Zombie survival MMO The War Z announced

Say, you like scavenging for supplies in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by the walking dead, don't you? If Day Z is too intimidating, you may fancy the newly announced MMORPG The War Z, which seems to offer a slightly less hardcore "survival horror" experience but still has permadeath and that jazz if you want it.

Roaming across maps of 200-400 square kilometres, you'll be searching for food and weapons, anything to keep the zombie hordes--and other players--at bay. There are RPG-y elements, like gaining experience to learn new skills, and safe towns where you can buy supplies, but it sounds pretty bleak in general. Hit the announcement for more details.

As well as a 'hardcore' mode with permadeath, like in Day Z, there will be 'normal' servers where you can revive. Developer Hammerpoint Interactive plans to run dedicated public servers, but players can also run their own.

And, pleasantly, The War Z doesn't seem to be either subscription-based or free-to-play. Like Guild Wars 2, once you buy the MMORPG there are no subscription fees. I wouldn't be at all surprised if there were optional microtransactions too, though.

The War Z is due on PC this fall, and you can sign up for a closed beta launching in summer.

Move zed, get out the way! Get out the way zed, get out the way!