Walking Dead-World War Z DLC release date set
The ultimate zombie-killing crossover is on the horizon as ‘World War Z’ has announced the release date for its upcoming collaboration with AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’.
Based on Paramount’s ‘World War Z’ film, the co-op zombie shooter video game will launch its ‘TWD’-themed DLC on January 29 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.
According to “World War Z” developer Saber Interactive’s description for the update, “Undead apocalypses collide like never before in World War Z x The Walking Dead DLC, a new campaign episode featuring three thrilling stories featuring characters from AMC’s The Walking Dead – Rick Grimes, Daryl Dixon, Negan and Michonne – with the voices of Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus reprising their favorite characters. From prison to the Alexandria Safe Zone and Grady Memorial Hospital, you’ll fight to survive against new versions of the infamous Zeke swarms of World War II, inspired by the uniquely slower-moving but no less deadly Walkers from The Walking Dead.”
The update was first announced in December, along with news that the ‘WWZ’ base game had surpassed 30 million players worldwide since its launch in 2019.
See below for Variety‘s Q&A with Sabre’s chief creative officer Tim Willits about what’s in World War Z’s upcoming ‘The Walking Dead’ expansion.
How did this collaboration come about? It’s clearly a great fit for the genre, so who started the conversations and when?
Since the launch of “World War Z,” one of our top priorities has always been finding new and exciting ways to support the experience for both new and returning players. I’ve always been a fan of AMC’s “The Walking Dead” ability to put Rick and the gang through uniquely gruesome scenarios that seem like they’ll never be able to escape. At Saber, we’ve always thought that “The Walking Dead” had the potential to be a fantastic collaboration, and we know our fans have been asking for it since the early days of “World War Z,” so it was really just a matter of reaching out to the great team at AMC. We had some great conversations there, we aligned the stars and the rest is undead history.
What is the storyline of the DLC and how does it work for the established franchises of both “WWZ” and “TWD”?
We wanted to maintain the authenticity of both franchises, so I think we found the perfect balance between the fast-action Zekes and the slower Walkers. In an all-new three-mission campaign set in the world of “The Walking Dead,” players will enter familiar territory in iconic locations: the prison, the Alexandria Safe Zone and Grady Memorial Hospital. You can choose from four survivors – Rick Grimes, Daryl Dixon, Negan and Michonne – along with their iconic weapons. This marks the first time that the signature Zekes from “World War Z” have been transformed into Walkers, a new change to the game’s core mechanic that remains authentic to the TV show and that we think will appeal to “The Walking Dead” fans and “World War Z” players alike.
Do you see this as an opportunity to bring “TWD” fans who may not have played “WWZ” into the game yet, and how does the partnership with AMC work toward that?
While “World War Z” is a horror staple in its own right, “The Walking Dead” is easily one of the most recognizable and enduring zombie-infested films of all time. We’ve worked closely with our friends at AMC to showcase the best of both worlds and to reach some “The Walking Dead” fans who may not be familiar with our game, or haven’t had a chance to try it out yet. It’s a great combination; The swarm engine of ‘World War Z’ and wall-to-wall zombie-killing savagery, with everyone’s favorite ‘The Walking Dead’ characters confronting familiar horrors as only they can. “World War Z” recently reached a new milestone: 30 million players around the world have played our game, and now more than ever we’re excited to bring this crossover content to them, as well as entirely new players to our game!
What are you most excited about as a feature in the DLC?
There is so much to be excited about. Of course, taking out Walkers with Michonne’s Katana and Negan’s Lucille will be a new thrill. But we also introduce a new special enemy: the Spiked Walker. We’ve put some pretty feisty Zekes into play over the years, but this latest variant is a deadlier Walker with significantly increased defenses. You’ll need to strategically force him to the ground and perform a quick melee kill before he gets back up. Ultimately, I’m most excited to see players’ reactions when they finally get the chance to step into the shoes of these iconic characters and wield their legendary weapons in “World War Z.”
