CrisisX is an upcoming open-world survival game that looks set to take the scale of multiplayer zombie games to another level, putting thousands of survivors together across an enormous post-apocalyptic world.
Developed by Hero Games, CrisisX is currently scheduled to launch in 2026 and combines open-world exploration, zombies, survival mechanics, base building, PvP and large-scale multiplayer.
One of its biggest features is the sheer size of the world. According to the developer, CrisisX features a 1,200 km² open-world map capable of supporting up to 5,000 players on a single server.
The world is divided across 12 different terrains and environments, ranging from Western-style towns and hidden laboratories to snowy mountains and rivers. Different regions will contain their own resources, wildlife and mutants, giving players reasons to travel considerable distances from home.
Survival goes considerably deeper than simply keeping zombies away.
Players will need to manage hunger, thirst, disease, poison and exposure to different temperatures. Your character’s physical condition can also change depending on how you play.
Eating too much can cause your survivor to gain weight, while failing to eat enough can eventually kill them. Activities including running, fighting, mining and chopping wood can increase muscle, making your character physically stronger over time.
Combat ranges from relatively basic weapons such as machetes, bows and crossbows all the way up to sniper rifles, machine guns, grenades and RPGs.
Different threats will require different approaches. A single infected creature might be manageable with a bow or machete, while large hordes and powerful mutants could require heavily armed groups of survivors working together.
Other players could prove even more dangerous.
CrisisX will allow survivors to fight over valuable locations and resources, with players potentially bringing armoured vehicles into these battles. The developers specifically mention modified M113s, M2 Bradleys and even Second World War-era M4 Sherman tanks.
Base building is another major part of the experience.
Players will be able to establish territory and gradually transform it into a self-sustaining homestead complete with fences, farms and livestock. Vehicles including sports cars and off-road SUVs can also be created for travelling around the enormous map.
Those settlements aren’t necessarily safe, however. Infected hordes can attack your home, while other survivors will be able to raid it.
Players can alternatively cooperate by forming teams, groups and larger communes. These communities can capture strategic resource locations, expand their territory and potentially become involved in much larger wars with rival groups.
Steam currently lists single-player alongside MMO, online PvP, online co-op and cross-platform multiplayer support, potentially giving players several different ways to experience the apocalypse.
With thousands of players, zombies, player-built settlements, vehicles, territorial warfare and a 1,200 km² world, CrisisX is shaping up to be one of the more ambitious upcoming survival games.