Fast vs. snail-paced. This diverse approach to depicting zombies in films, television, and video games has been going on for decades. The Zekes of World War Z are known for their speed and constant aggression, laying on top of each other in a frenzied bloodlust in search of their next meal. But as we considered this concept, we asked ourselves, “Why not both?” The idea of transforming the gameplay of Walkers became the core of our collaboration with AMC to bring an episode of The Walking Dead to World War Z.
The maps will still be similar in size to what you’ve experienced in World War Z, but we’ve made the routes you’ll traverse narrower and claustrophobic. You will be forced to eliminate stronger and deadlier herds that slowly advance towards you, under constant threat of being overwhelmed. Our special Zekes (bulls, bombers, etc.) will remain part of the enemy mix, but we’ve also added a novel special – the Spiked Walker. It has an armored head and can cause players to bleed if they get too close to it. As you might guess, hand-to-hand combat is a bad idea – at least at first. You should take down the Spiny Wanderer from a distance, forcing him to lie on his stomach, and then finish him off with a coup d’état to kill him most effectively. If you don’t kill it while it’s on the ground, it will immediately get up and attack you.
But the Walkers aren’t the only content in this crossover DLC…
This novel campaign episode brings to life three separate but invigorating chapters featuring legendary characters from AMC’s The Walking Dead – Rick Grimes, Daryl Dixon, Negan and Michonne. Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus reprise their roles, voicing and bringing fan-favorite characters to life.
The heroes of The Walking Dead will not come empty-handed either. Rick brings a novel weapon skin for his trusty revolver, and Daryl brings a novel skin for his deadly crossbow. Michonne and Negan will wield brand novel melee weapons – Michonne with her iconic Katana, and Negan with his only baseball bat, “Lucille”.
As for the stories themselves, Chapter 1 begins in the Prison, with Rick, Daryl, Michonne, and Negan making their way through a penitentiary that a group of survivors had previously used as a base and then abandoned after it was overrun. What begins as a rescue mission quickly becomes a fight to the death against the army of the dead.
In Chapter 2, the four return to Alexandria and find the city burning and overrun by Walkers. A number of problems make it increasingly complex to ensure the safety of survivors inside. Saving what’s left may require some ingenuity…
Finally, in Chapter 3, the crew heads to Grady Memorial Hospital to retrieve life-saving drugs for their community. However, there are more walkers in Atlanta than the last time they visited, so they must be especially careful when passing through the hospital. If they succeed, it could mean saving many lives.
Hopefully, this crossover of post-apocalyptic universes will prove once and for all that both snail-paced and rapid zombies can indeed coexist, albeit in a delightfully disturbing way. World War Z x The Walking Dead DLC will be released on PS5 and PS4 in January 2026.
