After more than two and a half years in early access, HumanitZ has now been released in full – so what is the current status of the game?
HumanitZ version 1.0 has been available since February 6, 2026 – around two and a half years after the start of the early access phase. Since then, there have been regular updates and improvements. So a lot has happened in the open-world survival game from Yodubzz Studios and indie.io. We had the opportunity to take a look at the 1.0 release and will tell you whether you can go ahead and buy it without hesitation.
Zombie Apocalypse
HumanitZ is an isometric open-world survival adventure set in a world where the zombie apocalypse has broken out. That may sound like a tired old trope, but zombie survival games continue to enjoy great popularity despite the oversaturation of the genre. Just think of 7 Days to Die or Project Zomboid, which are still in their EA phases and continue to be hot topics. And that’s exactly where we would place the game from Yodubzz Studio.
Because we start the game and have complete freedom over what we want to do right from the start. Whether we want to fight off hordes of zombies – if we can – or build something. Or we can simply explore the world we find ourselves in. We can decide all of this freely, thanks to the sandbox aspect of the game. And version 1.0 has brought a lot with it. This includes new character models, a revamped skill tree, a new system for loot items in the immediate vicinity, changes to the tutorial and the difficulty levels, and so on and so forth… The list of changes and additions is really very long.
City, country, river?
As already mentioned, we have endless options at our disposal. Basically, anything we can imagine is possible. We can go to the nearest city to search for loot or useful items – or we can stay in the rural outskirts and enjoy a supposedly quieter virtual life. If we encounter zombies, we can get rid of them using various methods, including the ever-popular melee combat. Otherwise, the creatures can also be attacked from ambush.
In this way, we gradually gather the resources we need and build our own small settlement where, hopefully, everyone is safe. Resource management also plays an important role, as we are constantly risking our lives for supplies. Alternatively, we can seize existing buildings and use them as a base, or we can simply go fishing and hunting.
PvE and PvP
But the infected aren’t our only problem. Typically, in an apocalyptic scenario, there are not only human settlements that simply want to survive and be left in peace, but also those who succumb to megalomania and want to make life hell for others even in these difficult times. We are, of course, referring to bandits, whose bases we can raid and take over ourselves if necessary.
The nice thing is that we don’t necessarily have to be alone in all the activities already mentioned. Instead, there is the option of roaming the game world with friends in co-op or online mode. Here, too, there is the option that not all players necessarily want to take a friendly approach, as there are both PvE and PvP modes with dedicated servers and proximity voice chat.
Performance issues
What is less appealing is the fact that, despite the long EA phase, there are still some areas that need improvement. The performance of HumanitZ in particular leaves a lot to be desired – but at least the developers have already announced that they will address this in subsequent patches. Unfortunately, that’s not the only issue, as the camera in particular has been the subject of repeated criticism, and not just from us. However, this is mainly due to the default settings, which can be adjusted in the options to make it much more pleasant.
Overall, however, the positive aspects of the game outweigh the negative ones, especially the possibilities it offers. The co-op/online mode in particular is a great way to have even more fun.
Conclusion
“HumanitZ is definitely not just another game in the zombie survival genre, but stands out from the crowd with its possibilities and overall gameplay. Knowing that you can basically do anything you can think of is super satisfying – especially since it mostly works. The co-op and online modes also feel well implemented and add a new level that you don’t get in solo mode. Unfortunately, there are still some performance issues and annoying bugs, but these will surely be fixed soon. Even at this stage, you can invest an hour or two in the game without it becoming tedious – and it’s currently on sale for around $11!“
- Story/Atmosphere: 80/100
- Game Design: 80/00
- Scope: 90/100
- Balance: 70/100
- Presentation: 80/100
The review key for the PC was kindly provided to us by StridePR.
