SOE announces zombie survival MMO H1Z1 for PC & PS4
Sony Online Entertainment president John Smeley's message on Reddit
I wanted to tell you about an exciting new free-to-play game we’ve had under wraps here at SOE for some time. It’s called H1Z1. It’s a massively multiplayer game in which players fight for survival in a world where death is the only sure thing. The H1Z1 virus devastated mankind and left nothing but death and destruction in its wake and a world nearly empty of human life where the remnants of humanity are in a fight against extinction against those infected with the virus. It’s been 15 years since H1Z1 was first encountered and what’s left of the world before is overrun with the Infected. Humanity has been reduced to hiding in the shadows, searching desperately for food and water and anything that can help to survive even for another day. But the Infected aren’t the only dangers in the world. Everyday life in the Apocalypse means dealing with all kinds of wild animals and the brutality of other survivors, as well as finding your next meal and a safe place to sleep. It also means scavenging or crafting anything that can help you live just one more day. In H1Z1 every minute of every day is borrowed time and fearing for your life… unless you are the Danger (talking to you Walter), but life can and will go on… even in circumstances as dire as this. Humanity has not given in to the Infected. There are still pockets of humanity and the fight goes on!
Our vision for this game is very simple but ambitious. We are starting with what I would call “Middle America” – an “anywhere and everywhere” town. The world is massive as you’ve come to expect from our games. Over time we will grow the world until we have our own version of the U.S. after the death and destruction brought on during the H1Z1 epidemic. It will be our own version of America. We’ll have urban cities and desolate wide open places. All connected seamlessly. Our focus is building a sandbox style of gameplay where players can build shelters out of resources in the world. They can even work together to make amazing fortresses complete with weaponry to help defend against both the Infected and other players. Players also have access to a very deep crafting system that can let players make a huge variety of awesome stuff, including weapons (I made a 1911 the other day) and things like Molotov cocktails, explosives.. and other fun surprises.
I will also go right to the heart of the question a lot of players will have – “There are a lot of survival / Zombie games… how is this one going to be any different?”. First off, it’s a persistent MMO that can hold thousands of players on servers we host (yes there will be multiple servers with very different rule sets). Why is that a good thing? It means a thriving economy (oh yes… there’s trading). It also means you have potential allies in the all-out war on the Infected... and many an enemy as well. It uses our proprietary next-gen Forgelight engine and that means we’ve had a lot of really cool technology to work with to make the game we wanted to make. It’s also designed from the ground up for our players to become part of the design process. The Roadmap system that we built for PlanetSide 2 will be used extensively to clearly communicate what features we’re working on and what you can expect and when. You’re also going to be getting awesome access to our developers. We’ll be opening it up for Player Studio creations too so expect player-created items to make their way into the game. The main thing that differentiates H1Z1 from the other great games in the genre is the emphasis we are putting on player ownership and building. We want you to be able to form roving gangs that are headquartered out of an abandoned warehouse that you’ve taken over... or a house you’ve built from scratch after having cut trees down and secured the resources to make it. We are giving players the tools to make their own towns, camps and defenses, and they can decide how to set up their base (which is in the world btw... not instanced). We’re building in all the social features you’ve come to expect from an SOE game (grouping, proximity voice chat, voice chat for your gang, and many other cool social features).
To use a simple reference I’m sure everyone interested in this game will get... we want our players to make Woodbury from The Walking Dead if they want to. Or take over a prison. Or fix an old car so you and your friends (yeah we have multiplayer vehicles) can run zombies and players over mercilessly, and revel in the sheer delight of hearing a zombie scream as you light it on fire, or craft a gun to take down your friends and enemies alike. Our goal here is to provide emergent gameplay that will allow our players to make the world their own the way they want to. One of the best things about H1Z1 being an MMO is the fact that with a lot of people playing, we’re able to see all different kinds of gameplay. If you prefer a quiet life as a farmer raising crops... we’re going to make sure your zombie apocalypse fantasy is complete. If you’re like me and you want nothing more than to kill everything that moves, by all means see how that goes. It’s going to be a blast!
Check out H1Z1.com and reddit.com/r/h1z1. We’ll be adding more information in the coming weeks to the website. We’ll also be very openly answering questions in the subreddit.
Next week you can see us do a livestream of the game as we have a playtest. Stay tuned!
