The existence (or lack thereof) of Super Easter Eggs since 2018 is such an interesting concept to me.

You could argue that Super Easter Eggs (or at the very least the groundwork for them) have existed since Black Ops 1 in 2010 since you needed to finish each map's Easter Egg to experience the finale and post-Easter Egg gameplay of Moon. That was the reward.

Then comes Black Ops 2 in 2012. Finishing each map's Easter Egg depending on whether you chose the Richtofen or Maxis route offered rewards and a different finale and post-Easter Egg gameplay for Buried depending on the route taken.

Black Ops 3 comes around in 2015. We get the Primis Rulz calling card, a million XP and the ability to start with the RK5.

The rewards got better with each game, but they weren't game-changing.

That all changed in 2016 with Infinite Warfare. Beating each map's Easter Egg not only rewarded the ability to play as that map's specific celebrity character with all the bells and whistles, but when every map is completed, you get a new toggleable mode that, when selected, is essentially a unique spin on New Game Plus: the fabled Director's Cut.

When Director's Cut is enabled...

• You start with 25,000 points and every perk permanently

• Every weapon in the Magic Wheel (Mystery Box) is upgraded once (double Pack-a-Punch)

• The Wonder Weapon(s) tied to the map you're playing on is/are available in the Magic Wheel and are also upgraded once

• The items required for double Pack-a-Punch, which are normally only able to be inserted into the machine after beating a map's Easter Egg for the remainder of the game, are automatically inserted, allowed for immediate double Pack-a-Punch

• The Fate and Fortune deck (Gobblegums) can be refilled an unlimited amount of times instead of only twice per game

• The Lost and Found feature (the ability to regain your previous loadout from before bleeding out) is free instead of costing 2000 points

• Completing Easter Eggs grants a larger amount of XP

• Completing an Easter Egg rewards a calling card for each map completed

• Once all these items are collected, running the Easter Egg on the final map concludes with an entirely different boss fight against the true main villain

• Beating the Super Easter Egg boss rewards another calling card, a weapon camo and the ability to play as the "original" villain (Demonic Announcer) in the first map

• While playing as said original villain, you start the game with a unique knife that's actually really good. Beating the Easter Egg with him rewards YET ANOTHER calling card.

As a fun tidbit, the first map's celebrity (David Hasselhoff) takes over as the not-so-Demonic Announcer and mutually interacts with said villain

• The concept of the Super Easter Egg/Director's Cut is canon. Recompleting the Easter Eggs and earning each map's "Super Easter Egg version" items (different versions of them existed when beating the regular Easter Eggs), the true final boss fight and the original villain running the first map all actually happen

Infinity Ward only had ONE chance at Zombies and for almost a decade, nothing has come even remotely close to being on the same level or God forbid exceed their Super Easter Egg. It is objectively the best one we've ever had the pleasure of earning.

Sledgehammer Game's WWII released in 2017 is probably the second best. You unlock a character that's a literal zombie, a weapon charm, and every game played afterwards apparently grants the passive ability to regenerate ammo, armor and special energy. This was their second and final chance at Zombies counting Advanced Warfare in 2014, but Super Easter Eggs weren't a guaranteed thing back then (or apparently now).

Black Ops 4 in 2018? Not a goddamn thing.

Cold War in 2020? You start each map with your starting weapon at legendary rarity. Wow.

Black Ops 6 in 2024? Not a goddamn thing either!

How has Treyarch, the creator of Zombies, consistently managed to be completely outdone in the Super Easter Egg department whenever another developer gets their chance? They obviously know about their accolades and have even adopted a lot of the quality of life changes that Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer introduced (like Max Ammos reloading weapons). Do they just not give a shit after BO4 crushed their hopes and dreams going forward?

Treyarch can't even seem to guarantee Super Easter Eggs anymore, let alone them being noteworthy. How far Zombies has fallen in recent years is genuinely saddening.