Phoenixx Inc. has announced THE FIRST ZOMBIE, an unusual take on the zombie apocalypse that turns the genre’s familiar premise upside down. Rather than fighting to survive an outbreak, players will be responsible for starting one, building an ever-growing army of undead as they attempt to transform Tokyo’s population into zombies. The game is scheduled to launch digitally worldwide for Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam in winter 2026.
THE FIRST ZOMBIE follows an ordinary young man who wakes up one day to discover that he has become a zombie. However, rather than seeing his transformation as a curse, he quickly realizes that his new undead body comes with some considerable advantages, including never getting tired. Convinced that becoming a zombie is something everyone should experience, he decides to spread the infection throughout Tokyo, believing that turning humanity into the undead is actually the best way to save the world.
Players will explore familiar Tokyo neighbourhoods, including Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Akihabara, recruiting unsuspecting residents into their growing zombie horde. Those who are infected won’t simply become additional members of the undead population, either, as newly recruited zombies can bring different abilities and skills to the group. Even animals can be turned, meaning that not even the city’s pets are safe from the protagonist’s unusual recruitment campaign.
Each neighbourhood also features a human boss who must be defeated before being converted into a zombie ally. These former adversaries can then join the horde and help take on the next area, giving players additional support as the outbreak spreads across the city. There will also be opportunities to customize the protagonist’s appearance through the Z-Shop, which offers various cosmetic items, some of which can provide stat boosts.
With its unusual premise and emphasis on building an increasingly large zombie army, THE FIRST ZOMBIE looks to offer a decidedly different perspective on the familiar undead apocalypse. Players won’t be trying to escape Tokyo’s zombie outbreak when the game arrives, but will instead be responsible for making sure nobody gets left behind.