I Ranked Every Call of Duty Zombies Map Four Years Ago, and Now I'm Auditing Myself

Four years ago I ranked every single Call of Duty zombies map from World at War all the way to Vanguard, worst to best, and that list turned me into a meme across the entire zombies community. I'm going back to that ranking now to ask myself the question I've been avoiding: did I really get it that wrong, or did I actually have a point?

This matters to zombies fans because that old ranking still gets brought up constantly, and I wanted to finally sit with it, revisit every placement, and be honest about which calls hold up and which ones deserve the roasting they got. As I said at the time, this was always meant to be a personal ranking from a casual zombies fan looking in from the outside, not a hardcore competitive breakdown, and it was split into two videos because there are fifty maps to get through.

Vanguard's Launch Map, Nuketown and Die Rise Bottom Out the List

At number 50 I put the launch map from Vanguard, which I said was very basic, repetitive, had no replay value, a difficulty spike that was way too strong, and at launch you couldn't even pause it. Number 49 was Nuketown from Black Ops 2, which I argued just wasn't designed for zombies. It's a multiplayer map through and through, and putting zombie CPUs into it felt small, random and repetitive rather than like a real zombies experience. I called it one of the bigger disappointments in COD history. Number 47 was Die Rise, also Black Ops 2, which I described as boring and random in equal measure, with too much waiting around and perks that didn't help.

Number 46 was The Darkest Shore from World War II, which I called one of the worst Sledgehammer maps ever made because it lacked content, and its fog mechanic where zombies couldn't see you unless you fired a gun was undercut by certain zombie types that could see through the fog anyway. Number 45 was Infection from Advanced Warfare's Exo Zombies, which had fun Easter eggs involving Burger Town but gameplay that just didn't work. Number 44 was The Tortured Path from World War II, which I said was ruined by randomized objectives that destroyed the flow and punished you with mission failure if you got the wrong challenge. Number 43 was Zetsubo No Shima from Black Ops 3, which I said was practically unacceptable at launch due to bugs, some fixed, some still lingering. Numbers 42 and 41 were the two original World at War maps, Shi No Numa and Verruckt. I said Shi No Numa was hilariously easy, which is why its solo world record sits around 10,000 rounds, and Verruckt was fun back in the day but hasn't aged well.

Five, Call of the Dead and Buried Land in the 40s and 30s

Number 40 was Five from Black Ops 1, the JFK and Fidel Castro map, which I loved for its theming but said the gameplay was basic and left a lot to be desired for players wanting the true core experience. Number 39 was Revelations, the Black Ops 3 finale, which I felt was over complicated and mostly played through just to see how the story ended. Number 38 was Buried from Black Ops 2, which I called decent but too easy, which killed some of its appeal. Number 37 was Call of the Dead from Black Ops 1, featuring horror legend George A. Romero, which I said looked awesome and was full of Easter eggs but played more like a scavenger hunt than a replayable map.

Number 36 was Voyage of Despair from Black Ops 4, which I said came down to how much you liked Black Ops 4 zombies overall. Number 35 was Shadows of Evil from Black Ops 3, which I called divisive because of its craziness and long setup time before it got going. Number 34 was Moon from Black Ops 1, which I acknowledged is genuinely split down the middle in the community between people who call it iconic and people who find it annoying. Number 33 was Forsaken from Cold War, which I said felt basic compared to what came before it. Number 32 was the Gröesten Haus map from World War II, which I thought worked better as a multiplayer map than as zombies. Number 31 was Dead of the Night from Black Ops 4, which I joked gave me clue vibes, and which I called fun but not among the game's best.

Shangri-La, Carrier and The Giant Show Their Flaws in the Middle

Number 30 was Shangri-La from Black Ops 1, which I credited for introducing traps, specialty zombies and a strong wonder weapon, but said it never became the community's go-to map. Number 29 was Outbreak, the first Exo Zombies map, which I said turned people off zombies as a whole but was actually pretty cool if you went in with an open mind. Number 28 was The Beast From Beyond from Infinite Warfare, which I called the weakest of IW's zombies maps despite borrowing elements from Ghosts' Extinction mode in an interesting way. Number 27 was Carrier from Advanced Warfare, which split players into two areas the way Verruckt did and added extra tension. Number 26 was The Giant from Black Ops 3, a remake of Der Riese, which I said was a mixed bag that never improved on the original aside from the graphics.

Alpha Omega, Frozen Dawn and Blood of the Dead Open the Top 25

Starting the top 25, number 25 was Alpha Omega from Black Ops 4, an expanded Nuketown map that introduced the Lightning Hounds, Jolting Jacks and Nova 6 Bombers, which I said is either completely forgotten or completely adored by the community. Number 24 was Frozen Dawn from World War II, which many consider the best map in that game's zombies mode thanks to its wonder weapon and layout, and I agreed it was a huge step up for Sledgehammer. Number 23 was Blood of the Dead from Black Ops 4, the reimagining of Mob of the Dead that brought back the Black Ops 2 crew, which I said was a step backward from the original but still a great nostalgic entry point. Number 22 was Gorod Krovi from Black Ops 3, which had a criticized Easter egg but delivered dragons, castles and mounted MG42s. Number 21 was Classified from Black Ops 4, the reimagining of Five, which I said improved on the original's layout even if it lost some theming, and I joked that modding it with Black Ops 1 character models and voice lines would be the best way to play it.

