H1Z1 Officially Leaves Early Access, Gets Chaotic Auto Royale Mode

02/28/2018 09:00 am EST

With Battle Royale games getting a lot of attention as of late, particularly PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and Fortnite, it never hurts to add one more really good one onto the pile, does it? And, boy, is H1Z1 ready for the big time.

Daybreak Games have revealed today that the game has officially left Early Access, meaning that the full H1Z1 experience is ready to go on Steam!

The studio announced today that H1Z1 has officially launched – and, for that matter, it's gotten a pretty massive update to celebrate, one that introduces a fun new mode that will put players behind the wheel for some chaotic driving action. Prepare…for Auto Royale!

"In 2016, we did something unheard of -- we split a successful game into two products and introduced the world to the first standalone battle royale game. The next year, we created the first battle royale esports league and became the second esport to ever air on broadcast television. This year, we continue to push this young genre forward with the introduction of Auto Royale," said H1Z1 General Manager Anthony Castoro. "Auto Royale doesn't rinse and repeat what is currently available on the market, it turns the genre on its head with a fresh approach -- arcadey, vehicle-only battle royale unlike anything anyone has experienced before."

The game features up to 30 teams of four in a battle to be the last vehicle standing – not unlike those classic Twisted Metal games. Players will track down power-ups, weapons and more throughout the map, as they attempt to survive the opposition and be the last team standing. The mode will see two vehicles to start – a sedan and an armored recon vehicle – though more could be added down the line.

Here's the full breakdown of what players can expect from the mode:

• Two New Vehicles: Players can choose from two vehicles in Auto Royale – Sedan or ARV – both new to the game and only available in Auto Royale.
  • Sedan: Nimble car with faster acceleration and higher jump clearance, allowing skilled drivers to quickly evade enemies.
  • Armored Recon Vehicle (ARV): Offers more stability, making it easier to drive for new players, but has less turbo fuel efficiency.
• New Weapons: The Light Machine Gun (LMG), available only in Auto Royale, deals the most sustained damage of any gun in the game.
• New Power Ups: Players pick up evasive, defensive and combat drops to throw opponents off their trail, heal themselves, or deal damage to enemy vehicles.
  • Defensive drops include vehicle repair kits, environmental buffs, fire extinguishers, and vehicle armor.
  • Evasive power ups include smoke screens, high-octane fuel, turbo boosts, and oil slicks.
  • Combative pick-ups include land mines and corrosive smoke.

On top of that, here are the launch features also being introduced with the launch today:

• Tactical Deployment: Players can choose which area to parachute into at the start of a match using a heat map that shows locations of where other players spawn.
• Airdrop Revamp: The airdrop system has been refined to add more points of contention, increasing the drop frequency and item value.
• Season 1: The official first in-game Season for H1Z1 starts with an all-new scoring algorithm designed to reward consistency and aggression, not just a player's 10 best placements.
• Mini Map: Players now have the option to turn on a mini map to help the navigate the world.
• Founder's Item: All players who bought H1Z1 during Early Access will receive a special in-game shirt.

More features are expected to be announced shortly.

H1Z1 is available for purchase for $19.99, and can be found on Steam now. Check out the trailer above to see Auto Royale in action!

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