Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2

Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 (stylized as Plants vs. Zombies GW2 or PvZGW2) is a third-person shooter video game developed by PopCap Games and published by Electronic Arts. It is the fourth game in the Plants vs. Zombies series and the sequel to Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare. The game was announced on the Xbox E3 briefing on June 15, 2015. Only a trailer was shown, but gameplay footage was later presented on EA Games' E3 press conference. According to the online game stores, the game is scheduled to be released on February 23, 2016 (North American version) and February 25, 2016 (European version) for PC and current generation consoles.

On a GamesRadar article, EA has confirmed that players who unlocked playable characters in the first game will have their characters in the sequel already unlocked. However, the promotional characters (Berry Shooter, Citrus Cactus, Chester Chomper, and Dr. Chester) are confirmed not to return to the sequel. In the same article, a single-player mode was confirmed, along with six new classes including Citron and Super Brainz, over 100 playable characters and 12 new maps. Also, a new ranking system has been introduced, however, this means that every player will start at rank 1 when they begin the game for the first time. Nearly all customization items from the first Garden Warfare are not returning to Garden Warfare 2 (this does not apply to gestures, as they will return). Some of this information were later added to the official website. If players pre-order the game they receive Z7 Imp, which is also a spoof of the Mass Effect franchise. Loyalty rewards are given to players that made it to a certain rank in Garden Warfare 1, with the final loyalty reward obtained by reaching rank 313, awarding you the Unicorn Chomper. 

Setting
Long after the events of Garden Warfare during the long, crazy war between plants and zombies, the zombies have finally conquered Suburbia and renamed it Zomburbia. Now, for the first time in the series, the plants are on the attack, and it is the zombies' turn to defend their newly claimed homeland. Six all-new heroes join the battle with brand new abilities, from the past, present and future.

Update history

 * June 15, 2015: Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 is announced and is set to release in Spring 2016. A new trailer for the game is released, along with a gameplay video of new zombie classes and Graveyard Ops.
 * July 8, 2015: A second trailer for the game has been released announcing the new Seeds of Time map and split-screen gameplay.
 * August 5, 2015: A new gameplay video showing off plant classes and Moon Base Z is revealed. The game is demoed on Gamescom.
 * August 8, 2015: In an interview with IGN, producer Kyle Duncan reveals more gameplay from the mode Herbal Assault showing plant gameplay of the three new plant classes on Moon Base Z.
 * September 17, 2015: A dev diary has been released, going into detail about the new characters and strategies for each of them.
 * October 29, 2015 - Present: Short trailers showing some of the new variants for returning characters have been shown on Facebook and Twitter. The only variants seen so far (in order) is the Park Ranger, Yeti Chomper, Stuffy Flower, Zen Cactus, Roadie Z Engineer, Tennis Star, Rock Pea, Captain Flameface, Zoologist, Vampire Flower, AC Perry, Petrified Cactus, Druid Rose and Electro Brainz.
 * November 5, 2015: A teaser showing gameplay for the Z7 Mech alongside a release date of February 23, 2016.
 * December 9, 2015: Another new teaser showcasing the new Solo Mode, Solo Ops, new character variants (Vampire Sunflower, Druid Rose, Electro Citron and Pops Corn), and Crazy Settings is released.
 * December 16, 2015: A gameplay reveal of the Backyard Battleground was released, showcasing the new hub and most of its features, gone over by senior creative director Jeremy Vanhoozer.
 * January 7, 2016: A trailer advertising the open beta for the game is released, revealing it will be available from the 14th to the 18th of January.
 * January 14-18, 2016: A multiplayer beta version of Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 is released, letting players play in the Backyard Battleground, and lets them play Gardens & Graveyards and Herbal Assault on the Seeds of Time and Moon Base Z maps, and can also progressively play Team Vanquish, Vanquish Confirmed!, Gnome Bomb and Suburbination on the Z-Tech Factory and Frosty Creek maps. In the first two days, a few characters were made available as playable hero showcases, although they can still be unlocked. The Frozen Citron, Druid Rose, Mob Cob, Rock Pea, Yeti Chomper, Vampire Flower, Zen Cactus, Z7 Imp and Pylon imp, Cozmic Brainz, Captain Sharkbite, Scuba Soldier, Roadie Z, Computer Scientist, Zoologist and Moto-X Star were the only unlockable variants in the beta.
 * January 21, 2016: A video showcases an all new variant, the Unicorn Chomper, as a bonus to players who reach rank 313. It was shown using an all new ability which is an alternate to burrow, allowing it to teleport, similar to the Scientist's Warp ability. This ability is called Rainbow Dash.
 * January 29, 2016: PopCap announces a live stream of Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 which will feature gameplay on the PC Version and will also showcase the Great White North map. The live stream will start at 10:00 AM Pacific Time.
 * February 5, 2016: PopCap releases another live stream of Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 which features gameplay of Frost Rose on the brand new Zomburbia map for Herbal Assault.
 * February 11, 2016: PopCap released a video on their Youtube channel featuring 12 new maps in Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2.
 * February 12, 2016: PopCap releases another live stream showcasing Garden Ops and Graveyard Ops on split-screen gameplay, including a new purchasable Pop ​figurine of Super Brainz. It also shows how you can import your Garden Warfare 1 characters and abilities, and also confirms that all the abilities from the original game will return to Garden Warfare 2.
 * February 18, 2016: Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 is officially released on EA Access and Origin Access.
 * February 23, 2016: Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 is officially released in North America.
 * February 25, 2016: Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 is officially released in Europe.
 * March 1, 2016: PopCap announces their first content update, the Graveyard Variety Pack, while will fix several bugs and glitches, balance Rose to be more of a support class and will also add a new Suburbia-themed map.

