Coming after a spate of recent announcements highlighting the World War Z’s classes and PvPvE game modes, Saber Interactive revealed today that zombie-infested title will release on April 16 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One for $39.99.
Tacked on to the announcement was confirmation that the PC version would follow in the footsteps of both The Division 2 and Metro Exodus by leaving Steam behind. Indeed, World War Z on PC will be an Epic Games Store exclusive at launch.
For those following the game closely, the revelation might not be much of a surprise. In late 2018, multiple reports surfaced that Saber Interactive had removed the Steam logo from World War Z’s product page. Although the game’s official Twitter account confirmed it would be featured on the Epic Games Store, it was not clear at the time that Saber would not be working with Valve to bring the title to the Steam platform.
As of this writing, it is unclear if World War Z will ever find its way to the house of Valve.
Since its reveal, World War Z has drawn numerous comparisons to the Left 4 Dead franchise. While it might appear similar on the surface, Saber’s foray into the zombie genre looks to differentiate itself from Valve’s IP, namely by featuring a PvPvE mode where players not only contend with another team of four but also the frenetic undead.
For those more interested in working together to test their mettle against zillions of ravenous zombies, World War Z also features a campaign spread across a set of survivor stories that take inspiration from scenes found in the 2013 film. Confirmed locations include New York, Jerusalem, and Moscow, the latter of which was part of the film’s original ending before later being cut.
Additionally, the game features 12 characters and six classes from which players can choose. Classes include the Gunslinger, Hellraiser, Slasher, Medic, Fixer, and Exterminator. Each of these has unique abilities and is capable of “customizing powerful weapons to survive higher difficulty challenges,” according to the game’s official website.
Although it remains to be seen if the game can emerge from the still-looming shadows of Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2, Saber promises “a nail-biting action experience” with World War Z.
