Bodycam Zombies Returns on November 13 With New Maps, Smarter Infected, and Survival Mechanics

Bodycam is finally bringing back its zombie mode on November 13, giving players another reason to come back to the realistic first-person shooter. The next update, dubbed The Dead and Damned, is Version 0.9 and includes three new maps, improved infected behavior, updated weapons, and new survival mechanics.

The developers have also released a new developer diary showing off what players can expect when the mode returns. With its body-camera perspective and realistic environments, Bodycam could deliver a particularly unsettling take on the familiar zombie survival formula.

The zombie mode originally disappeared following the game's Locked and Loaded update. 

The update introduced major changes to weapon handling, animations, customization, and general gameplay. Unfortunately, those improvements also caused several problems for the existing zombie experience, forcing the developers to temporarily remove the mode while they adapted it to the newer version.

More than a million players reportedly discovered Bodycam around that time, meaning many never got to experience its original zombie content. The Dead and Damned brings the mode back, incorporating those newer improvements into the experience. The developers draw inspiration from classic Call of Duty Zombies, with increasingly difficult waves, weapon crates, generators, and areas players must unlock. However, Bodycam's realistic presentation gives the familiar formula a different atmosphere.

One of the biggest new additions is a new stress mechanic that affects your character as infected enemies close in. As the situation gets more dangerous, your character can start shaking, and reloads become more rushed. This could make even relatively simple encounters difficult, especially when multiple infected are approaching, and you're trying to reload under pressure.

Teamwork will also play an important role, as Zombie Mode supports up to four players working together. Having teammates cover you while you reload or move between areas will become increasingly important during later waves.

The infected are also receiving significant behavioral improvements. They start off moving relatively slowly, but become more aggressive as the waves progress, running at players, diving at them, and jumping down from elevated positions to reach their targets. 

The progression follows a familiar survival structure.

When triggered, generators restore power to the surrounding room, which also turns on lights and opens more doors. Standardrd weapon crates provide randomized weapons with randomized attachments, including different sights and suppressors. A rarer loadout box can also provide weapons from your customized loadout, complete with the attachments you selected.

Three maps will be available when the zombie mode returns, with each offering a different survival experience. Asylum is making a comeback with improved zombie spawning and enemy behavior. Navigate through the building and ultimately reach the central elevator on the third floor.

You'll have to restore power, unlock different sections, and gradually make your way through the facility while surviving increasingly dangerous waves. Infected enemies can easily get in your face before you can react in narrow corridors and abandoned rooms.

Environmental threats also come with Asylum, making survival much harder. Each new wave is announced by a siren and a complete power failure, which can leave the entire building in darkness. The siren lasts until all the remaining infected are obliterated. Being trapped inside an abandoned building with poor visibility is very uncomfortable. The map doesn't rely on big monsters or cheesy horror effects to make encounters scarier; instead, it uses its environment and atmosphere.

The biggest addition is arguably Village, which offers a much larger co-op experience.

Set in an abandoned French village covered in snow, the map is approximately ten times larger than Asylume; developers describe it as an experience that can last as long as Asylum, featuring different infected types, boss encounters, and a secret players must uncover together.

The variety of locations should make Village feel different from the tighter environments found in Asylum. Fighting in Asylum inside a confined barn requires a different approach from defending yourself in an open field or covering teammates from an elevated position.

Bodycam's zombie mode returns on November 13 with The Dead and Damned Version 0.9 update. The developers are also preparing another developer diary covering improvements to regular multiplayer, including new weapons, anti-cheat changes, map reworks, and requested fixes.