Returning plants

 * All Peashooter variants except Berry Shooter (redesigned Fire Pea, Toxic Pea and Plasma Pea)
 * All Sunflower variants (redesigned Shadow Flower and Metal Petal)
 * All Chomper variants except Chester Chomper (redesigned Toxic Chomper, Count Chompula, and Power Chomper)
 * All Cactus variants except Citrus Cactus


 * Garlic Drone
 * Artichoke Drone
 * Heal Flower
 * Spikeweed
 * Chili Bean Bomb
 * Bonk Choy
 * Gatling Pea
 * Ice-shroom


 * Goop-shroom
 * Snap Dragon
 * Doom-shroom
 * Scaredy-shroom
 * Pea Cannon
 * Fume-shroom
 * Bamboo Shoot

New plants
Other: New characters:
 * Citron (character class)
 * Iron Citron
 * Electro Citron
 * Frozen Citron
 * Party Citron
 * Rose (character class)
 * Druid Rose
 * Fire Rose
 * Frost Rose
 * Party Rose
 * Kernel Corn (character class)
 * Pops Corn
 * BBQ Corn
 * Mob Cob
 * Party Corn
 * Weeds, the plant equivalent to the AI zombies in Garden Ops (the standard ones are the plant equivalent of Browncoat Zombies)
 * Pumpkin Weed (the plant equivalent of the Conehead Zombie)
 * Terracotta Weed (the plant equivalent of the Buckethead Zombie)
 * Vase Weed (the plant equivalent of the Coffin Zombie)
 * Porcelain Vase Weed (the plant equivalent of the Outhouse Zombie)
 * Leaf Shield Weed (the plant equivalent of the Newspaper Zombie)
 * Wood Shield Weed (the plant equivalent of the Screen Door Zombie)
 * Trunk Weed (the plant equivalent of the Barrel Pirate)
 * Heal Weed (the plant equivalent of the Heal Zombie)
 * Flag Weed (the plant equivalent of the Flag Zombie)
 * Dandelion Weed (the plant equivalent of the Exploding Imp)
 * Hypno-shroom (impairs a zombie's vision and controls)
 * New spawnable potted plants:
 * Lightning Reed (potted plant which deals electric damage)
 * Toxic Gloom-shroom (potted plant which deals toxic damage)
 * New Peashooter variants:
 * Rock Pea
 * Electro Pea
 * New Sunflower variants:
 * Stuffy Flower
 * Vampire Flower
 * New Chomper variants:
 * Disco Chomper
 * Yeti Chomper
 * Unicorn Chomper (Max Rank player reward)
 * New Cactus variants:
 * Zen Cactus
 * Petrified Cactus
 * New bosses:
 * Giga Torchwood
 * Super Bean
 * Queen Sunflower
 * Royal Hypno-Flower
 * Big Stump
 * Squash
 * Marigold
 * EMPeach (Citron ability)
 * Hot Potato (Kernel Corn ability)
 * Special Agent Corn
 * Agent Rose
 * Agent Citron
 * Ironball
 * Dave-bot 3000.1

Returning zombies

 * All Engineer variants (redesigned Electrician)
 * All Scientist variants except Dr. Chester
 * All All-Star variants
 * All Foot Soldier variants


 * Browncoat Zombie
 * Conehead Zombie
 * Buckethead Zombie
 * Flag Zombie
 * Newspaper Zombie
 * Screen Door Zombie
 * Coffin Zombie
 * Disco Zombie
 * Gargantuar


 * Giga Gargantuar
 * Outhouse Zombie
 * Baron von Bats
 * Vampire Zombie
 * Yeti Zombie
 * Yeti Imp
 * Blitzer
 * Zombot Turret (Mark III only)

