Zone4
Zone4 is a free-to-play fighting MMO built around classic side-scrolling brawling, where chaining hits, timing dodges, and reading opponents matters more than complicated hotbars. With multiple combat classes, six playable characters, and a mix of co-op and competitive modes, it aims to capture that arcade beat-em-up feel while still offering the social structure of an online lobby game.
 | Publisher: Game & Game Playerbase: Shut Down Type: Fighting MMO Release Date: August 10, 2010 Shut Down: September 26, 2017 Pros: +Lots of distinct styles and class paths. +Satisfying old-school brawler combat. Cons: -Noticeable input delay at times. -Monetization can affect fairness. -Visuals show their age. |
Zone4 Overview
Zone4 (formerly known as Zone 4: Fight District) is a free-to-play beat-em-up fighting MMO where your effectiveness comes from positioning and combos rather than long cooldown rotations. It supports multiple fighting styles, including Muay Thai, Capoeira, Tae Kwon Do, and Judo, and encourages players to group up to push back against a roster of shady fighters who have turned the city’s once-famous combat scene into something corrupt and ruthless.
At its core, Zone4 plays like an arcade brawler in an online wrapper. You pick one of six playable characters, learn how their moves connect, then build them out with skills and gear that influence how they perform in both PvE and PvP. A persistent hub ties everything together, letting you queue into competitive arenas or jump into cooperative, story-oriented missions that support up to four players. Zone4 shut down on September 26, 2017.
Zone4 Key Features:
- Varied Fighting Styles – take on opponents with styles such as Muay Thai and Judo, with more than ten fighting styles available to study and refine.
- Character Customization – select from six distinct characters with different strengths, then tailor their look with cosmetics and accessories.
- Beat ‘Em Up Gameplay –lean into combo-focused, skill-driven brawling that feels closer to classic arcade fighters, similar in spirit to Dungeon Fighter Online.
- Variety of PvP Modes – compete across several PvP formats, including Team Deathmatch, Free-for-all, Item Mode, and large-scale 16v16 Turf Wars.
- Join a Club – find a regular group for coordination and community benefits, plus club vs. club Turf Wars with reward incentives.
Zone4 Screenshots
Zone4 Featured Video
Zone4 Review
Zone4 arrived at a time when lobby-based online brawlers were finding a clear audience, and OGPlanet had already built credibility in that space. Rather than simply copying the formula, Zone4 tries to widen the scope with instanced cooperative missions alongside its arena-focused PvP, while also leaning into recognizable martial arts styles to give characters clearer identities in combat. The result is a game that is approachable on the surface, but rewards players who put time into movement, spacing, and reliable combo routes.
A small download with a straightforward presentation
Zone4’s client size is modest (around 500 MB), which makes getting started easy. Visually, it is not a showcase title, but the stylized animation helps the action read clearly in motion, and it leans more grounded than the more overtly anime-styled brawlers of the era. You choose from six characters total, split evenly between male and female options, each with a distinct look and build. Character creation itself is fairly light, focusing on simple color selections for hair and clothing, plus a basic skin tone choice, but the broader cosmetic variety comes later through hairstyles, outfits, and accessories obtained in-game.
The more meaningful early decision is your combat track. Characters can be developed into either Street fighters (more focused on heavy, impact-oriented offense) or Rush fighters (built around holds and grapples). At level 10, those paths open up into specific disciplines: Street fighters can specialize into Tae Kwon Do, Boxing, or Muay Thai, while Rush fighters can move toward Wrestling, Judo, or Hapgido. Each server provides two free character slots, which makes it practical to test both approaches before committing more deeply, with extra slots available for players who want a larger roster.
Learning the controls and the rhythm
Zone4 includes a tutorial that is optional but genuinely useful, particularly because it teaches the game’s particular input timing while also granting early experience and zen (the in-game currency). It can also be revisited later if you need a refresher on mechanics. Movement and actions are handled entirely via keyboard controls, with arrow keys for navigation and a dash triggered by double-tapping a direction.
The combat toolkit is built around a few core actions: standard attacks (D), grabs (S), and a dodge (A). On top of that, special attacks mapped to Q, W, and E consume SP and are designed for different situations, whether you are trying to extend a combo, break pressure, or swing a team fight. The tutorial also covers multi-target interactions and basic teamwork concepts, which matter more than you might expect in a brawler where two players coordinating can delete an isolated target quickly. Items are a ruleset option in many modes, and the tutorial helps explain them, including the crates that spawn power-ups and the stage weapons that can be picked up even when item usage is disabled.
The final training step is a short sparring match against an AI opponent called “Speak Man,” and finishing the tutorial places a new character around level three, which helps smooth out the early progression.
District hubs and where the content lives
Instead of a single menu-driven interface, Zone4 uses multiple persistent districts with channels that players can freely move between. These hubs are where you access PvP rooms and the instanced cooperative missions known as “arcades.” The districts also contain the usual MMO convenience features, including merchants, storage, ranking boards, and various interactable objects.
