Sony reveals new post-apocalyptic MMO game H1Z1

Sony Online Entertainment has unveiled its next project, a massively multiplayer online game called H1Z1 that is set in a post-apocalyptic world. Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley tweeted that players would be able to play the game "soon".

A teaser site for the game has also gone live, which links to the official subreddit for the game.

According to Sony Online Entertainment, the free-to-play game will see players "fight for survival" in a world ravaged by a fictional virus named H1Z1. Set 15 years after the initial outbreak, players will face the Infected, wild animals, and other survivors. The game will include scavenging and crafting elements.

Smedley also described that the game will feature a "sandbox style of gameplay", allowing players to craft shelters and fortresses.

It’s a persistent MMO that can hold thousands of players on servers we host...

Addressing questions as to how this game will differ to other post-apocalyptic survival games, Smedley said, "...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... 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.

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."

SOE is no stranger to working on MMO games, leading development on EverQuest II, The Matrix Online, and the upcoming EverQuest Next.

Check out some screenshots of the game below.

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