New zombies

 * Super Brainz (character class)
 * Electro Brainz
 * Cozmic Brainz
 * Toxic Brainz
 * Party Brainz
 * Captain Deadbeard (character class)
 * Captain Flameface
 * Captain Sharkbite
 * Captain Cannon
 * Captain Partyman
 * Imp (character class)
 * Z7 Imp
 * Pylon Imp
 * Lil' Drake
 * S.H.R.IMP
 * Party Imp
 * New Foot Soldier variants:
 * Park Ranger
 * Scuba Soldier
 * New Engineer variants:
 * Roadie Z
 * AC Perry
 * New Scientist variants:
 * Zoologist
 * Computer Scientist
 * New All-Star variants:
 * Tennis Star
 * Moto-X Star
 * New bosses:
 * Zen Sensei as a Garden Ops and Backyard Battleground boss
 * Gargantuar Prime as a Backyard Battleground boss
 * House Gargantuar as a Backyard Battleground boss
 * Captain Smasher
 * Gargoatuar
 * New Browncoats
 * Zombot Soldier as a Backyard Battleground and Garden Ops enemy
 * Karate Zombie
 * Bug Bot Imp
 * New spawnable turrets:
 * Mr. Toasty (the zombie equivalent of the Snap Dragon)
 * Gatling Bot (the zombie equivalent of the Gatling Pea)
 * Dr. Heals (the zombie equivalent of the Heal Flower)
 * Mr. Freezy (the zombie equivalent of the Ice-shroom)
 * Breaker Bot (the zombie equivalent of the Fume-shroom)
 * Rocket Bot (the zombie equivalent of the Pea Cannon)
 * Boxer Bot (the zombie equivalent of the Bonk Choy)
 * Mr. Electro (the zombie equivalent of the Lightning Reed)
 * Loudmouth Bot (the zombie equivalent of the Goop-shroom)
 * Explody Bot (the zombie equivalent of the Doom-shroom)
 * Mr. Toxic (the zombie equivalent of the Toxic Gloom-shroom)
 * Hide-n-Shoot Bot (the zombie equivalent of the Scaredy-shroom)
 * Orbital Bot (the zombie equivalent of the Bamboo Shoot)
 * New characters:
 * Dr. Patient
 * Z-Mech 11011-3

Infinity Time characters

 * Infinite Robot
 * Gnome
 * Gnome Floatie
 * Gnomus the Gnome King

Backyard Battleground
''Welcome to your very own Plants vs. Zombies playground. In your Backyard Battleground you can edit your character’s abilities and customizations, choose quests, jump into co-op or multiplayer action modes, or invite up to 3 friends in to your backyard to start a party and take on AI – defeat a wave, and a more powerful wave will show up. You can also switch teams to challenge your friends!''

Backyard Battleground is your own frontline base to plan your attack before you enter the battle for Zomburbia.

Returning

 * Garden Ops
 * Welcome Mat
 * Team Vanquish
 * Gardens & Graveyards
 * Gnome Bomb
 * Vanquish Confirmed!
 * Suburbination
 * Mixed Mode

New

 * Graveyard Ops
 * Herbal Assault
 * Solo Ops
 * Backyard Battleground
 * Flag of Power
 * Turf Takeover

Returning Abilities
Upon gameplay, almost all abilities from the original Garden Warfare will return to Garden Warfare 2. This includes the abilities from the Garden Variety pack as well. With the exception of Chester Chomper and Dr. Chester, the Cheetos abilities will not return to Garden Warfare 2.


 * Chili Bean Bomb
 * Pea Gatling
 * Hyper
 * Sombrero Bean Bomb
 * Retro Gatling
 * Super Pea Jump
 * Goop
 * Burrow
 * Spikeweed
 * Super Sticky Goop
 * Sprint Burrow
 * Spiky Spikeweed


 * Heal Beam
 * Sunbeam
 * Heal Flower
 * Rainbow Heal Beam
 * Solar Flare Beam
 * Dark Flower
 * Potato Mine
 * Garlic Drone
 * Tallnut Battlement
 * Potato Nugget Mine
 * Artichoke Drone
 * Iron Maiden


 * Zombie Stink Cloud
 * Rocket Jump
 * ZPG
 * Super Stink Cloud
 * Rocket Leap
 * Multi-Rocket
 * Jackhammer
 * Sonic Grenade
 * Turbo Jackhammer
 * Proximity Sonic Mine


 * Sticky Explody Ball
 * Warp
 * Zombie Heal Station (unlockable)
 * Mega Heal Bomb
 * Energy Warp
 * Imp Punt
 * Sprint Tackle
 * Dummy Shield
 * Long Bomb
 * Ultra Tackle
 * Shield Decoy

New abilities
Several gameplay videos have shown new abilities for returning characters:
 * A heal beam for the Scientist called the Heal Beam of Science  (replacing the Zombie Heal Station but the Heal Station can be unlocked)
 * A stationary turret for the Engineer called the Big Bolt Blaster (replacing the Zombot Drone due to Parrot Pal)
 * Rainbow Warp for Unicorn Chomper (alternate for Burrow).
 * Chomp Cannon for Chomper (shown on official PopCap stream, new alternate version of Goop).

