As Call of Duty: Warzone ramps up to the kick-off of season 3, players have discovered a new, creepy way to mess with their enemies: turning into zombies.
First spotted by PC Gamer, two areas at the southeast end of the Verdansk map, Shipwreck and Prison, are now highlighted with a nuclear waste symbol. Players can also see a distinctly gaseous aura surrounding the area. Players have discovered that if you die (naturally, not by being shot) while in these areas, you’ll immediately respawn as a zombified glass cannon.
Warzone introduced zombies in its battle royale mode back in February, with certain areas randomly spawning zombies that can be killed for extra loot. This most recent development is the first time that players have been able to turn into undead themselves.
So what does being a fleshy carcass get you? Namely, the ability to jump ludicrously far lengths across the map at a pretty impressive pace, a gas grenade that will slowly damage anyone caught in its radius, and an EMP shockwave that messes with nearby electronics and radar.
Check out the gifs of the abilities in action below.
The only drawback is that you’re very, very vulnerable and can’t put armor on, so you’ll very likely get gunned down if an enemy player sights you from a distance. Your turn in the Gulag is also forfeited, so it’s a one-and-done opportunity unless your teammate can revive you at a purchase station.
Another catch is that turning into a zombie doesn’t work in solos mode. In 2-4 player modes, however, it can work as a strange recon class, since you can cover long distances with ease and your radar automatically highlights nearby enemies. So don’t be too surprised if you see a zombie rolling with some more cognizant friends.
It’s possible that this is just a temporary prelude to the supposed nuke event that continues to be teased, so get those zombie kills in while you can. At least this time the crazy player abilities aren’t coming from cheats and hacks, with Activision banning almost 500,000 players. Make sure to keep an eye on IGN’s Call of Duty: Warzone coverage for all the new developments on season 3.
Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/shambler for IGN.
Gifs captured by IGN.