Call of Duty Zombies

Call of Duty Zombies, also simply known as Zombies, is a recurring game mode in the Call of Duty series of first-person shooter video games published by Activision. Players in the mode are put up against an endless horde of zombies, and are forced to survive for as long as possible. Killing zombies grants the players points, which can be used to obtain more powerful weapons and unlock new areas of the map. The waves of zombies progressively increase in difficulty, becoming faster and having increased health. Additional features available to the player in most versions of the mode include "Perk-a-Colas', which can upgrade players abilities, and a "Pack-a-Punch" machine that allows players to upgrade their weapons. Many maps feature easter eggs and quests, which players can interact with and complete. These range from ones that play a secret song, or progress the overarching storyline of the Zombies mode.

The mode was originally introduced with Call of Duty: World at War (2008), which was developed by Treyarch. The concept for the Zombies mode was created by Treyarch designer Jesse Snyder, who based the concept off of a scrapped mode for the game where players would defend against Allied soldiers during the Normandy landings. Although the mode was almost cancelled by studio head Mark Lamia, due to its creation while the game was behind schedule and the risk behind the mode, it was later included in the final game under the clause that the mode only be a bonus feature unlocked after completing the game's campaign. The mode was later unlocked to all players and received several new maps in the form of downloadable content (DLC). Several future games in the Call of Duty series—mainly ones part of the Black Ops sub-series—would go on to feature its own iteration of the Zombies mode, introducing new mechanics to the mode as well as progressing the overarching story of the series. The mode has been featured in thirteen Call of Duty games, with its most recent appearance being in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (2025).

Zombies is one of the most popular modes in the Call of Duty series, with the Zombies mode being a main reason for many players to purchase the game. Dedicated communities exist for the mode related to its easter eggs, while games such as Call of Duty: Black Ops III (2015) remained popular five years after release due to the mode, despite later iterations. Two standalone versions of the Zombies mode have been released for mobile devices: Call of Duty: World at War – Zombies (2009) and Call of Duty: Black Ops – Zombies (2011). A standalone Zombies game was being developed by Raven Software from 2011 to 2012 before being cancelled. A comic book series based on the mode, written by Justin Jordan and published by Dark Horse Comics, was released starting in February 2016. Two soundtrack albums containing music from the mode's history have been released, specifically in 2011 and 2013.