An MMO game referred to as a "survival sandbox" by its creators, Daybreak Game Company. H1Z1 takes place in an alternate world, 15 years after the discovery of the titular virus that caused a world-wide zombie epidemic. The few survivors fight for their lives, struggling against zombies, wild animals, and other surviving factions. During the game, players get the chance to build a shelter or even entire cities somewhere in the United States. An extensive crafting system also makes it possible to craft useful items from procured raw materials. On the technical side, H1Z1 uses a modernized version of the Forgelight engine which was previously used in Planetside 2 and EverQuest Next among others. The game uses the free-to-play model with micropayments for some additional features.