Der Riese was the first zombie map to feature the Pack-a-Punch machine. The map arrived as part of Call of Duty: World at War’s third downloadable map pack in 2009 and is set inside Group 935’s giant weapons factory in Nazi-occupied Germany.
The Pack-a-Punch machine gave players a powerful reason to explore beyond the starting area: for 5,000 points, a weapon could be upgraded into a stronger version, usually with a new name, improved damage, and other enhancements. Der Riese also introduced teleporters, which players activated to reach the machine and manage the increasingly dangerous zombie waves.
Nacht der Untoten, Verrückt, and Shi No Numa came earlier and established the basic Nazi Zombies format, but none included Pack-a-Punch. Der Riese therefore represents a major turning point in the mode’s design. It was later remade as The Giant in Call of Duty: Black Ops III, preserving its importance in Zombies history.