New free-to-play zombie FPS on Steam is based on Unreal Engine 5 and has 80% positive reviews

Steam just got a new free-to-play shooter that doesn’t try to pretend it’s a 40-hour epic. Operation: Outbreak is a short, self-contained FPS survival horror game, and the developer is unusually clear about what you’re downloading: a 10–20 minute experience built solo in a few weeks as a student exam project.

The premise is as simple as it gets, but in a good way. Your squad’s vehicle is destroyed during a patrol, you wake up as the only survivor, and a virus has turned the city into an undead mess. You play as "Nomad," trying to reach an extraction point while being guided over radio by a coordinator named "Sentinel." The catch is the route. The streets are dangerous, and the game pushes you toward dark, tight underground tunnels as a safer option.

Combat is designed around scarcity rather than a "power fantasy". You’re mainly working with a pistol, and the game places an increased focus on limited ammo, healing items, and even night vision, which turns basic decisions - when to shoot, when to move, when to run - into the main tension element of the game. It’s also built in Unreal Engine 5, and the developer has used a cinematic vibe with derelict buildings, and flickering lights.

One detail is worth flagging for readers: the Steam description explicitly mentions that AI was used for voice-over due to budget limits, and asks players to keep that in mind while reviewing. As of writing, Operation: Outbreak is free to play on Steam, released on December 20, 2025, and is sitting at a "Very Positive" with 80% of 81 user reviews marked positive. Compatibility-wise, Steam currently shows "Steam is learning about this game," which usually means Steam Deck/controller labels aren’t fully established yet on the store page.