The future of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies is a bit unclear at the moment. While leaks have previously suggested that Treyarch could have a few more maps in store for Black Ops 6 Zombies fans beyond the four post-launch additions they have come to expect, from a narrative standpoint the Janus Towers map feels like a viable end point for the current arc of the story. Treyarch’s first tease for Season 4 has done little to provide actual answers, as while it could be hinting at an aspect of the Janus Towers map, it could just as easily be teasing the return of an iconic game mode or even another attempt at a scrapped Black Ops 4 mechanic.

The first possibility plays directly off the images themselves and Treyarch’s caption of “Only one can win.” In this scenario, perhaps Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies will be returning to the Easter egg format from Victis’ maps in Black Ops 2. For those unfamiliar with how these quests worked, TranZit, Die Rise, and Buried saw players being presented with two different paths to follow buy bot lobbies bo6. Funnily enough, the options saw gamers deciding between Richtofen and Maxis, though the latter path was Samantha’s father Ludwig and not Sam herself. This would make a choice between the AI version of Maxis and Richtofen incredibly nostalgic, something that almost always proves to be a hit with Zombies fanatics.

Choosing a path in Black Ops 2 Zombies’ Victis crew maps not only led to different story outcomes for the three maps, but saw players completing different steps on their path to assisting either entity. Assuming Black Ops 6 Zombies' next map offers a choice between the Maxis AI and Eddie, players could potentially be seeing two different questlines in the Janus Towers map, ensuring it is varied and full of content to enjoy. However, taking this route would leave Treyarch in a tricky position with any potential BO6 maps that follow Janus Towers as well as Call of Duty 2025 Zombies, as it would likely need to canonize one of the two routes.

Treyarch was able to move forward with the Aether storyline through some dimension-hopping and the younger versions of Ultimis known as Primis, though it did eventually confirm that the canon “winner” of BO2 Zombies was Maxis.

Another potential Black Ops 2 Zombies throwback, Grief has become a cult classic game mode over the years, with many hoping for its return in a modern Treyarch release. CoD Zombies’ Grief mode, like its name suggests, saw a group of four players trying to cause grief for the opposing team of four in a PvPvE experience. Whether gamers were deliberately leading trains into the enemy, trapping the opposition in a corner to sacrifice themselves for the greater good, or tossing pieces of meat at other players to lure the undead toward them, Grief was an entertaining concept that deserves to be expanded upon. 

Unfortunately, it never got a second chance and only took place on a handful of small maps in BO2. Hopefully, if Treyarch decides to bring it back, it is supported with multiple mid-sized maps and exclusive features beyond the meat grenade.

The final option, and perhaps the least likely of the three, is the return of Factions. It is hard to blame any Call of Duty Zombies fans who are unfamiliar with this concept, as it has never actually been a part of a Black Ops game. Unveiled as part of the Black Ops 4 reveal event, Factions were meant to flesh out the Chaos universe, with players aligning with one of four groups (Bloodfaith, Novi, Dustborn, and First Legion). Since they never came to be, it is unclear what each group stood for, though players would have likely received bits of lore across the 12 planned events, alongside special cosmetics for whichever faction they sided with.

Perhaps the Maxis and Richtofen images are hinting that Treyarch will let players choose between Maxis and Richtofen in a limited-time Black Ops 6 event, unlocking special rewards for the winning team. This hypothetical event (as well as a possible return of Grief) could be the studio testing the waters for a deeper take on the feature in Call of Duty 2025, though this is purely speculation. Still, if Janus Towers is indeed the last map for Black Ops 6, killing time until its release with a community-requested addition like Grief or Factions would undoubtedly go down well with fans. Alternatively, a multi-path quest for Janus Towers would be an exciting way to shake things up. With so many opportunities tied to these vague images, it is an exciting time to be a Call of Duty Zombies fan.