How to Install Call of Duty: World at War Custom Zombie Maps

Call of Duty: World at War (2008) is one of the best-liked CoD games released, and it comes with one of the greatest game modes ever, Nazi Zombies.

After completing the main campaign, you will unlock the Zombies game mode and face endless hordes of undead Nazis attempting to eat your brains.

While the official maps make for some great times, I think the zombies mode is where the greatest fun is. I used to play this on netcafés with my friends, boarding up windows and panicking when those crappy WWII weapons malfunctioned or because of the extremely slow reload times.

I’m not the only one who enjoyed CoD Nazi Zombies because the first map – Nacht Der Untoten – has since been remastered and included in CoD: Zombies (2009), CoD: Black Ops (2010), and CoD Black Ops III (2015).

Fans have since created many mods that improve the original gaming experience, from custom weapons and new locations (like the Vietnam mod) to extreme realism and upgraded graphics.

Whole zombie modding communities have sprung up that give new life to the older maps and create new ones.

In this article, you can see how to install CoD WaW custom zombie maps so you can prove your skills in slaughtering waves of undead Nazis!

Preparing for Map Downloads

Before downloading the mod file, you must have a mods folder ready for the maps to be downloaded. 

Don’t worry, it’s a quick process. But it is important to do this before heading to the custom map sites; otherwise, the game will not load them correctly. 

Showing Hidden Files and Folders:

  1. Open the Control Panel.
  2. Navigate to Appearance and Personalization.
  3. Under File Explorer Options, click Show Hidden Folders.
  4. In the pop-up menu, locate “Hidden files and folders.”
  5. Below will be a button that you can change from do not show hidden files, folders, and drives to show hidden files, folders, and drives.
  6. Press Ok to save the new settings

Creating Mods Folder for Call of Duty: World at War:

  1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the CoD WaW folder.
  2. If you are not using Steam, navigate to Users > AppData > Local > Activision > Call of Duty World at War.
  3. If using Steam, navigate to Program Files (86x) > Steam > steamapps > common > Call of Duty World at War.
  4. Create a new mod folder if one does not already exist. Important! Name the new folder mods

Note: You must spell the mods folder as mods! Otherwise, the maps will not load, and you may spend too long trying to troubleshoot this problem. 

Enabling Developer Console for Older Zombie Maps

  1. Open WaW
  2. Navigate to Options/Controls.
  3. Click Game Options.
  4. Enable Developer Console by changing Enable Console to Yes.
  5. Press ~ to open the developer console.
  6. Type /devmap + the name of the map you want to load

Downloading and Playing Custom Zombie Maps

Now that you are ready to download and begin playing on custom zombie maps, it is time to find some maps. 

I recommend checking out zombiemodding.com, moddb.com, and UGX-mods.com for the best mods.

After downloading the map from the site, you should receive a .exe file that you can run to install it. 

Once you have completed the installation, you can go to the mods folder you made earlier to check that the maps have been properly added to the game. 

To play the downloaded map file, open World at War and click on MODS on the Main Menu screen. 

Select the map you want to play, press launch, and then you are ready to begin playing! 

This content was first published on GameDaft.com

Important: Beware of malware

Unfortunately, there are always those who will try to ruin it for all the great modders and our fans..

Don’t ever install custom maps that ask for your Windows version edition, as they often carry malware.

Also, double-check those download links and scan those zip files before installing anything to your game folder!

Conclusion

The Zombies game mode in Call of Duty is a great way to have fun with friends without pitting yourselves against fellow players in multiplayer. If you found this article helpful, check out if Call of Duty: Cold War is multiplatform. Until next time, happy gaming!


FAQ

I have installed a map, but it is not showing up or loading correctly; why? 

If a custom zombies map is not working properly, you should double-check what your mods folder is named. If it is not named mods, rename it, and then reload World at War. 

Another potential fix, if the mods folder is named properly, is to try running the map via the developer console. If problems still ensue, check on the map’s download page to see if anyone has similar problems and if a solution has been discovered.

What are the four nazi zombie classic maps called?

The original four maps are:

  • Nacht der Untoten (Night of the Living Dead)
  • Verrückt
  • Shi No Numa
  • Der Riese

You also get the fifth map called Kino der Toten (Cinema of the Dead) in Black Ops and Black Ops II.

Is Kino der Toten available for CoD WaW?

Kino der Toten isn’t officially available for Cod WaW. But thanks to the modder A-Grand, who creates zombie mods for WaW at UGX, you can still play it (although it doesn’t look the same).

The best way to get it is to download the UGX Map Manager and install it from there. You can find all you need here.

Can I Play Custom Zombie Maps with Friends?

Yes! Like any other co-op content on Call of Duty, you can play custom zombie maps with your friends to show off your skills and impress everyone with how good you are at slaying Nazi zombies. 


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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jan has played video games since the early 1980s. He loves getting immersed in video games as a way to take his mind off stuff when the outside world gets too scary. A lifelong gamer, the big interest led to a job as a lecturer on game sound at the University of Copenhagen and several written articles on video games for magazines.

Read more on the About Page.