Project Zomboid

Build 42.22.2 reached the Stable branch on November 9, 2026. The update brought ladders, crowbar entry, and changes to everyday survival actions alongside multiplayer fixes.

• Movement and entry: Survivors can climb ladders and force locked doors or windows with a crowbar.
• Survival actions: Players can refill lighters with gasoline and perform more actions while walking, including opening ammunition boxes and changing batteries. A Bad Smell moodle can prevent sleep.
• Multiplayer and animals: The patch addressed duplicated characters and moved PvP damage calculations to the server. It also fixed trailer desynchronization and several cases of animals dying or disappearing.
• Save conversion: The game creates a backup when converting an existing unmodded save. A temporary 42.21 branch is available for players who need it.

Build 42.20 reached the stable branch on July 29, 2026, following an extended unstable period. Multiplayer stress testing and updates to occupations, game modes and weapons also shaped the year.

• Map expansion: Build 42 expanded Knox Country with Brandenburg, Ekron and Irvington, new buildings and reworked existing locations.
• Modes and challenges: The game-mode refresh introduced Apocalypse, Outbreak, Extinction and Rising, with revised sandbox defaults and new challenges.
• Multiplayer: Unstable Build 42.13 began multiplayer stress testing, followed by server, chunk-loading, zombie-culling and anti-cheat improvements.
• Characters: Occupation and trait balance passes changed starting skills and costs, added Tinkerer and Target Shooter, and revised tailoring progression.
• Survival toolkit: New firearms and skill VHS tapes expanded the available tools, while controller remapping and firearm aiming improved gamepad support.
• Build 42.22 pre-release: The optional test branch received the 42.22 update in October. A November 6 hotfix corrected Windows integrity checks that could incorrectly display as attached.

Build 42 Unstable became available for player testing on December 17, 2024, bringing Project Zomboid’s largest systems update in this span. Its standout addition was Animal Husbandry Features, while later branch updates expanded ragdoll physics, crafting research, and procedural zombie distribution.

• Animal survival: Build 42 substantially expanded wildlife and animal care.
  • Animal Husbandry Features added deer, rabbits, tracking, and care mechanics.
  • Deer Migration and Tracking System gave deer migration paths and left tracks for players with tracking skills.
  • Wild Turkeys and Raccoons joined the world; raccoons could be caught alive, although fence-climbing issues remained.
• Crafting progression: Reverse Engineering Recipes System introduced research-based recipe discovery, while New Crafting Recipes Added expanded blacksmithing and tailoring. Research Progression for Metal Armor, crafted hide clothing, spiked motorcycle helmets, football shoulderpads, and the Crafty trait added more reasons to develop crafting skills.
• Zombie and world simulation: Automatic Zombie Spawn Map Generation began generating spawn maps with noise levels for more varied distributions. Rebalanced Zombie Spawns made encounters slower and more tactical, while New Biomes, improved lake and river areas, new lighting, and additional map locations broadened exploration.
• Combat and physics: Ragdoll Physics affected vehicle collisions and gunplay, with later improvements making explosives interact more forcefully and ragdolled zombies non-solid. Combat Mechanics also introduced muscle strain from fighting, while Significantly reduced jamming rates and revised point-blank hit calculations made firearms more forgiving.
• Sandbox and player tools: 90 minute days option in sandbox settings became the new Apocalypse default without changing existing saves. Player Customisation Screen, CraftLogic UI, street names, expanded map controls, and extended item-placement gizmos improved character setup and world management.

Build 42 development continued with previews of crafting and a revised biome system for foraging. The June 2024 material described internal testing and planned work, rather than a public release.

• Foraging: The proposed biome system aimed to make foraging areas more varied and consistent with their surroundings.
• Crafting: Previewed disciplines included blacksmithing, pottery and metal smelting as part of a broader crafting expansion.
• Internal testing: The developer’s June update described an internal test build and work still to be completed.
• Public availability: Build 42 Unstable entered public testing on December 17, 2024, after this anniversary window.
• Interpretation: These previews show the direction of development during the year; they do not establish that the features were already delivered to players.

The developers previewed Build 42 crafting during this window, describing work on deeper crafting trees and post-apocalypse professions. These features were in development rather than a shipped overhaul.