Trivia

 * The Plants vs. Zombies Facebook page posted a "Letter from Zomboss" revealing how Zomboss managed to take over Suburbia, by summoning his future self.


 * Dear Citizens of Suburbia and Everywhere-

''Thanks to the limitless reaches of my limitless genius, I am overjoyed to announce that I have taken over Suburbia. You may have noticed from the change in your surroundings, but I realize that as humans your powers of perception are not near to my elevated level. Which is a very elevated level indeed! Your brains, streets, houses, telephone poles, brains, toasters, and game-playing devices are mine. Mine!''

''I can sense before the brain-feasting begins that you would like to know how I took over. Because why wouldn’t you? I am Dr. Zomboss, after all. And this was my most evilly inspired idea yet! I finally decided that only one was brilliant enough to aid me, and once realizing this, I asked myself for help. My future self! The only creature perhaps as smart as I am. Supplied with Z-Tech from future me (who is quite charming and really rather clever), I invented the most horrific, most wonderful, most clever invention of all time! More clever even than the Sun-blot Machine! Than the Awesome Air Stinkifier! Even more than the PopSmarts™ Handy Slicer!''

''I speak of the Z-Mech, which transforms giggly Imps into giggly giant machines of shimmering destruction! Oh, I also created Super Brainz, but he broke every mirror and had to stand in the Time-Out corner. But he is still a brilliant invention! And I, only I, Dr. Edgar G. Zomboss, could have unleashed the Z-Mech and then also put Captain Deadbeard, and all the other zombies, into the fray. You remember them, I know you do! Remember them, and remember it was I who used them to capture Suburbia. It was I! Admit it – you couldn’t have done it. Only I. Wait, what’s that orange roll-y thing that dares to roll on my streets? I must go attend, because no-one rolls on my streets. No one!''

Please desist from any thoughts of attacking me, as they would be futile.

Sincerely-

Dr. Zomboss
 * Said message above foreshadows the events that took place in the comic under the same name.
 * The other inventions mentioned other than Z-Mechs also appear in other comics.
 * Various references to Plants vs. Zombies 2 are shown in this game:
 * Gargantuar Prime, Laser Bean, Lighting Reed, Dandelion, E.M.Peach, Hypno-shroom all use the same appearance as they did in the second game, only 3D re-animated.
 * In addition to the potted plant, a Laser Bean with its cape costume also appears as a boss.
 * One of the Rose's abilities, Goatify, references the Wizard Zombie's ability to turn plants into sheep.
 * This game is based on time travelling, just like how it would be to the former.
 * Captain Deadbeard and Parrot Pal is based on Pirate Captain Zombie and its parrot.
 * Kernel Corn's description mentions Pirate Seas and Kernel-pult's appearance in that world.
 * Knight Zombie did make a cameo in the beta trailer.
 * Dr. Zomboss uses his voice from the second game, but his sprite is from the first game.
 * This would make him, alongside Crazy Dave (who is confirmed in Use Your Brainz EDU trailer) to use their sprite from the first game.
 * The blue flame that came from Giga Torchwood references Torchwood's Plant Food ability.
 * A unknown Zomboss balloon that appeared in the trailer might be the Zombot Aerostatic Gondola, but different in shape.
 * Many of the maps in this game are all likely based on worlds from Plants vs. Zombies 2:
 * Frosty Creek maybe based on Frostbite Caves.
 * Boney Island and the Dinoland portion of the Seeds of Time map may be based on Jurassic Marsh.
 * Z-Tech Factory and Moon Base Z may be based on Far Future.
 * The castle portion of the Seeds of Time map might be based on Dark Ages.
 * Sandy Sands and the Zgypt portion of Seeds of Time may be based on Ancient Egypt.
 * Time Park could based on Modern Day.
 * Jams appear again, but this time they are just music and sound effects.
 * They appear during activation of Party Time.
 * On PopCap's Facebook page, a user on the Electro Brainz preview posted a leaked picture that stated the game was going to have a beta from January 14th to the 18th. This was confirmed true a day later.
 * This is the first game in the series where plants actively attack zombies while zombies defend against attacking plants.