The Walking Dead: Aftermath Officially Brings Back Multiple Fan-Favorite Characters

Published Sep 22, 2026, 1:30 AM EDT

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When I read the first issue of The Walking Dead and watched the first season, I had no idea it would still be going on over a decade later. Rick Grimes has long left the show (and come back for a spinoff along with Michonne), but there are so many more characters introduced after him, many of them have been around longer.The Walking Dead fans don't have to wait long for the next big project, either.In addition to Streets of Survival, Rick Grimes and a ton of his classic contemporaries are returning. If you've been missing them beyond the current spinoffs that focus on Daryl, Maggie, and Negan, there's plenty of The Walking Dead universe left to explore.

Classic Season 1 Characters Return

The Walking Dead: Aftermath is out now from Ares Interactive, reuniting a ton of old-school Walking Dead charactersfor a brand-new mobile game.

Here's the setup, which is very similar to the original run of the show: "Rick Grimes woke from a coma to find the world transformed. Cities abandoned. Families torn apart. The living forced to become something new just to survive. Step into the world of AMC’s The Walking Dead universe and begin your journey where it all started, in an action game shaped by the characters and stories fans know and love. Now it’s your turn. Begin your journey on the outskirts of Atlanta, where a fragile camp struggles to endure against the constant threat of the walkers. What starts as a desperate fight for survival quickly becomes something more. A test of leadership and who you are willing to become."

The team hasn't announced what's coming in October (beyond a tease for Maggie), but given the heavy Season 1-2 focus so far, it'll probably move slowly through iconic cast members (minus exceptions like Negan, who arrived later, to coincide with promotions for currently airing shows like Dead City).

A safeguard for purchases has also been made in the latest update: "A permanent option has been added to Settings that allows you to disable gem-purchase confirmation prompts. Players who prefer the added safeguard can keep confirmations enabled, while those who want quicker purchases can turn them off."

The Walking Dead: Aftermath Is Still Getting Updates

Over time, you'll explore new areas as you make your way across The Walking Dead universe, and pick up additional characters. The latest release is Hershel Greene (Maggie and Beth's father from earlier in the series), who is part of the September Battle Pass.

Rather than serving as a soldier, Hershel boosts your farm's food production, drawing on his background as a farmer (which was recently brought up in a "what if" episode of The Walking Dead: Dead City). Earlier this month, Negan made it into the game, with a Daryl giveaway preceding it, as well as a T-Dog bonus launch reward.

If you can deal with some high-pressure microtransactions, there's a lot to like about The Walking Dead: Aftermath. But they rear up just as the game gets good, which severely impacts progression, and can turn some people off the game entirely.