E3 2017: How Call Of Duty: WW2 Balances Nazi Zombies With Respect For The War

Call of Duty: WWII aspires to be an authentic, accurate representation of the war--a Saving Private Ryan for the current video game generation. However, it also includes a Zombies mode, a mode popular for its absurdity and over-the-top weapons. This year's mode is a return to Nazi Zombies, and according to Sledgehammer studio head Michael Condrey, balancing these two elements of the game is difficult, but the studio is working hard to make it happen.

Speaking on GameSpot's stage show, Condrey fielded a question about the necessity of including a fan-favorite mode like Zombies, even while the studio is developing the game's story to reflect the horrors and brutality of war.

"Each of the modes has their own creative drive and priorities, and campaign is really about delivering that authenticity and deeply personal story," he answered. "Multiplayer is really social and competitive, and there are some liberties there. And return of Nazi Zombies--we can't sit here and say there's authenticity to that, and nor do fans really want that. This is a creative outlet."

Condrey did argue, however, that the Zombies mode isn't entirely outlandish or incongruous with the rest of the game. "Now, it's rooted [in] where the franchise began. Zombies in Call of Duty started in Nazi Zombies [in Call of Duty: World at War], so that's an honor for us. We get to put a Sledgehammer Games stamp on that, [with] our background with Dead Space, and so it'll be an adrenaline-fueled take on it. It'll be rooted in some research we found about some of the beliefs that Germans had."

Call of Duty: World War II launches on November 3 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. In our interview with him, Condrey also explained the new Headquarters social spaces coming to the game. In addition, Activision recently announced that its multiplayer beta begins in August. Finally, you can see Call of Duty's multiplayer reveal trailer here.

Keep an eye on GameSpot the rest of this week for more news, impressions, and videos coming out of E3 2017. The week's not over yet, and we'll have a lot more on all the big games at the show.