Summary
TheCall of Dutyfranchise is home to some of the most iconic weapons in gaming, with the series' always-excellent sound and visual design perfectly capturing well-known weapons from across real-world history like the M1 Garand, M16, and M4. But while these historical weapons are always captured well inCall of Duty, they’re also available in many other military shooters. Instead, it’sCall of Duty’s array of original gun designs that have ended up becoming the franchise’s most beloved weapons and the vast majority of those come from its Zombies mode.
When fans think ofCall of Duty: Zombies, a few things are likely to come to mind straight away, such as Perks, the Mystery Box, andthe classic Ultimis crew. But right at the top of the list is the mode’s Wonder Weapons. From the Ray Gun and its many different iterations to the Wunderwaffe,Call of Duty: Zombieshas no shortage of iconic Wonder Weapons, and the Thundergun is undoubtedly one of the best.
The Complete History of Call of Duty’s Thundergun
Every Call of Duty Game The Thundergun Has Appeared In
A gigantic jet-engine-looking device, the Thundergun shoots out incredibly powerful bursts of energy that are capable of blowing entire hordes of zombies back. Though it has limited ammo across all of its appearances, the Thundergun has become a much-lovedZombies Wonder Weapon, often saving the day during later rounds when the zombie horde continues to grow more dense. Despite being one of the most iconic weapons in gaming, the Thundergun has only appeared in a total of fourCall of Dutygames:
The Thundergun first appeared as an Easter egg in theCall of Duty: Black Opsmission “Numbers,” where players can receive the powerful weapon after shooting some Nova 6 canisters and delivering a tape from one cassette player to another later in the mission.
According to some leaked audio files of in-game dialogue that have been scrubbed from the internet completely, the Thundergun was originally intended to be introduced in theCall of Duty: Black OpsZombies map “Five.” Instead, it made its debut in “Kino der Toten,” a map that itself was originally intended to appear back inWorld at Waras part of a canceled fourth DLC map pack.
In its originalBlack Opsincarnation, the Thundergun appears on the maps Kino and Ascension, where it can be Pack-a-Punched to become the all-mighty Zeus Cannon, along with the remastered version of Nacht der Untoten, where it’s only available in its standard form. Though the Thundergun didn’t make it intoCall of Duty: Black Ops 2, it made its triumphant return inBlack Ops 3,being available on theremastered versions of Kino, Ascension, and Nachtalong with the final DLC map for the game, Revelations.
Unlike in its originalBlack Opsiteration, theBlack Ops 3Thundergun doesn’t stop zombies from dropping power-ups on death. The Thundergun returned once again inCall of Duty: Black Ops 4, but it was only available on the map Tag der Toten. InCall of Duty Online—the free-to-play multiplayer game exclusive to China that was shut down in 2021—the Thundergun appeared only in the game’s Cyborg Rising mode.
The Lore Behind Call of Duty’s Thundergun
According to some in-game audio,Call of Duty’s iconic Thundergunwas originally created by Doctor Anton Gersh, a Russian scientist and leading member of the Soviet Union’s Ascension Group. Along with the rest of the top-secret research group, Gersh used the leftover technology stolen from Group 935’s base of operations to develop the Thundergun under the ingenious codename Project Thunder.
Call of Duty: Black Ops
WHERE TO PLAY
The biggest first-person action series of all time and the follow-up to last year’s blockbuster Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare 2 returns withCall of Duty®: Black Ops.Call of Duty®: Black Opswill take you behind enemy lines as a member of an elite special forces unit engaging in covert warfare, classified operations, and explosive conflicts across the globe. With access to exclusive weaponry and equipment, your actions will tip the balance during the most dangerous time period mankind has ever known.
