revamps, iconic Wonder Weapons making comebacks, and BO6’s Prestige packed with Black Ops throwbacks. Blackout caught lightning in a bottle by nodding to the past. But dragging the classic crew back without rhyme or reason? That’s overkill. It smacks Nikolai’s sacrifice right across the face. It was meant to be over, and unless Treyarch can weave a believable story for BO7—for why they brought back the quartet—they’ve got a mess to clean. Plus, there’s Panos’ mysterious patron to deal with and everything hanging in the air.

Black Ops 7 Zombies Playing the Greatest Hits Doesn’t Feel Necessary

Bringing back Richtofen, Dempsey, Nikolai, and Takeo for the sequel seems… weird, given how BO6 Zombies did pretty well. Treyarch could’ve doubled down on the Chaos storyline, picking up from Ancient Evil’s cliffhanger. If the OGs could pop back randomly, then Scarlett and crew could waltz in too, no problem. Their dynamic would’ve been fun to explore as they grappled with being out-of-place. Or, they could’ve expanded on the Terminus team, who, while not fully fleshed out yet, seemed promising. Instead, we’re likely stuck with our old faves star-stealing the spotlight again.

Some fans are thrilled with the throwback—the OGs were the stars of the show back then. And hey, I get it. They were my faves, too. But as much as I dig them, I’d rather the series chase fresh ideas. Nostalgia’s nice and all, but it reeks of deperation—like bringing RDJ back as Doctor Doom in the MCU. It isn’t really our old buddies, so their past sacrifices “count,” but it dilutes what follows. If we bond with these reincarnated characters for a few years, only to lose them again, what’s stopping another batch of them popping up? It’s like we’re caught in a loop, cycling back to the tried and true. Treyarch’s move to let the Dark Aether plot solo was a bold step. But now it feels like they’ve retreated to safer ground. The reports from Tom Henderson about the OGs showing up again mean I can bank on those wild maps getting realized—like a nuked-out NYC. Sure, that’ll be fun, but it makes the future of Dark Aether storylines look shaky. Once, the CoD Zombies lore was my jam, alongside gameplay. Now? Gameplay might be the only thing left for me to hold onto.