H1Z1 is coming to PlayStation 4 as a free-to-play title, developer Daybreak Games announced. The open beta will begin on May 22. A closed beta weekend will be held this month, which players can sign up for now at the game’s official website.
A special H1Z1 bundle including unique in-game cosmetic items that will be granted at the start of the open beta, as well as a PlayStation 4 dynamic theme that will be rewarded at the time of purchase, can also be pre-ordered for $29.99. PlayStation Plus members will receive a 20 percent discount.
Here is an overview of H1Z1 on PlayStation 4, via Daybreak Games:
H1Z1 on PS4 is designed specifically for the console and focuses exclusively on the core elements that make battle royale exciting. The game features a new weapon progression system, fully reworked UI, and new weapons and gear.
“H1Z1 on PS4 is true battle royale mayhem. We have reimagined the game for PlayStation 4 and have designed it to accentuate the essentials of battle royale that make the genre so exciting to watch and play,” said H1Z1 producer Terrence Yee. “We have added key gameplay differentiators to keep the game frantic and fun — an action shooter’s dream of fast-paced battle royale.”
The control scheme for H1Z1 on PS4 has been tailor-made to keep players focused on the action. H1Z1 now features a grab-and-go equipment system, simplifying loot collection and inventory management; a familiar radial weapon menu so players can quickly switch between guns and grenades; and a revamped HUD that delivers vital information at-a-glance. The crafting system has also been removed from the game.
Capitalizing on increased mobility, the PS4 edition takes H1Z1’s signature fast-paced combat one step further by introducing new gameplay progression mechanics. The game’s gas pacing has been altered to speed up the play of the match and the airdrop system has been revamped to keep players moving and invested in fights.
With the new weapon progression mechanics, players only have access to loot six level-one weapons at the start of the match and must strategically decide which airdrops to pursue if they want better level weapons and gear. Mass airdrops are released throughout the map, through which players may pick up familiar weapons like the AK and AR, as well as the new KH43, Marauder, Combat Shotgun, CNQ-09, Scout Rifle and MK46. Airdrops serve as the primary way to secure higher powered armor, which have been retooled to provide players with a health bonus.
While airdrops will be the primary method to secure leveled-up gear, special crates that contain level 2 and level 3 weapons and gear have been hidden throughout the map. Players with a more passive strategy may diligently search the world for these rare crates, which emit a low radio chatter and signal beacon when they are in proximity.
H1Z1 has been fully optimized for the PlayStation 4 and runs at 60 frames-per-second on PS4 Pro.
H1Z1 Is Now Free To Play - Drop in, gear up, and win together!
You asked, we heard you. Experience the game that put Battle Royale on the map and then redefined it with Auto Royale, for FREE. Yep, you read that right! Starting at approximately 10 AM PT, you can download H1Z1 for free!
Free to play isn’t the only thing to get hyped about. The H1Z1 Pro League just confirmed the 15 esports teams that will be participating in the inaugural season, the official venue location in Las Vegas, and its streaming partnership with Facebook. More info can be found here.
“We are very excited to announce that H1Z1 will be free to play starting today. Not only does this decision allow us to share our version of Battle Royale and Auto Royale with even more players, but it signifies the next step in making H1Z1 a must-watch esport. The Pro League is going to redefine esports when it kicks off in Las Vegas this April, and whether a person is an aspiring pro athlete or just wants to play with friends, we want everyone to have the chance to play the most competitive battle royale game.” -- Anthony Castoro, H1Z1 General Manager
To thank all of our loyal players who helped make awesome, game-changing decisions during our time in Early Access, we'll be rewarding everyone who already purchased the game with the “H1Z1 Appreciation Pack”, containing the following items:
We’ve also added Bronze, Silver, and Limited Edition Gold Battle Royale packs for the Free To Play Launch.
H1Z1 is best played with friends, so if you already play, there has never been a better time to bring them in, especially as a group of four in Auto Royale! You’re also going to need a solid crew for Duos and Fives if you want to earn those Victory Crates. Reach out and let them know to download H1Z1 RIGHT NOW.
Purchase H1Z1 recently? Refunds will be provided by Steam in accordance with its refund policy. Please contact Steam customer service with any questions about refunds. If you have any further questions regarding your account, feel free to reach out to Daybreak Customer Support via help.h1z1.com, and we will work with you to make it right. Don’t forget to login and receive the Appreciation Pack mentioned above to obtain those items, crates, and skulls!