Former Raven Software program lead designer Michael Gummelt has shared info on a cancelled Name of Responsibility zombie sport, revealing how it will start with gamers trapped in a Mad Max-style gladiatorial enviornment earlier than escaping into an open world setting.

Phrase of the spin-off first made rounds this previous January, when Gummelt talked about its existence on his LinkedIn profile (by way of MP1st). All he stated about it was that it was in growth from 2011 to 2012 and would’ve been an “bold” standalone stay service title, however he’s since divulged a some extra particulars as a part of a latest interview with YouTuber Glitching Queen. Codenamed Undertaking Zed, it was envisioned as a “enjoyable, campy, experimental” sport that will have expanded on the zombies method whereas utilizing the microtransaction mannequin seen within the now defunct free-to-play Name of Responsibility On-line.

Name of Responsibility‘s zombie choices have sometimes been extra tongue-in-cheek in comparison with the remainder of the collection, and Gummelt’s proposed venture would’ve been no completely different. Within the interview, he describes how it will’ve opened along with your customized character being thrown right into a “Mad Max sort of post-apocalyptic… zombie enviornment the place you’d should battle zombies as a gladiator.” Ultimately, you’ll escape into an open world which you possibly can discover and assist filter areas by way of wave-based encounters with zombies. Though Gummelt doesn’t give any examples, he provides how new themes would’ve been added every season, referencing among the concepts utilized in different Zombies modes, just like the Name of the Useless map which featured George Romero as an antagonist.

The venture didn’t final for very lengthy earlier than it was cancelled, and Gummelt believes it was as a result of Name of Responsibility: Black Ops developer Treyarch, the studio that launched zombies to the Name of Responsibility collection, needed the IP again after lending it to Raven Software program: “That was the impression that I obtained. That, like, ‘Oh they will do Zombies once more’ and don’t need that competing… , they’d be competing with one another then.” Whereas Gummelt says it’s unlucky, he affords a constructive spin on the scenario, stating how this did result in the Zombies modes seen in Black Ops 2, 3, and 4.

It’s a disgrace Raven Software program by no means obtained to spearhead its personal Name of Responsibility venture. To today, it’s solely ever served as a help studio on the collection. Whereas there’s seemingly an viewers for a devoted live-service Name of Responsibility zombie sport, Activision has since discovered success with the free-to-play Name of Responsibility: Warzone, so in a method Raven was barely forward of the curve. Treyarch has continued to work on the Zombies modes for Name of Responsibility video games, although a latest report says it’s ended help for Name of Responsibility: Trendy Warfare 3 so it could possibly deal with the following Black Ops entry.