ZombsRoyale.io

{{Infobox video game

| title = ZombsRoyale.io

| image = ZombsRoyale.io_Cover_Art.jpg

| developer = {{hlist|End Game Interactive|Yang C. Liu}}

| platforms = {{plainlist|*Web browsers

Android
iOS}}

| released = March 14, 2018

| genre = {{hlist|Battle royale|.io game}}

| modes = Multiplayer

| publisher =

}}

ZombsRoyale.io is a battle royale game developed by End Game Interactive. It was released for web browsers in 2018, with iOS and Android ports later that year. A simplified take on the genre, game matches follow up to 100 players who must fight on a large map to be the last survivors. It uses simple 2D graphics and a top-down perspective. The game has amassed over 120,000,000 downloads and unique players across iOS, Android, Web Browser, and PC as of 2024.

ZombsRoyale.io was the fourth title by End Game, a Washington–based developer established the year before. Despite featuring no zombies, it was named so because it used the same engine as End Game's Zombs.io. The game was made to follow the recent trends of both battle royales such as Fortnite Battle Royale (2017) and .io games such as Agar.io (2015). It received little attention from journalists, but became the tenth most Googled video game in the U.S. that year and its popularity helped End Game raise over $3 million from investors.

File:Zombs_Gameplay.png

Gameplay

ZombsRoyale.io is a top-down battle royale game.{{Cite web |last=Morgan |first=Rachel |last2=Shore |first2=Matt |last3=Nelson |first3=Samantha |date=March 22, 2023 |title=Best battle royales for Android 2023 |url=https://www.androidcentral.com/best-battle-royales-android |access-date=June 17, 2024 |website=Android Central}} Like other .io games, it has simplified gameplay and 2D graphics.{{Cite web |last=Madnani |first=Mikhail |date=May 11, 2018 |title='ZombsRoyale.io' Is a 2D Top Down Battle Royale That Blends 'PUBG' and 'Fortnite, Available Now on iOS |url=https://toucharcade.com/2018/05/11/zombsroyaleio-fortnite-pubg-free-iphone-battle-royale/ |access-date=April 23, 2019 |website=TouchArcade |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Grubb |first=Jeff |date=February 28, 2020 |title=End Game Interactive raises $3 million to build expand on ZombsRoyale.io |url=https://venturebeat.com/2020/02/28/end-game-interactive-raises-3-million-to-build-expand-on-zombsroyale-io/ |access-date=February 19, 2021 |website=VentureBeat |language=en-US}} There are three game modes, Solo, Duo, or Squad, and limited time modes which rotate regularly. Like other battle royales, up to 100 players — some of which may be computer-controlled bots — are dropped into matches. Games are typically short, around five minutes long.{{Cite web |last=Toms |first=Ollie |date=May 1, 2019 |title=60 Zombs Royale tips - top tips on how to play ZombsRoyale.io like a pro |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/60-zombs-royale-tips-top-tips-on-how-to-play-zombsroyale-io-like-a-pro-2#loot |access-date=June 15, 2024 |website=Rock Paper Shotgun}}

Players parachute into the map out of a plane, where weapons, mostly various types of firearms, healing items, and ammo can be found in buildings and crates. A cloud of poisonous gas slowly closes in, limiting the play area and forcing players together. Depending on the game mode, the last player or team standing wins.{{Cite web |last=Hewitt |first=Marc |date=April 27, 2018 |title=Frantic multiplayer shooter Zombs Royale is part PUBG, part Hotline Miami |url=https://www.gamezebo.com/2018/04/27/frantic-multiplayer-shooter-zombs-royale-part-pubg-part-hotline-miami/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220131134043/https://www.gamezebo.com/2018/04/27/frantic-multiplayer-shooter-zombs-royale-part-pubg-part-hotline-miami/ |archive-date=January 31, 2022 |access-date= |website=Gamezebo |language=en-GB}}

