Technically “Free” Steam Shooter Combining Lies of P, Resident Evil, and Helldivers is My Most Anticipated Game for 2026

For those unfamiliar with custom Call of Duty Zombies maps, these are fan-made creations that can be accessed via the PC versions of World at War and Black Ops 3. The latter is often a go-to for creators, as building maps in the 2015 release allows for smoother mechanics and better visuals that surprisingly still hold up today. Through the custom Zombies maps that can be downloaded via Steam (free of charge), players can have a range of experiences; maybe they want a Treyarch-level experience meant to be taken seriously, like Leviathan or the Call of the Dead remake, or a silly Shrek-inspired adventure to kill some time with. Custom Zombies is a brilliant way to have all kinds of new CoD Zombies creations at your fingertips at all times, so long as you’re willing to purchase the Steam version of Black Ops 3. So, while it is not quite a completely free Steam game, the upcoming map Machin[A] is the next best thing.

What Makes Machin[A] Such a Special CoD Zombies map?

The main reason that I purchased Steam Decks for myself and my fiancée a few years back was so that we could enjoy custom Zombies despite exclusively being console players, and I certainly don’t regret that decision. There are a lot of custom maps I’ve been impressed by, but few have caught my eye quite like Machin[A] has. When the trailer above appeared on my YouTube feed a few days back, my jaw actually dropped due to how stunning the map looked, with some clear Origins vibes that piqued my interest. However, Machin[A] is more than a trench-filled locale that calls back to my favorite official map ever, as it’s also an homage to over a dozen video game franchises. Below are just some of the references I caught when watching the chaotic trailer, though there could be even more I missed (and will likely be more in the final version, too).

• Puppet enemies pulled from Lies of P.
• One of the mini-bosses of the map is the Guardian from Evil Within 2. Another is a Panzerhund from the Wolfenstein series.
• A prominent bridge in the background stems from the Fallout series.
• The massive Ice Worm from Armored Core is lurking on the exterior of the map.
• One of the enemies boasts Emil’s head from the NieR series.
• Playable characters include a Helldiver and Ada Wong from Resident Evil.
• Risk of Rain artifacts make an appearance.
• An attack shown at the end of the trailer is clearly inspired by Vergil’s Judgement Cut, a cool surprise for Devil May Cry fans.
• Various weapons from different games, including:
  • The Flatline and Revenant’s Scythe from Apex Legends
  • Doom: The Dark Ages’ Super Shotgun
  • Johnny Silverhand’s Malorian hand cannon from Cyberpunk 2077
  • NieR Replicant’s Iron Will sword
  • Killzone’s StA-11 SMG
  • A Warhammer machine gun
  • A Gunblade from Final Fantasy

With so many homages throughout Machin[A] — the title’s stylization does suggest that the NieR influence will be particularly prominent, while the many Lies of P enemies will also make its presence clear — this map clearly has something for everyone. Based on the overwhelmingly positive response to the trailer, it’s obvious that this random hodgepodge of games is working for CoD Zombies fans, as everyone has had a blast pointing out assets pulled from their favorite franchises in the comments section of the trailer. While there are some people who dislike it when custom maps compile so many assets from other games, as it can give them less of an identity of their own, rayjiun replied to one of the few people with these criticisms. They shared that the map was built with asset pulls in mind from the very beginning, as the goal was to have it start off grounded and become more absurd as players progress.

To be fair, there are certainly custom Zombies maps that do little to forge their own path and lean too heavily on content from other games, packing their Mystery Boxes with guns from fellow FPS games like Killing Floor and calling it a day. However, Machin[A] is clearly being made by a talented duo with a vision. Outside of perhaps the character models, everything looks as if it fits the world that has been created here. And given the narration in the trailer, as well as the expert use of music, this project has real thought beyond it and is focused on more than featuring every cool thing one could think of — though that deep bag of tricks is obviously something it benefits from.

Machin[A] is Fixing One of Modern Zombies’ Biggest Problems

Image via rayjiun and Deadshotmp4

I’m someone who loves both classic and modern Call of Duty Zombies, but I can’t deny the criticism that the Mystery Box has been fading into irrelevancy since Black Ops Cold War. Allowing players to spawn in with any weapon of their choosing makes the Box something that isn’t crucial to the gameplay loop at all, and the lack of map-exclusive guns and items gives me even less of a reason to spin it. But in Machin[A]? You better believe I’ll be hitting the Mystery Box nonstop. I can’t wait to create a loadout that pairs the Super Shotgun and Gunblade together, or the bulky NieR sword and Killzone SMG. Using all these weapons in one place is too cool of an opportunity to pass up on, and it helps that said place is a hauntingly beautiful steampunk city covered in fallen street signs, trenches, and interesting technology.

While co-creators @rayjiun and @Deadshotmp4 obviously deserve all the praise they’re getting for compiling these assets —some of which are incredibly recent, like those from Lies of P’s Overture DLC — as well as creating new ones, trailer creator @SaintVertigo should also be celebrated for showing this project at its very best. Inspecting some of the coolest weapons was a clever way to build up to the action, while some shots — like the Gunblade to Super Shotgun transition — are downright mesmerizing. The music that backs the footage is so perfectly synced that the trailer feels as professional as one that Treyarch would release for its own maps, and it’s the thing that got the map on the radar of myself and so many others. Without this beautifully synced footage, this map wouldn’t be getting all the attention it deserves, so I’m extremely thankful that Machin[A]’s team put the extra effort in to craft this early access trailer.

Machin[A]’s Release is Quickly Approaching

While custom Zombies has been home to some truly unforgettable creations, there have also been some public failures and controversies. It isn’t unheard of for a great-looking map to appear, have players buy-in to promises and donate to the creators, and then be scrapped, never actually seeing the light of day. Fortunately, rayjiun has promised that not only will users keep their early access after a single, small donation, but that the full map is on track to release for free “within the next 6 months” once it’s been wrapped up. Along the way, there will be progress updates to keep fans in the know, adding to the Machin[A] team’s credibility. The creators have also released several CoD Zombies maps before, so there’s little reason to doubt that Machin[A] is the real deal. Come mid-2026, everyone should be able to enjoy this map, with early access adopters playing a version as we speak.

Though I still make sure to play the best singleplayer titles of each year — I recently wrapped up Clair Obscur’s endgame and got the Platinum Trophy for it, and I’m actively working on Dispatch’s Platinum— co-op games with my fiancée make up a majority of my gaming time nowadays. It’s only natural, then, that I’m most excited for something we can play together in 2026. Machin[A] may just be one fan-made map for a larger game, but it’s still the thing I’m most looking forward to playing in the near future. And really, how can any FPS fan not be excited? Battling a group of enemies composed of Evil Within creatures, Lies of P puppets, and the undead while wielding a giant sword from NieR — all as Armored Core’s Ice Worm looms in the background — is a fever dream that I’m itching to experience myself. For any PC players, free maps like this should be all the push you need to grab a Steam copy of Black Ops 3 next time it’s on sale, as you’re missing out on some truly stellar work from creatives like rayjiun and Deadshotmp4 without it.