Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Early Access zombie-focused open world persistent multiplayer survival–Okay! Okay. You’ve heard it before. I get it. Well here’s a weird bit of news for one title that fits that ridiculous collection of adjectives.
H1Z1 is a definitely not DayZ game from Daybreak Games, the artists formerly known as Sony Online Entertainment. I feel like I’ve heard the title a lot, but not from anybody who has actually played it. Steam reviews are mixed right now, and it seems like part of the problem is development shifting away from the survival mode toward a traditional deathmatch-y multiplayer add-on.
But what if those were two separate games? Hopefully it’s a better solution, because that’s exactly what’s happening. H1Z1: Just Survive and H1Z1: King of the Hill will be two separate products with two separate development teams beginning February 17. Owners of H1Z1 will get both games for free when they release to the public for $19.99 each. If you’ve got any interest in either version, now’s probably the time to get in, because the current Steam sale is offering the original for $14.99.
That is, of course, assuming that you’re in for more zombie survival and that H1Z1 is a product worth your time, neither of which is a given. But hey, at least they’re narrowing their focus how they can. The other big detail that’s kinda shuffled away in this announcement is that the game will no longer be free-to-play, which was the original plan for its final launch out of early access.
