Call of Duty Zombiesis sometimes not a forgiving experience, and with almost 2 decades of the mode across Treyarch’sCall of Dutytitles, those who have jumped into it even once or more will be aware of a few mistakes that they have made that might have just cost them a game over.

There are many mistakes that players new and old could make inCall of Duty Zombiesthat serve as a nostalgic reminder of how far gamers have come, and hopefully, new players can avoid these mistakes to ensure that their highest round doesn’t end on the single digits.

army of zombies and crawlers

Starting a New Round When Players Aren’t Ready is Always a Bother

There’s nothing worse than trying to get some chores done in a game of Zombies by purchasing Perks, hitting the Mystery Box, or even completing easter egg steps, all while there’sa round of hectic zombies going on. To negate this, players can often slow a zombie down by turning them into a crawler with a grenade, but sometimes, things do not go as planned.

Whether players overcook the grenade or deal too much damage, the zombie can instantly die, or perhaps they accidentally had Widow’s Wine thus resulting in a hit from the zombie causing it to explode. Whatever the case, even the best players out there falter sometimes when trying to create a zombie to stop the round progressing.

black ops 6 removes iconic feature from zombies mode

5Dying From Ray Gun Splash Damage

Ray Guns Have Explosive Damage That Can Easily Kill Players Quickly if Fired Too Close

Acquiring a wonder weaponis an extremely satisfying task, whether that’s as a buildable or as a gift from the Mystery Box. Yet, one wonder weapon that will never leave the player’s side is the Ray Gun, a staple of the series that has been with fans since day one. However, despite the coolness and the power of the Ray Gun, there’s a catch.

The Ray Gun has explosive splash damage, meaning if players fire it too close to themselves then they too would take damage. Getting cornered by zombies and relying on the Ray Gun to kill them all is a bad idea, as the splash damage will kill the player without PhD Flopper, leading to a classic “please revive me, bro, I have a Ray Gun” in co-op.

purchasing a door in shadows of evil

4Purchasing the Wrong Door

Interrupting Training Spots by Opening the Wrong Door Messes Things Up For Everyone

Obtaining points to further enhance the capabilities of the player is everyone’s goal inCOD Zombies, and as players round up the points and hope to spend them on delicious Perks and upgrades, they might be disappointed to know that they must firstwaste them allon doors and obstacles. Yet, there’s something even worse than that.

Occasionally, there can be an important door in a map that if opened, will completely destroy the training spots of many. Whether it’s the door closest to the power switch in Kino Der Toten, or the sofa on the stairs in Nacht der Untoten, opening the wrong door is fatal for many and irreversible.

stabbing a zombie in the head

3Stabbing a Zombie and Instantly Getting a Nuke

A Lunging Knife Attack Can See Players Obtain a Power-Up That Disrupts Early Rounds

For the most part, players should know how to correctly stab zombies. They should know that zombies will hit them if they get too close, so it’s best to pull back on the left stick while clicking in R3 to stab them, which will instead go for a connecting slash rather than a deep plunge into their chest. This will both save players and prevent an unwanted power-up.

If players continue to lunge forward into zombies with each stab, it’s inevitable that a Nuke power-up will spawn and they will be unable to avoid it, thus ruining an early-round set-up due to the fact that they have exploded every zombie in the map for a measly 400 points that will stopprogression for precious perks.

First-person view of using Pack-a-Punch in The Giant, Black Ops 3.

2Losing a Weapon to Pack-a-Punch

Failing to Pick Up a Pack-A-Punch Upgrade in Time Results in It Disappearing

The Pack-a-Punch machine is essential to late-game rounds inCOD Zombiesdue to its high damage output. Upgrading a weapon should be everyone’s priority, but Pack-a-Punch can often be found in rather tight spots that make using them in the middle of a chaotic round quite the problem, and often, players will trap themselves against the Pack-a-Punch machine, or worse.

Sometimes, players whoPack-a-Punch their weaponmight end up losing it due to the fact that they were unable to grab it before it’s sucked back into the machine. This loss of 5,000 points is enough to make any Zombies veteran cry, especially if it was a wonder weapon.

max ammo power-up

1Getting a Max Ammo Before Reloading

Losing Out on Extra Ammo Due to a Lack of Communication

Themodern era ofCall of Duty Zombiesdoesn’t count for this issue, but this is an utter classic that everyone should be aware of and has happened to them multiple times over the years. When a Max Ammo power-up spawns in, everyone can rejoice knowing their weapons are safe from being all out of juice, but the classic Max Ammo wouldn’t refill the magazine, only the reserves.

This meant that those who claimed the Max Ammo before players had reloaded would see them lose a valuable magazine, thus more bullets than they would want. Alternatively, picking up a Max Ammo while a teammate needs reviving will see them lose out on the Max Ammo, meaning they might just go down again.