There’s loads of buzz surrounding Name of Responsibility: Black Ops 6 because it creeps nearer to its launch, and understandably so. Followers of the Zombies mode had it particularly good not too long ago with the discharge of a trailer showcasing an intro cinematic and snippets of gameplay for one of many recreation’s launch maps, Terminus.

That trailer made it instantly obvious who the true large unhealthy of the continuing Darkish Aether storyline is, and for longtime Zombies gamers, it’s each a shock and never a lot of a shock in any respect who’s pulling the strings. After being teased beforehand in Name of Responsibility: Black Ops: Chilly Battle, Dr. Edward “Eddie” Richtofen (Nolan North) stands revealed because the arc’s unhealthy man, and he has a fairly huge goal on his again.

As seen within the Terminus trailer, his identify is scribbled on Grigori Weaver’s (Gene Farber) jail cell wall, indicating that he has some severe revenge coming his approach. William Peck (Zeke Alton) additionally expresses curiosity in killing Richtofen for stealing his life’s work.

We’ll have to attend and see if he seems within the flesh, however how is the maniacal German scientist again within the Zombies highlight? Forward of the discharge of Black Ops 6, let’s make a journey down reminiscence lane to debate what grew to become of Richtofen by the top of Black Ops 4.

Richtofen’s function within the Darkish Aether storyline

To grasp Richtofen’s place within the Darkish Aether saga, we now have to return to the top of the Aether story in Black Ops 4. To sum up the previous decade or so, all the things within the multiverse is enveloped by the Darkish Aether, a twisted, corrupted model of the true world. Our predominant Zombies crew of their Primis and Ultimis varieties are killed, and the cycle they’d been trapped in for therefore lengthy is destroyed. All that is still of this multiverse within the new one born out of it are Samantha Maxis (Julie Nathanson) and a younger Eddie from one other dimension. They stroll hand in hand to the brand new world, although they don’t stay peaceable lives by any means as they turn into adults.

Whereas Samantha grows as much as turn into a navy operative and joins the entrance strains in opposition to the Darkish Aether’s invading forces, Eddie’s story takes a extra stunning flip. The specifics of his childhood stay unknown, however as an grownup, he serves because the Director of the Requiem, which is a unit of the Central Intelligence Company that displays Darkish Aether exercise. Although she doesn’t realize it, as revealed in Black Ops: Chilly Battle, Richtofen is her boss and later her interrogator as he tries to unlock her powers after she’s uncovered to the Darkish Aether. He additionally oversees the arrests of her companions, therefore why they’re in jail earlier than the occasions of Terminus.

What’s Richtofen’s newest scheme?

This brings us to Black Ops 6, the place Requiem has been disbanded, and Richtofen appears to have given up his place on the CIA. For now, all we will do is least speculate as to what he’s been as much as and the way Eddie went from an harmless little one to a ruthless authorities determine with no regard for the lives of others.

On the coronary heart of no matter he’s concocting is his fascination with the Darkish Aether. May it’s that he merely needs to harness its energy for himself, very similar to how the earlier Richtofen took an curiosity within the energy of the Aether? Or, is he extra so a pawn in a bigger recreation? Richtofen was beforehand influenced by the Apothicons and the Shadowman (Robert Picardo) to do their bidding, so perhaps they or one other malevolent entity is swaying Eddie for an unknown finish.

Then once more, since he has reminiscences of the earlier multiverse, in contrast to Samantha, perhaps he needs to resurrect it and people inside it, believing her Darkish Aether skills could possibly be the important thing to creating that occur. He would possibly wish to present her what they misplaced so she contributes to his grand plan to revive the banished multiverse.

Are extra Zombies legacy characters on the way in which?

With Richtofen making a comeback, some surprise if different legacy Zombies characters may emerge in Black Ops 6 and past. Seeing as Richtofen’s fellow Zombies icons Tank Dempsey (Steve Blum), Nikolai Belinski (Fred Tatasciore), and Takeo Masaki (Tom Kane) are all lifeless, they’re not more likely to come again. Then again, there may be one tenured Zombies crew that might theoretically pop up in the course of the Darkish Aether saga.

The Victis crew, identified colloquially because the TranZit crew since that was their debut map, was launched in Name of Responsibility: Black Ops 2. Abigail “Misty” Briarton (Stephanie Lemelin), Samuel Stuhlinger (David Boat), Russman (Keith Szarabajka), and Marlton Johnson (Scott Menville) make all of it the way in which to Black Ops 4, serving to convey an finish to the multiverse and kickstart the brand new world seen in Black Ops: Chilly Battle and Black Ops 6.

They don’t essentially die on the finish of Tag der Toten, merely being despatched off to the Darkish Aether. Whereas it’s solely seemingly they have been killed or went insane whereas there, there’s a slim likelihood they’re nonetheless alive, ready for an opportunity to assist out as soon as once more.

In the event that they or others don’t come again, although, a minimum of longtime followers can spend a while with Richtofen, the twisted lynchpin of the whole Zombies recreation mode, but once more.