H1Z1: King of the Kill will not be released on September 20 as originally planned.
The development history of H1Z1 threatens to become one of those typical “Early Access” stories. The peak was shortly after the game went into Early Access in early 2015, where it was the game of the moment for several weeks. Players enjoyed themselves in the zombie sandbox but quickly realized: There is still a lot missing.
Then the game developed quite well in 2015 until it suddenly discovered Twitch in the second half of the year and worked on a mode suitable for fast action and viewing. However, this mode had little to do with the “Survival MMO” that was originally planned. This mode has now become an independent game with “King of the Kill”, which was supposed to be released this “summer” for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
But they have now put that on hold for the time being. They want to let the game “bake” a little longer. It remains in Early Access to test the remaining new features. The actual survival game “Just Survive,” the sandbox with zombies, is supposed to continue to smolder in Early Access – there are no release plans.
A large update for H1Z1 arrives on September 20
On September 20, at least a massive update for King of the Kill is supposed to be released: It revises the interface, brings new currencies and a training zone, facilitates Twitch integration, and introduces a new ranking system and leaderboards.
Mein MMO says: We have been following H1Z1 since 2014. Back then, they stated that they definitely did not want to become a “typical Early Access” game that never finishes. Meanwhile, they have even become a prototypical Early Access game – serving as a cautionary example for the “Early Access” model: Extremely early, blessed with a nice hype and many players, observers have had the impression for months that the air has long run out. The division of the game and a noticeable personnel change have not brought the hoped-for turnaround and the necessary kick.
This summer, there will be no zombies after all.
