Gray Zone Warfare is about to transform when the next big update for the game hits the year-old platform. In April 2024, Gray Zone was released to a solid reception, and it proceeded to evolve over the next twelve months, with MADFINGER Games packing in updates and leaning on the community for constant feedback and contributions.
When Gray Zone Warfare was released, MADFINGER was quick to point out that it wasn’t an extraction shooter, despite having similar mechanics to the typical games in the genre. Later, the team pivoted, stressing it was now happy to brand GZW an extraction shooter.
The most recent changes are enough of an overhaul for things to have evolved yet again – Gray Zone Warfare is not an extraction shooter.
‘You’re Living In This World’
I’m a huge fan of Gray Zone Warfare and what the game stands for. It’s pushing the envelope in many verticals, constantly stretching for more realism, better visuals, a more immersive gameplay loop, and genuine innovation in the first-person shooter space.
The core gameplay loop revolves around kitting up at your home base, jumping onto a Little Bird chopper, flying to a designated LZ somewhere in the massive, open-world environment of Lamang, and then fighting, questing, looting, and surviving, before heading back to base (hopefully).
It’s a PvPvE title, and in the latest statement from MADFINGER Games’ PR Director, Rick Lagnese, it’s officially categorised as a tactical MMOFPS.
You’re not heading back to base nearly as often. Tasks can be turned in from the field. Your time is spent moving from COP to COP, POI to POI. The world encourages staying out longer, discovering more, encountering more PvP—and staying immersed.
You’re not jumping in and out of isolated raids. You’re living in this world. It’s a tactical MMOFPS. It’s persistent. It’s dangerous. It’s accessible—whether you’re new or a seasoned vet.
It might look like an extraction shooter on the surface, but it’s something different. Something of its own. That’s what makes it special.
The Winds of War update that’s coming soon to Gray Zone Warfare introduces critical mechanics that allow players to stay out in the field for longer, exploring the enormous open world, engaging in skirmishes, and seeking out high-quality loot. It’s still dangerous, and a single shot can mean losing everything you have, but that’s the nature of the game.
#GrayZoneWarfare Isn’t An Extraction Shooter 1️⃣Back in Update 0.1, we said Gray Zone Warfare wasn’t an extraction shooter. Why? Because you don’t leave the map—you’re in a persistent world. No time limits, no raid timers, no vendor screens in a separate menu. You load into
It’s official – Gray Zone Warfare is not an extraction shooter. You heard it first from Mr. Lagnese.
Further to the above, Rick provided Insider Gaming with a fresh quote, suggesting that, at the end of the day, MADFINGER Games isn’t trying to fit Gray Zone Warfare into a clear-cut box:
We’re not trying to fit into a genre—we’re building something alive. Gray Zone Warfare isn’t about completing isolated objectives. It’s about surviving, adapting, and staying embedded in a living, breathing world.
Are you looking forward to the Winds of War update in Gray Zone Warfare? Let me know on the Insider Gaming forum.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that Bungie has responded to the Marathon plagiarism claims
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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