• Crafting direction: The March 2023 development update discussed merging crafting work into Build 42.
• Professions: Brewer and Blacksmith were among the planned disciplines, with ideas for producing drinks and working metal.
• Materials: Pottery and stoneworking were presented as ways to broaden the proposed crafting trees.
• World building: Development material also showed new buildings, including a 32-floor skyscraper.
• Release context: Public Build 42 Unstable did not arrive until December 2024, outside this period.

Build 41’s multiplayer beta launched on December 16, 2021, delivering a sweeping animation, combat, movement, sound, and multiplayer overhaul. Louisville joined the map days later with the In-game Map System, giving returning survivors a larger and more navigable Knox County.

• Louisville and exploration: New City: Louisville added a huge urban area; Louisville Map Split into Nine Maps and New Loot Maps for Louisville made districts and survivor caches discoverable, while Kingsmouth and Studio became challenge maps.
• Build 41 survival overhaul: The New Rendering Pipeline and New Light Propagation System shipped, improving scene construction and light leakage through doors and windows.
  • Massive Animation and Character Overhaul made clothing and equipment visible and combat smoother.
  • New Movement Systems added sneaking, sprinting, climbing, fence-jumping, and more.
  • New Injury System made wounds visibly hinder movement and combat.
• Multiplayer foundation: Server-side Saving put multiplayer saves in a server database, and Supported Player Count rose to 32.
  • New Multiplayer System overhauled player and zombie movement for smoother, lower-latency sessions.
  • Server-Side Character Creation moved character generation to the server.
  • Refactor of MP Codebase moved inventories server-side to curb cheating.
• Build 42 preview—not a release: Build 42 work was discussed, tested, or announced, but these features did not ship here.
  • New Crafting System in Build 42 and Introduction of Fluid Containers were previewed as future skill- and mixture-based systems.
  • Introduction of Farm Animals and Animal Breeding Mechanics remained development work.
  • NPC Development Team Formation was announced; NPCs themselves remained planned for future builds.
  • New Basement Feature in Build 42 and Next Map Expansion Details described future map work.
• Late-window content and modding: New Zed Story Events introduced costumed zombies and themed scenarios; Release of 1500 Building Assets for Mappers expanded community map-making.

Builds 41.50 and 41.51 advanced the public IWBUMS beta with inventory shortcuts, farming improvements and survival balance changes. The 41.51 save-system upgrade broke compatibility with 41.50 saves, for which the developers retained a separate beta branch.

• Inventory: Double-click actions could equip weapons and clothing or consume food, reducing repeated menu navigation.
• Farming: A new cursor allowed players to sow, water or harvest multiple plants in succession.
• Survival balance: Fuel stations no longer had unlimited supplies, with a sandbox setting controlling initial fuel.
• Zombie behavior: Zombies could attack destructible obstacles when no other path was available; excess zombies also gained animated silhouettes in 41.50.
• Save compatibility: Existing 41.50 saves could continue on the separate 41.50 beta branch rather than being opened in 41.51.

Build 41.40 extended Project Zomboid's public IWBUMS beta in July 2020 with practical survival and inventory changes. This was an opt-in beta update rather than a stable Build 41 release.

• Jewelry: Survivors could wear necklaces, earrings and rings, while zombies could carry bracelets, watches and dog tags.
• Water supply: Water dispensers became refillable, adding another way to manage stored water.
• Item weight: Drainable items changed weight with their remaining contents, making inventory burden reflect how full they were.
• Follow-up: A subsequent hotfix addressed an issue with shoving while a knife-like weapon was equipped.

The October 16 overhaul delivered Project Zomboid’s biggest content beat: the Film Set and Kingsmouth Vacation Island challenge maps, a rebuilt survivor-combat model, and more reactive zombie behavior. Improved gunplay and server-side multiplayer saving also arrived, although the extensive changes made existing savegames incompatible.

• Challenge maps: Film Set and Kingsmouth Vacation Island expanded the game’s standalone scenarios, while new clothing options, visible backpacks, 3D store mannequins, working washing machines, and dryers added more environmental detail.
• Survivor and zombie systems: The Blood system, Clothing Protection system, and new Injury system made wounds, blood loss, damaged clothing, and movement penalties more consequential. Survivors gained sitting, sneaking, sprinting, jogging, climbing, fence-jumping, and other abilities; zombies could feast on corpses, collapse over fences, lean against walls, appear as environment-specific types, and populate Zombie Death Scenes.
• Combat and progression: Improved gunplay added new weapons, aiming outlines, better racking and reloading, and more gun loot. The Survivor gameplay balance made hordes deadlier by allowing players to be dragged down and eaten, while the New loot balance system placed items in more expected containers and separated valuable loot from filler items.
• World and atmosphere: Survivor Zeds began spawning with rucksacks, survival supplies, and annotated maps, and the Kentucky-themed Soundtrack added 36 tracks totaling more than two and a half hours. Zoned zombie outfits, including police and firefighter variants, gave locations more visual and narrative identity.
• Multiplayer and legacy support: Server-side saving for MP moved multiplayer saves into a server database, alongside networking and configurable zombie-data improvements. The PZ Classic Steam beta branch preserved access to old saves and favorite mods, but the main game’s extensive changes made existing savegames incompatible.

