Daybreak Games announced in the summer that the survival variant of the zombie online game H1Z1 titled “Just Survive” would be shut down. However, the developer studio has now reconsidered.
Originally, the doors of H1Z1: Just Survive were supposed to close this month. Apparently, the financial boost from NantWorks has ensured that the title can continue to be operated – at least for now.
The End of H1Z1: Just Survive Was Not an End
Why was H1Z1: Just Survive to be shut down? The player numbers kept declining until the developers could no longer maintain operations.
When were the servers supposed to be shut down? The end of the online game was planned for October 24 at 8 PM.
An Interesting Change of Mind
What has happened now? In a Twitch livestream, Jace Hall from Daybreak Games explained that H1Z1: Just Survive has survived. It will continue to be operated, but for the time being, it is only in maintenance mode. Subsequently, the game is to be further developed together with the community to eventually – perhaps – become a full-fledged game mode for Z1.
Z1 is the new name for the significantly more successful battle royale variant of H1Z1. However, Daybreak is still in talks with NantWorks regarding this. For now, Just Survive is saved.
“Today, Just Survive has survived,” Jace Hall explained. “It is coming home. We are all a community and we will all work together. This will require time and a lot of effort, but we believe that the full potential can be realized.”
How did the change of mind come about? Through a deal with the corporation NantWorks, Daybreak Games was able to obtain fresh capital. The two companies are working together on a big gaming future. And here, H1Z1: Just Survive could also play a role. Through talks, the game has at least been saved for now.
How do the fans react? The players are somewhat skeptical. On the one hand, the deal is not yet finalized. Even though the shutdown of the game is currently not happening, this does not mean that it will actually become a long-term planned game mode for Z1. Moreover, many are wondering what makes Just Survive better than other survival games and what justifies its rescue.
Samhael on MMORPG.com writes, for example: “A question to the developers: Why? In a market that is saturated with battle royale games and survival games, how does Just Survive stand out?”
Wilhelm Arcturus comments on MMOFallout.com: “Yes, it will not be shut down… maybe… because there might be a deal. But there is none yet, so it will only be set to maintenance mode… until everything is settled.”
