Crytek’s Warface is still running. I know, that comes as a shock to me, too. The last we heard about the game is that it was receiving a Battle Royale mode for PC and Xbox One back in September. Well, as a Christmas present for PC gamers, Crytek announced that the “Hydra” update is available right now for free, and it adds a new player-vs-environment horde mode to the game.

I thought the game had died some time ago, but apparently not. Crytek has been quietly rolling out new updates for the title over the years, including the new Hydra update that allows up to three players to join a squad and then attempt to fight against AI opponents. While there’s obviously a Captain America joke just waiting to rear its head, for the most part the new mode itself takes itself quite seriously.

Like most other Horde Mode concepts, you’ll receive rewards for repelling enemy waves. However, the big difference here is that the better rewards are reaped by completing higher numbered waves. So the longer you and your teammates last, the more you have to gain.

You can get a glimpse at the gameplay for the Hydra Special Operations mode with the trailer below.

This Christmas-style update plays out very much like a typical Call of Duty Zombies Mode.

The enemy waves consists of the undead swarming your position as you attempt to make contact with the terminal. The longer you hold out, the more the stage expands.

It’s not a bad concept and it looks like it could be fun, but boy oh boy is it a tired concept.

The stages looks rather small and as if most of the areas will take place up top on the upper deck, and it doesn’t look like there’s much in the way of slow-burn tension like some of the custom maps for Call of Duty, so if you’re into a more measured and slower pace zombie experience, I doubt you’ll find it here.

But then again, it’s a free update and it doesn’t take anything away from the game. So if you’re playing the game on PC and the Battle Royale mode didn’t do anything for you, you can always grab a couple of friends and try your hand at the new Hydra co-op mode.

To learn more about Warfare or to get your hands on a copy of the client, feel free to visit the official Warface website.