Why Skipping the Main Quest Easter Egg in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Zombies Will Blow Your Mind!

Highlights

The fan base is divided when it comes to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Zombies. Newer fans appreciate the open-world experience, while longtime fans feel let down by the absence of a significant Easter Egg.

Designing a main quest Easter Egg becomes challenging due to the open-world aspect of the game and the high number of players. It would be difficult for all 24 players to coordinate and successfully complete the quest.

In order to overcome this challenge, Treyarch has taken a different approach to storytelling in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Zombies. The story unfolds episodically through missions that are released during the Seasons. This eliminates the need for a main quest, as it would serve no purpose in terms of the narrative.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Zombies has divided the community due to its departure from the traditional round-based format. This disparity is unsurprising considering the game's new features. Fans of the latest instalment, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s Outbreak mode, are curious to explore a genuine open-world experience, highlighting the immense bosses, DMZ gameplay style, and large player count as potential strengths. However, many long-time fans express their disappointment with the mode, particularly criticizing the absence of a significant Easter Egg.

To clarify, Treyarch has assured that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Zombies will still contain various hidden secrets, despite the shorter match durations due to the extraction timer. This is an improvement over Outbreak, which lacked any notable Easter eggs until several months after its release. Nonetheless, the highly memorable main quests, encompassing puzzles and challenges that the community collaboratively solves, will not be available upon launch. While fans have valid reasons to feel frustrated, especially after Call of Duty: Vanguard's quest shortcomings last year, it is crucial to understand the reasons behind the absence of a main quest.

A Main Quest Would Not Suit Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Zombies’ Gameplay

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Zombies taking an open-world approach may not appeal to everyone, but there is no denying that Treyarch is fully committed to this concept. While some may argue that the use of the Warzone map Urzikstan instead of a completely original play area is disappointing, the inclusion of 24 players is a significant feature. It is worth noting the importance of persistent loot, the DMZ's extraction timer, and the Aether Storm mechanic.

When objectively considering the possibilities for a major quest Easter egg in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Zombies, it becomes difficult to envision its functionality. Certain quests can take well over an hour to complete due to the reliance on RNG, and the initial process of solving them as a community would be frustrating within the mode's time constraints. Aether storms would restrict the areas available for exploration, while persistent loot would allow players to easily complete the Easter egg if they drop in with powerful gear or even the necessary quest items.

The challenge of designing a quest for this specific Zombies mode lies in the overwhelming number of players involved. Historically, it has been difficult enough for four players to coordinate their efforts for main quests and Pack-a-Punch access in public matches of Shangri-La or Moon. Asking 24 players to work together on a complex quest may seem impossible, especially considering that some players may not be familiar with what needs to be done. Gathering a group of 24 experienced players for a private match is also unrealistic. While Treyarch could potentially address this by creating squad-specific Easter egg quests, they would lack the same impact as a main quest. Triggering a massive boss battle, an epic match-ending cutscene, or an event that alters the map and disrupts the experience for all players would simply not be feasible. Given the numerous challenges involved, it seems like investing resources in a main quest would not be worthwhile.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Zombies is Approaching Storytelling Differently

Don't worry, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Zombies fans! Even though there won't be a main quest, Treyarch has a different approach this time. Just like the episodic missions in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's raids, the story will unfold gradually as the Seasons progress. This will actually benefit the narrative, as many fans prefer to watch cutscenes online instead of doing quests themselves. With a mission-based structure, more players will be able to engage with the storytelling that Treyarch has carefully crafted. Having a main quest Easter egg would be unnecessary, as it would only offer awkward puzzles due to the extraction format.

Perhaps, similar to Outbreak's main quests, Treyarch may introduce a significant Easter egg post-launch. It's possible that the developer is waiting for players to familiarize themselves with the mechanics and master the layout of Urzikstan. Additionally, new maps will be released that could potentially include a main quest. However, this scenario appears unlikely due to the Extraction format and the presence of episodic storytelling, which makes traditional quests appear improbable. Similarly, enthusiasts of solo Zombies will have to wait until Call of Duty 2024 for content specifically designed for them. As a result, those who enjoy running main quests will likely need to exercise patience as well.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is set to release on November 10 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.