'The Walking Dead' will bring zombies into your home with this creepy new app
Some days it feels like we're living in a post-apocalyptic hellscape, and all that's missing are the zombies.
Luckily, if you've ever wanted to come face to face with an undead horde but can't make it to Universal Studios, AMC has just the thing: A new Walking Dead augmented reality app, which will bring the show's iconic walkers to life (un-life?) in your living room, grocery store or bedroom, if that's your thing.
It's like Pokémon Go, if the cuddly critters were trying to eat you.
Created in partnership with Mountain Dew, the new app, The Walking Dead Encounter, will allow fans to unlock and collect walkers in stores by scanning limited edition The Walking Dead Mountain Dew packaging, and by watching the show when it returns for its eighth season on Oct. 22.
Throughout Season 8, themed Mountain Dew commercials will run during The Walking Dead's Sunday airings, with a code that will allow viewers to unlock a new walker each week. You can collect a total of 20 walkers over the first half of the season, which should add an extra dimension to any Halloween or episode viewing parties you have planned.
The app comes pre-loaded with two walkers -- male and female -- which you can place into your real-world environment to snap photos or videos to share on social, or you can instruct the app to "scare me," which will hide a walker somewhere in your vicinity and ask you to look around your surroundings until it pops out at you. (Even when you know it's coming, it's pretty freaky.)
The Walking Dead Encounter app is available on both iOS and Android devices now. You should start seeing Mountain Dew's limited edition Walking Dead packaging in stores nationwide almost immediately, featuring Rick, Michonne and Daryl on all single serve 20oz. and 12oz. 12-pack outer cases of Mountain Dew, Diet Mountain Dew and Mountain Dew Pitch Black.
The Walking Dead Encounter isn't the show's only upcoming brush with AR -- the series is also getting a mobile game, The Walking Dead: Our World, that will seemingly allow fans to fight walkers, but a release date for the game has yet to be announced, whereas Encounter is available now.
The Walking Dead is celebrating its 100th episode with the Season 8 premiere, airing Oct. 22 at 9 p.m. on AMC.