For early leveling, the Hunting Zone (marked with a blue icon on the map) is a common destination. It functions as an open grind area filled with AI enemies, with fewer structured objectives than the arcade stages. It is efficient for experience and zen, but it can also encourage mindless button mashing if you let it. The better use of the Hunting Zone is as a sandbox to test directional inputs and learn how different strings connect, because mixing arrow inputs with attacks dramatically expands your move list. You can review available skills and moves from your room, accessible via F6 (or the on-screen UI shortcut).
Co-op “arcades” that can actually punish mistakes
When you want more directed PvE, arcade stages are the main attraction. You form a party and enter via teleport points on the map, with up to four players per run. While solo play is possible, it is noticeably harder than many comparable beat-em-up MMOs, especially early on, where enemies can overwhelm players who have not yet internalized dodge timing, spacing, and safe combo choices. Going in with a full party generally feels like the intended experience.
Each arcade area has its own theme, and early locations include familiar urban set pieces like parks, hotels, and city streets. Completing an area culminates in a boss fight and provides rewards. Progression feeds back into combat through new skills and upgrades purchased with zen, alongside cosmetic drops and purchasable outfits. While Zone4 includes a lot of stats under the hood, it avoids manual point allocation, handling the growth curve automatically so the focus stays on learning the fighting systems.
PvP is the real endgame
Even with PvE options available, Zone4’s identity is anchored in its lobby-based matches. Players can create or join rooms for 2 to 8 participants, choosing between deathmatch-style scoring and survival rulesets. Both can be configured as free-for-all or team-based, and the host can determine whether items, equipment, or neither are allowed. Those options matter because they can significantly change how fair or chaotic a match feels.
The controls are simple enough to understand quickly, but the skill gap shows up fast once you face experienced players who know how to punish whiffs, chain confirms, and coordinate in teams. Team play is popular, which can help new players learn with allies nearby, but it also means coordinated opponents can overwhelm a newcomer in seconds. Deathmatch at least keeps the pace moving with quick respawns, but matchmaking and level differences can still be an issue. Auto-balance options exist, yet they do not fully solve the problem of a higher-level player simply having better tools and stats than everyone else in the room.
Strong fundamentals, rough edges
Zone4 has a compelling base, but it also shows the friction typical of older online action games. User experience issues, awkward notifications, and uneven translations can interrupt the flow. The game’s emphasis on technique and teamwork is a genuine differentiator, but it can also make the learning curve feel harsher than more casual brawlers. PvE grinding, particularly in the Hunting Zone, can come across as repetitive in a genre where many players would rather fight real opponents than farm AI packs for hours.
Still, when the combat clicks, it is easy to see why Zone4 earned a niche following. It provides more structure than a pure arena fighter while keeping the action readable and mechanically focused.
Final Verdict: Good
Zone4 is a flexible fighting MMO that pairs combo-driven co-op stages with competitive brawler PvP. Whether you prefer clearing arcade missions with friends or testing your execution and teamwork in arena matches, the game rewards practice and knowledge. It is easy to start, but mastering movement, timing, and matchups is where the depth really lives.
Zone4 System Requirements
Minimum Requirements:
Operating System: Windows XP, Windows 7
CPU: Pentium 4 – 2.4GHz
Video Card: GeForce 5700 / Radeon 9600
RAM: 1 GB
Hard Disk Space: 3 GB
Recommended Requirements:
Operating System: Windows XP, Windows 7
CPU: Pentium 4 – 3.0GHz
Video Card: GeForce FX 6600 / Radeon X600
RAM: 2 GB
Hard Disk Space: 3 GB
Zone4 Music & Soundtrack
Coming Soon…
Zone4 Additional Information
Developer: OGPlanet
Publisher: OGPlanet, Playpark, Game & Game
Release Date (OGPlanet): August 10, 2010
Closure Date (OGPlanet): May 31, 2013
Steam Greenlight Date: June 21, 2016 to July 13, 2016
Closed Beta Date: November 10, 2016 to November 14, 2016
Release Date: November 20, 2016 (Steam)
Shut Down: September 26, 2017
Development History / Background:
Zone4 (also referenced as Zone 4: Fight District) was developed by OGPlanet and, over its lifetime, was handled by multiple publishers including OGPlanet, Playpark, and Game & Game. The OGPlanet release launched on August 10, 2010. OGPlanet was already associated with fighting-focused online titles like Rumble Fighter and Lost Saga, and Zone4 fit neatly into that portfolio with its martial arts themes and arena-first design.
OGPlanet later closed its service on May 31, 2013, citing that the game had reached its peak, while also indicating discussions with another publisher about bringing it back. Years later, the project resurfaced through Steam Greenlight, appearing on June 21, 2016 and receiving approval from the community on July 13, 2016. A Closed Beta followed from November 10, 2016 to November 14, 2016, leading into a Steam release on November 20, 2016.
Despite continued updates after arriving on Steam, Zone4 ultimately shut down on September 26, 2017 after it did not maintain a playerbase large enough to sustain ongoing operations.