The wait is over

7 Days to Die combines survival horror, crafting, and first-person shooter gameplay in an open world that is voxel-based, hidden by non-voxel graphics. This provides for a very unique experience that is hard to find anywhere else. On the PC, the game was originally released into alpha in the summer of 2013 for Kickstarter backers, and open alpha on Steam early access later that year. Console ports for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were released in 2016. Initial funding and support for the game was very successful, even placing it in the top 100 selling games on Steam in 2017. Due to consistent development over the years, 7 Days to Die has undergone many changes and additions - adding and improving mechanics, polishing the rough edges, and significantly expanding on the open world. A sizable community formed around the game early on, and has been thriving ever since.

Very few survival games have captivated players for as long as 7 Days to Die. It still holds a special place in my heart as I’ve broken the game so many times. I’ve also often jokingly called the game “7 Years of Alpha” as I’ve been playing since around 2014. I can finally put that joke to rest now that it’s finally leaving Early Access and has a road map to 1.0.

So what does this all mean? First of all, Console players are finally going to be able to experience the latest versions. It’s been almost 5 years since console players have received an update. The reason behind that is the company that was in charge of the port, TellTale, shut down at the end of 2018, which left all console players trapped in A17. If everything goes well, the launch for console players should be July 2024.

Previous owners of the game will be required to re-purchase the game to access the new update as they are unable to support the older hardware/software. The Fun Pimps (TFP) are currently working with Sony and Microsoft to offer those people heavy discounts. There are many things that we’re unsure about right now such as modding for consoles as well as Crossplay between PC and other platforms. Hopefully, we will hear more from TFP on that soon.

For PC players, not much will change other than getting a shiny new update. You’ll still be able to access older previous alpha versions, as well as any experimental update builds. They will still continue to add everything that they originally planned, such as weather, bandits, and finally a story. There will also be an increase to the game’s price once it’s officially released, so get it at a lower price if you haven’t already. Luckily, we don’t have to worry about a new skill overhaul again.

Either way, we at Akliz are excited about the changes and will continue to support our zed hunting friends. If you join our Discord server, you can join the community game night we’ll have when 7 Days to Die 1.0 releases. It’s going to be a big, fun, zombie-killing time!