Play Call Of Duty: Cold War's zombies mode for free all week

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Brain buffet

Shooting neon-lit zombies with a pulp sci-fi raygun
(Image credit: Activision)

Call Of Duty: Black Ops - Cold War will let you mow down hordes of ramblin' shamblin' undead fascists for a free week, starting this Thursday.

Beginning January 14, you'll be able to download a standalone version of Cold War's Zombies from the Battle.net launcher as part of the game's Zombies Free Access Week. The free trial lets you stick it out on Die Maschine, Cold War's debut zombies map, across two different modes.

Starting off in the same rustic old shack wot kicked off Zombies mode all the way back in World At War, Cold War's first Zombies map eventually breaks free into an underground nightmare lab, alongside a brief jaunt into the "Dark Aether" hell dimension. That Call Of Duty even has its own hell dimension probably isn't even the wildest part of the series' ridiculous Zombies plot, one that includes a Jazz-noire Jeff Goldblum.

Die Maschine can be played in its standard rounds-based format, or in the game's new "Cranked" mode, a mid-season update addition where every kill adds precious seconds to a depleting timer. The timer ticks down faster and faster the longer the round goes on—let it run out, and you'll explode unceremoniously. PlayStation folks also get access to the platform-exclusive Zombies Onslaught mode, the lucky sods.

Zombies Free Access runs until January 21, and should only require a 4.75GB download if the main game's Zombies install is to be believed. All your progress will carry over to the main game should you decide to pick it up for keeps. 

Natalie Clayton
Natalie Clayton
Features Producer

20 years ago, Nat played Jet Set Radio Future for the first time, and she's not stopped thinking about games since. Joining PC Gamer in 2020, she comes from three years of freelance reporting at Rock Paper Shotgun, Waypoint, VG247 and more. Embedded in the European indie scene and a part-time game developer herself, Nat is always looking for a new curiosity to scream about—whether it's the next best indie darling, or simply someone modding a Scotmid into Black Mesa. She also unofficially appears in Apex Legends under the pseudonym Horizon.