For those advanced players hoping for a challenge, get ready to pull out all the stops and learn a few new tricks as the round numbers climb. Zombies start to move with an increased swiftness, from shamble to run, to sprint. It becomes even more critical to learn escape and circular routes as well as every zombie spawn nest, lest you’re hemmed in and overwhelmed in seconds. The horde itself grows as the rounds increase, as does the frequency of Armored and Heavy Zombies, Manglers, the more revolting parasitical entities, as well the grotesque Amalgams.
Players should also expect a higher level of difficulty in general when it comes to high-round play, as Treyarch has limited the number of Self-Revive purchases to three per match. Coupled with the risk vs. reward nature of Augments, players will need to make some tough choices to plan for their survival compared to more recent Zombies experiences.