While the base game's story missions follow survivors escaping cities like New York and Moscow, is set on a massive new map in Tokyo, Japan .

: To survive these narrative climaxes, you must gather enough supplies to trigger cinematic "Enhanced Defenses." Depending on your location, this results in missile strikes in the restaurant, jet fighter air support over the riverside, or massive gas explosions at the construction site. Global Context: Arizona and Rome

The "XL" designation refers to a unique narrative and gameplay event: the .

While Tokyo is the flagship XL map, the story of global resistance continues in other Horde XL locations like and Arizona . These maps follow the same theme: survivors must build, repair, and hold "White Zones" (overrun areas) to protect the last remaining human enclaves.

: You and three other survivors are tasked with protecting a civilian camp located inside a sprawling shopping mall .

: A high-ground defense where you can rain down fire on approaching swarms.

The story of the defense is told across three distinct sectors of the mall, each representing a "frontline" that must be held simultaneously: