CrisisX: Inside the Survival Game's Huge, Brutal, Post-Apocalyptic World

CrisisX is an open-world survival crafting game set in the 1990s that pits you against infected hordes, thousands of human players and the stunning landscape of an unforgiving wilderness.

Arriving in 2026, CrisisX is a free-to-play, cross-platform PC and mobile experience where players can work together to achieve great communal projects or plot against each other to wage all out war.

Build, manage, and defend a homestead, as you learn to live off the land and venture deeper into the world around you, exploring an environment rich in wildlife and steeped in mystery during the aftermath of a devastating outbreak.

A Vibrant, Living Open-World

Featuring a huge 1,200km2 map, CrisisX supports up to 5,000 players on a single server, offering ample opportunity for both survival focused PvE and more intense PvP action.

Strike out alone and trek the untamed wilds, which sprawl across 12 varied terrains. Navigating lush forests, craggy peaks and raging rivers, you’ll perhaps stumble upon hidden outposts and secret labs as you search for loot and answers to the game’s many intriguing questions.

As you venture further, the journal system helps to keep track of narrative threads through notes and drawings, pointing to both personal stories and wider conspiracies.

“It’s a richly filled world, with varied activities,” says CrisisX producer, Chao Tong. “For players who don’t want to just follow the main storyline or prefer PvE, there’s plenty to explore, such as puzzles, treasure hunts, and more.”

Designated PvP zones offer high intensity competition between players at every level, from lone wolves to fully militarised groups. With higher risks comes richer rewards, and teaming up with fellow scavengers provides greater challenges and opportunities.

Choosing to settle in these zones offers these bold survivors a chance to test their mettle and forge their legend.

Survive No Matter What

Banding together with others in small, loosely connected groups or larger, structured communes increases the chances of survival against the elements.

Foraging for food and drink in the wild will meet your basic needs, while forays to abandoned cabins or into small towns offer the chance to find better loot with which to craft and trade.

Animal companions will help fend off aggressive infected and keep you company on long treks, but you’ll need to see to their needs as well as your own, providing sustenance to keep them healthy and medical care if they get injured.

The CrisisX team highlight that throughout the game, they’ve aimed to utilise survival elements to keep things grounded, without the resulting situations becoming overwhelming.

“We don’t aim to keep players constantly on edge or stressed. While realism is important to us, we want to reduce negative experiences and strike a clever balance between tension and comfort.”

Armed and Dangerous

Surviving and repelling the hordes of infected that roam the wilderness certainly ratchets up the tension. From goo-spewing shambling wretches to huge monstrous Titans, CrisisX is not afraid to throw waves of enemies your way.

Fortunately, there are many defensive options and firearms to scavenge, craft, and upgrade that you can use to fight back.

Those looking to move silently and channel their inner wilderness assassin can opt for recurve bows and hunting knives to help them move unseen through enemy territory.

Swarming hordes will force a more direct approach and that’s where RPGs, heavy artillery and even tanks come in, offering destructive and effective defence in a no holds barred fight to the death!

As realistic as CrisisX and its threats can get, players still benefit from robust game world mechanics.

“[CrisisX] is not Battle Royale or Extraction [in terms of format],” explains Tong. “Dying doesn’t mean losing everything… we also implement a resource drop protection system to maintain balance.”

Build, Defend, Survive and Thrive

From the humble beginnings of a solo cabin to an established settlement of connected buildings, in CrisisX you’ll learn first to survive and then to thrive.

You’re not just building a base or a homestead, though, you’re creating a community complete with livestock to tend, crops to harvest and workstations to maintain.

Gathering and refining materials allows for the creation of a host of utilities, from furnaces and chemical benches to clothing and weapon modification stations.

But what you can build, others can covet, and a well-established community makes for a far more visible and attractive target for raids than a small band of survivors.

Be prepared to defend what you’ve created, with walls, barricades and traps to keep out roaming infected and aggressive raiders alike.

“You can even make yourself a sports car or an SUV for cross-country driving. But don't be too flamboyant, there're always eyes watching you.”

You can keep your own eyes on CrisisX as it builds towards launch on PC and mobile in Q2 of 2026 by following and wishlisting on Steam, or checking out the game’s website at crisisx.hero.com