Zombie MMO Persist Online Opens Next Playtest
- CipSoft has outlined changes to progression, crafting and enemy encounters in Persist Online.
- The next closed playtest is expected to begin this week.
- The zombie MMORPG is currently in pre-alpha and has not received an Early Access release date.
Development of Persist Online, the zombie/horror MMORPG in active development from CipSoft, continues with a new update focused on character progression. The studio has published three development blogs outlining changes to several of the game’s core systems following feedback from previous closed playtests.
The latest update revises item progression, Safehouse crafting, elite enemies and faction quests. According to the developer, the changes are intended to make progression more intuitive while giving players greater control over how they build their characters and equipment.
“Our main goal is to make character progression more intuitive, consistent, and ultimately more rewarding, while giving players greater control over how they develop their characters and gear,” the developers said.
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Persist Online Update Revises Progression and Gameplay Systems
Persist Online combines MMORPG progression with open-world zombie survival, which isn’t as common as you might think, even if what it does is familiar: Players can enter every building, collect resources, craft equipment and risk losing loot to both zombies and rival players. Rather than using traditional character classes, the game allows players to invest skill points across multiple skill trees to create different builds.
Announced in June 2024, it’s steadily been gaining players behind-the-scenes through playtests; lead product manager Benjamin Zuckerer said at the time that “A good multiplayer game can only be developed together with the community. That’s why we will be organising play tests repeatedly, even before Early Access.”
He’s stuck to his guns in the last two years, with the latest development blogs covering three areas built on player feedback: progression, faction quests, and combat encounters. Changes include revised item level requirements, adjustments to skill unlocks and updates to the Safehouse, where players craft and upgrade equipment.
Crafting and upgrading gear inside the Safehouse now requires fewer resources and less time. CipSoft also said the Safehouse interface will receive additional user experience improvements later this year. The update also changes how elite enemies appear throughout the open world. In addition to mutated variants, elite enemies can now spawn with elemental effects that allow them to create acid pools or inflict fire damage during combat.
Players can also accept new daily faction quests from NPC strongholds. According to CipSoft, the missions introduce additional objectives and rewards while encouraging players to explore more of the game’s post-apocalyptic world. The next closed playtest is expected to begin this week. Players can register on the official Persist Online website for a chance to participate.
CipSoft Builds on Decades of MMORPG Experience
CipSoft has been around for 25 years, with The Settlers Online being one of its biggest games. However, it’s Tibia that put CipSoft on the map way back in 1997 as one of the first true MMORPGs (it debuted the same year as Ultima Online). Nearly three decades later, Tibia continues to receive updates and remains one of the longest-running MMORPGs still in operation; its most recent update was in November 2025, when the game received a ton of new story content and an overhaul of its Hunting Task system.
Although the two games feature different settings, they share several design principles including long-term character progression, player-driven economies, and challenging gameplay. Persist Online replaces Tibia’s fantasy world with a modern post-apocalyptic setting centered on firearms, crafting and survival.
Zombie MMORPGs Remain Relatively Uncommon
While zombie survival games have become a well-established genre, comparatively few combine that setting with large-scale MMORPG systems. Most multiplayer zombie games instead focus on survival mechanics, persistent servers or cooperative gameplay.
Games such as Dead Frontier 2 incorporate persistent online progression, while DayZ, Project Zomboid and Once Human combine survival mechanics with online multiplayer, although they are not traditional MMORPGs. Perhaps the most recent example of something that could scratch that suspicious itch is the upcoming State of Decay 3, from Undead Labs, which promises an online co-op focus on rebuilding civilization during a zombie apocalypse.
Persist Online aims to combine persistent character progression, crafting, guild systems and PvP with an open world populated by zombies and mutated enemies. CipSoft has not announced when the game will enter Early Access, but it said community feedback continues to influence development.