The quality of weapons, which include sniper rifles, SMGs, tridents and grenades, are determined by their rarity.{{Cite web |last=Toms |first=Ollie |date=April 29, 2019 |title=Zombs Royale weapons guide - best guns, weapon stats, new XBow and XM8 weapons |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/zombs-royale-weapons-guide-best-guns-and-throwables-detailed-weapon-stats-and-strategies |access-date=June 17, 2024 |website=Rock Paper Shotgun}}

Background

End Game Interactive was founded in Bellevue, Washington, in 2017, by web developers Yang C. Liu and Luke Zbihlyj.{{Cite web |last=Ha |first=Anthony |date=February 28, 2020 |title=End Game, the startup behind Zombs Royale, raises $3M |url=https://techcrunch.com/2020/02/28/end-game-seed-funding/ |access-date=February 19, 2021 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Perez |first=Matt |date=February 28, 2020 |title=Scooter Braun, Makers Fund And Supercell Help Raise $3 Million For Creator Of Popular 'ZombsRoyale' Game |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattperez/2020/02/28/scooter-braun-makers-fund-and-supercell-help-raise-3-million-for-creator-of-popular-zombsroyale-game/ |url-access=limited |access-date=May 17, 2024 |website=Forbes}} The pair were best known for PokéVision, an unofficial website which tracked Pokémon in the 2016 AR game Pokémon Go. It had a userbase of 100 million within 7 days, around half the game's players, before the CEO of Pokémon Go developer Niantic asked it to be shut down a month after it started.{{Cite web |last=Turk |first=Victoria |date=August 6, 2016 |title=We Talked to the Creator of PokéVision About Losing 50 Million Users Overnight |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/we-talked-to-the-creator-of-pokevision-about-losing-50-million-users-overnight/ |access-date=June 17, 2024 |website=Vice}}

The viral success of Agar.io (2015) and Slither.io (2016) led to a new genre of browser game. .io games are defined loosely by their domain name, simplicity, and massively multiplayer elements. The genre's mechanics pit players against each other and have a "low-commitment, die-and-retry" gameplay loop. End Game Interactive decided to start making .io games, but their first effort, the shooter LASERSHARKS.io, was not successful. They then made Zombs.io, a tower defense and base building game and one of the first .io games with a persistent world. A week later, they made Spinz.io, a fidget spinner version of Agar.io, in a second attempt to make a viral streamer-friendly game after LASERSHARKS.io.{{Cite web |last=Castello |first=Jay |date=February 22, 2018 |title=The rise and rise of .io games |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-rise-and-rise-of-io-games |access-date=June 17, 2024 |website=Rock Paper Shotgun}} The YouTubers PewDiePie and Jacksepticeye made videos playing it.{{Cite web |last=Sheehan |first=Gavin |date=June 27, 2017 |title=Someone Made A Fidget Spinner Verision Of Agar.io … Why?! |url=https://bleedingcool.com/games/someone-made-fidget-spinner-verision-agar-io/ |access-date=June 17, 2024 |website=Bleeding Cool}}

Development

End Game Interactive's small team of around 3,{{Cite web |title=End Game Interactive |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/end-game-interactive/ |access-date=June 17, 2024 |website=Forbes}} led by CEO Liu, spent four weeks developing ZombsRoyale.io and the rest of 2018 maintaining and expanding it. It was released for web browsers in early 2018, while a PC client came out sometime later. iOS and Android ports were released in May.

Although there are no zombies in the game, the game was named ZombsRoyale.io because it used the same engine as End Game's Zombs.io.{{Cite web |last=Tarason |first=Dominic |date=March 16, 2018 |title=Who needs 3D? ZombsRoyale.io boils down Battle Royale |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/16/who-needs-3d-zombsroyale-io-boils-down-battle-royale/ |access-date=April 23, 2019 |website=Rock Paper Shotgun |language=en-US}} Like how Spinz.io was made to capitalize on a recent fidget spinner trend, ZombsRoyale.io was inspired by the rise of battle royale games such as PUBG: Battlegrounds (2017) and Fortnite Battle Royale (2018).{{Cite web |last=Allan |first=Darren |date=March 20, 2019 |title=Well-known battlegrounds: the rise of battle royale games |url=https://www.techradar.com/news/well-known-battlegrounds-the-rise-of-battle-royale-games |access-date=June 17, 2024 |website=TechRadar}} Liu did the art for both Spinz.io and ZombsRoyale.io.

