Following a hacker attack that compromised player information, The War Z has been taken offline pending an investigation. Publisher OP Productions issued a statement on the attack and admits that the hackers gained access to some player information, but insists that payment information is safe.

Read more: E-mail addresses, encrypted passwords accessed »

After a troubled launch that resulted in the game being pulled from Steam, The War Z is back on Steam today. A notice states that Hammerpoint Interactive collaborated with Valve to address community feedback and make the title available worldwide.

Read more: Patch for existing customers, no more refunds »

DayZ creator Dean Hall doesn't want to be a professional. He wants to be a person that is upfront about his feelings and opinions. And for that reason, he's making it clear that he is furious with the competing zombie game The War Z.

Read more: 'The hell with professionalism' »

The War Z's bungled launch forced Valve to pull the game after players complained about a product that over-promised and under-delivered. Executive producer Sergey Titov must have been visited by a few Christmas spirits, as he has apologized for how the launch was handled.

Read more: Game name trademark also at issue »

The launch of zombie survival game The War Z has created a stir online. The original "Foundation Release" listing on Steam outlined features, but didn't detail which ones were currently implemented and which are planned for future updates. This has led developer Hammerpoint Interactive to alter the description and issue a (sort of) apology.

Read more: Players 'misread' the details »

If you're already sold on the idea of open-world multiplayer zombie survive 'em up The War Z, perhaps nudged along by our preview, you can pre-order it today to score early access starting later this month. Does the world need another zombie game? As much as it needs any other video game, really.

Watch: The first PvP action »

Surviving a zombie apocalypse is hardly a new concept in games, with many of them visiting this idea through action games and shooters. The War Z, from Arkos Entertainment Group and Hammerpoint Interactive, takes the zombie game in bold new directions, placing a heavy emphasis on surviving in a desolate sandbox environment for as long as possible.

The War Z is best described as an ultra-realistic MMO survival game that places everything in the hands of the players. The world is massive, starting out at 160 square kilometers. Many of the abandoned towns are infested with zombies. It's up to players to clear those areas of the undead before setting up a safe settlement to recreate a semblance of society.

Read more: Normal and hardcore modes available »

The War Z is the latest game to hit in the ongoing zombie craze. But what makes it different? Executive producer Sergey Titov explains.

"There are no quests or missions in the traditional gaming industry sense of the word," he said. "We're not building an objective based game, but instead building a sandbox with lots of tools that will allow players to create their own experiences. We took a basic theme that we love—the zombie apocalypse/survival genre-and asked ourselves what the world would look like in this scenario? What means of interacting with the world or other players would be available? What would the world economy look like? We built the game design around that."

Read more: 'We hope that there won't be an endgame' »

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.

Read more: Maps of 200-400 square kilometres »