New Art Book Explores How Treyarch Created Call of Duty Zombies

Call of Duty has spent the better part of three decades as one of the biggest video game franchises, and much of that is thanks to the popularity of its recurring Zombies mode, which has been a major part of the series ever since 2008’s Call of Duty: World at War. Since then, the mode has appeared in 13 Call of Duty games, including this year’s upcoming Black Ops 7, launching November 7 on console and PC. To celebrate its enduring popularity, Call of Duty Zombies is getting its own dedicated hardcover art book, Call of Duty Zombies: The Art of Treyarch, that will explore Call of Duty: Zombies’ evolution from a novel bonus to fan-favorite game mode. The book will launch on June 16, 2026, and preorders are available for $50 at Amazon.

$50 | Releases June 16, 2026

This 256-page hardcover book examines the origins of this recurring mode, starting from its early days in 2008. You can expect to find exclusive behind-the-scenes interviews with the development team, artwork that has been locked in the Call of Duty vaults for years, and detailed intel on what it takes to make this core part of the Call of Duty franchise. The book is written by James Asmus, who has numerous writing credits for books, comic books, video games, and television.

Several Call of Duty books have been printed over the years, including other behind-the-scenes art books like Making Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. This 192-page hardcover book provides an in-depth look at the groundbreaking game’s development, including the creation of characters, maps, and weapons. And while not technically an art book, you can also pick up the official Call of Duty: WWII Collector’s Edition Guide that was published by Prima several years ago. The hardcover 304-page book has a ton of details on the campaign, multiplayer, and Zombies modes. It might be an odd purchase for an older COD game, but it’s a cool bit of CoD history that’s perfect for collectors and die-hard fans.

Along with these art books, there have also been a handful of stories based on recent Call of Duty games. If you’re a fan of 2017’s Call of Duty: WWII, then you’ll want to check out this tie-in. The Call of Duty: WWII Field Manual is presented as a combat-issued handbook owned by Private Ronald “Red” Daniels. It’s full of original illustrations, information on the game’s units, vehicles, weapons, and battlegrounds, and it offers a first-hand look at various events that occurred during the campaign set in Axis-occupied France.

Several Call of Duty games also received official graphic novels created by talented teams of artists and writers, such as the Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 graphic nodel written by Larry Hama with illustrations by Marcelo Ferreira and Dan Jackson. The Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 – The Official Comic Collection features work Greg Rucka, Chris Roberson, Jeremy Barlow, K.A. McDonald, Aaron Duran, Matthew Robinson, and Tony Shasteen across 240 pages, and this hardcover is on sale for $19.18 (was $30). You can also read the entire Call of Duty: Vanguard tie-in comic book series thanks to the 112-page hardcover omnibus edition.

More Call of Duty books and graphic novels

Next month also sees Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launch on PC and console. Preorders are open for the game ahead of its November 14 release, and early adopters can get bonus content for Call of Duty: Warzone. Like previous years, there’ll be several different versions to choose from, ranging from the standard edition to a digital-only Vault Edition packed with exclusive DLC and early unlocks. For more information, you can check out our Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 preorder guide for a breakdown on what each version gets you.