World War Z: Aftermath’s new Extinction Challenge Mode wants you to die

Despite developer Saber Interactive being hard at work making Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 as good as it possibly can be, it’s managed to cook up a ferocious new game mode for World War Z: Aftermath. The new mode sounds like a tonne of fun, but only for those players ready to take on an impossible challenge.

Saber Interactive has been pretty busy over the last couple of months with the final prep and then the launch of Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2. On September 24, 2024, it’s releasing a new game mode, Extinction Challenge Mode, for World War Z: Aftermath. This is the ultimate challenge for players, requiring skill, determination, and knowledge of every system just to have a chance at making it through a few checkpoints.

This new mode isn’t built to be fun, it’s made to push you

Exctinction Challenge Mode for World War Z: Aftermath makes all zombies more aggressive and harder to kill as a baseline. There’s usually a group of pretty docile or dormant zombies in each stage, regardless of difficulty. I imagine those are now gone, and needing to reload is going to be a bigger problem than it normally is with tougher and crazier hordes of undead throwing themselves your way.

The real run killer of this mode is that you’re now dead after just one incapacitation. Usually, you can be revived at a few points throughout a level, but now it’s only possible to respawn at checkpoints. Death is going to be more frequent because the mode also makes it harder to distinguish allies from enemies among the throng of bodies that’s always around you.

I adore World War Z: Aftermath. I love the progression systems it has, and every mission on every difficulty feels just right. Seeing Saber Interactive continue to support it because of its players gives me hope that I’ll be playing both it and Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 for years to come, because the developer’s latest game has a similar progression path for you to follow.

Saber Interactive initially released World War Z in 2019 before launching a current-gen version, World War Z: Aftermath, in 2021. It’s been supporting the game ever since with a regular flow of content updates for both in-game skins, Twitch Drops, and much more. It’s had a pretty stable fan base since launch thanks to receiving new features that feel as good as Helldivers 2‘s 60-day update, but without the low points.

The Extinction Challenge Mode is just the latest example of what this developer is capable of when it’s allowed to listen to a community and act on the feedback it provides. I can’t say I’m excited about the prospect of dying over and over in this game mode, but I’m so happy that there’s still fresh experiences to be had in one of my favorite games.