If you enjoy DayZ, you may want to check out The War Z

Move over DayZ, there's a new zombie MMO on the way. Arktos Entertainment Group and Hammerpoint Interactive, a new independent game studio, announced today The War Z, a session-based, MMO "inspired by all things zombie".

Set in a post-apocalyptic, zombie-infested world, players not only have to worry about the undead hordes, but other players as well.

A press statement released today reads:

In The War Z, players are thrust into a post-apocalyptic world five-years after a viral outbreak that ravaged the human population and left, in its wake, a nightmare of epic proportion.  Hordes of undead zombies infest the cities, and the few remaining human beings have devolved into a lawless, nomadic society where the sole objective is to survive at any cost.  Players must use skill and cunning in order to acquire food, weapons and other supplies necessary for survival.  While navigating the vast landscape, they will discover cities teeming with the undead as well as other players that may or may not be friendly.

Despite the similarities to DayZ, which recently surpassed 500K users, executive producer Sergey Titov said a zombie MMO plan existed last year, before the arrival of DayZ.

"When DayZ was released to the public, we were really excited to see another game that was akin to what we were working on," Titov told IGN. "We were like, 'Wow, that's cool, we're not the only ones making something like this.'"

"As we saw the popularity of DayZ grow, and how players and the community were reacting, we realized two things: first, there was validation that our idea of making a zombie MMO was actually right, and that there is a market/player base for it; and second, we decided to abandon the idea of unlocking parts of the map as you progress – rather, the player will be able to freely roam the world and gather information and quests by exploring notes, diaries, etc left behind by both real players and NPCs.

"So, short answer: while we began developing our game before DayZ, we've been encouraged by fact that DayZ has become so popular. And, yes, of course some of our latest design decisions were influenced by the DayZ community forums."

The War Z features an experience-based progression system where players gain points to spend on new survival skills. Currency will run on an in-game cash and gold system which can be used to buy supplies from safe-settlements located in the game.

It will feature a Normal mode which will allow for revival after a "cooldown period" and a Hardcore mode which will result in permanent death. Like DayZ there is both PvE and PvP.

The game is expected to release on PC in fall 2012. It is currently in its Alpha phase, with a closed beta planned for the "very near future". While there will be an upfront charge, there will be no monthly fees after that.