Shaolin Shuffle, Tag der Toten and Rave in the Redwoods Impress in the Teens

Number 20 was Shaolin Shuffle from Infinite Warfare, which I called fast paced, intense and underrated. Number 19 was The Final Reich from World War II, which I said leaned too much on jump scares over creepiness but still had solid weapons and layout. Number 18 was Mauer der Toten from Cold War, set at the Berlin Wall, which I praised for its Easter eggs referencing World at War and Voyage of Despair, calling it good but a bit forgettable. Number 17 was Descent from Advanced Warfare, which the Advanced Warfare community almost unanimously considers the best Exo Zombies map, set in an underwater facility where players hunt the villain Oz. Number 16 was Zombies in Spaceland from Infinite Warfare, which I said shouldn't have been as good as it was given the colorful, goofy vibe, calling it a nine out of ten. Number 15 was Die Maschine from Cold War, a major formula change that I said surprisingly worked with more control over weapon progression. Number 14 was Firebase Z, also Cold War, which I said had great assault and defense mechanics, adding that I was excited to see what Treyarch could do with a full development cycle instead of the short time they had. Number 13 was Tag der Toten from Black Ops 4, the reimagining of Call of the Dead, which I said was an all-around improvement over the original even without Romero. Number 12 was Rave in the Redwoods from Infinite Warfare, slow to set up but rewarding at higher rounds. Number 11 was Ancient Evil from Black Ops 4, set in Greece in the early 1900s, which I praised for blending zombies with Greek mythology in a way I said Black Ops 4 doesn't get enough credit for.

The Top 10: Kino der Toten Takes the Crown Ahead of Der Riese and Mob of the Dead

Number 10 was Attack of the Radioactive Thing from Infinite Warfare, which I said had an underwhelming wonder weapon but great enemy types and side challenges. Number nine was The Shadowed Throne from World War II, which I called the best World War II map overall, with a great Easter egg, story and atmosphere that a lot of players missed because they'd given up on the game before the DLC finished. Number eight was Ascension from Black Ops 1, the map I said I've put the most hours into, which introduced Stamin-Up and PhD Flopper and was later remade in Black Ops 3's Chronicles. Number seven was IX from Black Ops 4, set in a gladiatorial arena, which I called easily the best map in that game and one of the most unique settings zombies has ever had. Number six was Nacht der Untoten from World at War, the map where it all started, which I said still holds up today for its scares and addictive simplicity. Number five was Origins from Black Ops 2, often called the best zombies map ever released, which I said answered all the criticism of Black Ops 2's early maps with giant robots roaming World War I. Number four was Der Eisendrache from Black Ops 3, a giant snowy castle map with musical Easter eggs that I said took the best elements of the previous Black Ops maps. Number three was Mob of the Dead from Black Ops 2, set in Alcatraz, which I called easily top three thanks to its cast, weapons and boss fights. Number two was Der Riese from World at War, which I called the most iconic map from that game and a fantastic conclusion to its story.

And at number one, I put Kino der Toten from Black Ops 1, a map originally meant for World at War that got cut for time before Treyarch finished and released it in Black Ops 1. I said it had iconic weapons, a perfect blend of simple and complex layout, and some of the best music in any zombies map, calling it the absolute best zombies map ever released.

Admitting Kino Over Origins and Mob "Was Criminal"

Looking back four years later, in my words, "I got absolutely cooked for this list. I didn't just get roasted. I got grilled over and over." People made reaction videos, clipped it, sent it around, and content creator Lexify basically turned me into a zombies meme for the entire internet. Honestly, looking back, I think I earned some of it.

The biggest issue is the number one pick. I remember trying to reward legacy, influence and replayability, and I convinced myself that meant Kino belonged above Origins and Mob of the Dead and every masterpiece Treyarch ever made. Now I think I talked myself into that ranking through overthinking rather than gut instinct. Shadows of Evil at 35 is another one I'm wincing at now, along with Buried in the 30s, Call of the Dead at 37, and Gorod Krovi landing outside the top 20, all of which I noted people specifically called out.

My conclusion after rewatching it is that the list wasn't bad because I didn't know zombies, it was bad because I tried too hard to be different, factoring in legacy and historical importance and nostalgia instead of just ranking maps where my gut wanted them. As I put it, "Sometimes your first instinct is the right one. Stop trying to outsmart your own opinions and the entire community." I said I still stand by quite a few placements, but if I made this list today it would look completely different, and I've committed to redoing the entire top 50 fresh, with a dozen maps moving immediately and the top 10 shuffled around, adding that Kino probably wouldn't be sitting at number one anymore.

Which placement do you think was the worst take in the whole list: Kino at number one, Shadows of Evil at 35, Buried, or Gorod Krovi outside the top 20?