ZombsRoyale Events

The ZombsRoyale community has long thrived on a diverse range of events, providing players with numerous opportunities each week to engage in competitive play and social interaction. Various event servers have become central to the community, each offering its own style and schedule:

=== [https://discord.gg/TpCMKYuN2y ZCC (Zombs Clan Central)] ===

ZCC was the first major event server established for ZombsRoyale and quickly set the standard for organized play. Initiated by NASA, it became the hub for regular events and tournaments. However, since 2022, ZCC has ceased running events consistently.

=== [https://discord.com/invite/98T6NeC4vQ ZFT (Zombs Fight-Fi Tournaments)] ===

Originally operated entirely by Fight-Fi, ZFT focused on hosting competitive events and tournaments for ZombsRoyale. Up until 2021, Fight-Fi managed the server, but it later split off into an independent branch as Fight-Fi ceased to exist as a standalone entity. Today, ZFT remains a cornerstone of the event scene by hosting multiple weekly events and occasional tournaments.

=== [https://discord.gg/3zqHG9zv ZRE (ZombsRoyale Events)] ===

Managed by MrJAwesome—who also runs a well-known Coding Lounge on Discord—ZRE is dedicated to providing frequent events throughout the week. This server is a major contributor to the game’s competitive environment, offering diverse formats that keep players actively engaged.

=== [https://discord.gg/2HGefhZqmR Endzone] ===

Created by Twitch Partner Streamer Brulph, Endzone currently organizes one event per week in collaboration with ZFT. This partnership blends the competitive edge of ZFT with Endzone’s unique community-driven approach.

Together, these event servers have been pivotal in sustaining ZombsRoyale's dynamic and engaged community, each offering its own flavor of competitive play and collaboration.

Reception

In 2018, ZombsRoyale.io was the tenth most Googled video game in the U.S., the only non–AAA game in the top ten. It received little coverage from game journalists,{{Cite web |last=Bailey |first=Dustin |date=January 3, 2019 |title=Google’s top ten most-searched games of 2018 run from Fortnite to Zombs Royale |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/most-searched-games-on-google |access-date=June 17, 2024 |website=PCGamesN}} but amassed 45 million players by 2020.

Rock Paper Shotgun's Ollie Toms, an avid player of battle royales, appreciated the top-down perspective, which he thought gave all players an equal footing and prevented third-partying, the practice of sneaking up on two players already fighting. Because of this, he found it more enjoyable than other battle royales. Coupled with the short rounds, Toms felt ZombsRoyale.io was "Less satisfying than winning a 45-minute PUBG match, for sure - but also far, far less frustrating."{{Cite web |last=Toms |first=Ollie |date=December 3, 2019 |title=Have you played… ZombsRoyale.io? |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/12/03/have-you-played-zombsroyale-io/ |access-date=May 22, 2020 |website=Rock Paper Shotgun |language=en}} From the same publication, Dominic Tarason said ZombsRoyale.io was "simple enough to pick up and play despite containing just about everything you'd expect from a modern Battle Royale shooter." Because of the top-down graphics, Tarason said the "focus [was] on clever positioning rather than run-and-gun action." A TouchArcade writer described it as "a very interesting blend" of Fortnite and PUBG, but with a 2D top-down view, while Gamezebo said it was "part PUBG, part Hotline Miami".

In 2020, End Game Interactive raised $3 million in seed funding from investors such as Supercell, Scooter Braun, Unity founder David Helgason, and Twitch founder Kevin Lin. In 2021, Liu was the cover page honoree of the Forbes 30 Under 30 in Games.{{Cite web |last=Perez |first=Matt |last2=Cai |first2=Kenrick |date=2021 |title=Forbes 30 Under 30 2021: Games |url=https://www.forbes.com/30-under-30/2021/games/ |access-date=June 17, 2024 |website=Forbes}}