Vehicles arrived with real physics, nine models, and a new way to explore Kentucky. The Simulated Weather and Climate System followed with year-round fronts, storms, fog, mist, wind, and temperature-driven survival changes.

• Vehicles: The Introduction of Vehicles added drivable cars, police sedans, and Spiffo restaurant vans, alongside vehicle-specific survival and multiplayer systems.
  • Mechanic Profession: Added a dedicated profession, traits, skill books, repair requirements, and vehicle-part work.
  • Dash Ranger and Mercia Lang 400: Expanded the vehicle roster with a jeep-style utility vehicle and a luxury sedan.
  • Car Battery Charger: Let survivors recharge batteries near electricity, while External Generators broadened off-grid power options.
  • MP Players Can Now Be Damaged by Cars: Made driving more dangerous in multiplayer, with drunk driving also affecting vehicle control.
• Simulated Weather and Climate System: Added 365-day weather patterns, warm and cold fronts, storms, fog, mist, simulated wind speeds, and more realistic rain and snow.
  • Thermal Expansion: Connected body temperature to clothing, wetness, health, hunger, thirst, and exercise.
  • Winter is Coming: Linked the game mode to the climate system, including a blizzard after three preparation days.
  • A Storm is Coming and The Mist Descends: Added weather-focused scenarios built around the new environmental hazards.
• Vehicle Build map expansion: Filled in travel gaps with countryside, farms, smaller settlements, farmsteads, campsites, and new foraging areas between major towns, giving vehicles more worthwhile routes and destinations.
• Temperature and survival systems: The Revamped Temperature and Resistance System made clothing insulation, wetness, exertion, and moodles more consequential, while rare insulated clothing types expanded cold-weather preparation.
• Multiplayer and modding tools: The New MP Chatbox added separate chat streams and customizable commands; the Sandbox Options Editor let server admins change settings without restarting; and the Object Conversion System and exposed vehicle code gave mappers and modders more ways to create functional objects and new cars.

Build 38’s Riverside expansion landed in the IWBUMS public beta, opening Riverside, Knox Heights Country Club, the Spa and Golf Course, and surrounding wilderness. Vehicles Tech Test also became available for public testing, growing into the game’s biggest new gameplay system as driving, repairs, and vehicle survival mechanics arrived.

• Build 38 — Riverside and Corpse Management: The beta substantially expanded both the world and its survival rules.

  • Riverside Map Expansion: Added Riverside, Knox Heights Country Club, the Spa and Golf Course, new wilderness, spawn points, and a lootable map.
  • Corpse Management: Added graves, multi-corpse burial, grave markers, and sickness risks from unmanaged body piles.
  • World View Update: Improved building visibility and window interaction.
  • New Sandbox Options: Added controls for generator spawns, zombie behavior, construction damage, and corpse effects.

• Vehicles Tech Test and Vehicle Build 21: Playable vehicles moved from closed development into public testing.

  • Vehicles Tech Test: Released an early drivable-vehicle build for player feedback.
  • Vehicle Build 19: Added individual car attributes and improved vehicle spawning.
  • Vehicle Build 21: Released the first vehicle feature set built by EasyPickins, followed by modern cars, SUVs, taxis, and smaller cars.
  • Gas Consumption System Overhaul: Made fuel use depend on vehicle mass, engine quality, gear, and speed; the Vehicle Mechanics UI also exposed parts and repairs.

• In-Game Maps System: Navigation and exploration gained several substantial tools.

  • In-Game Maps Implementation: Added usable maps with notes, symbols, and safehouse markings.
  • Annotated Maps with Stashes: Introduced survivor maps leading to hidden weapon caches, safehouses, and other supplies.
  • Pre-annotated Survivor Maps: Added marked maps for single-player exploration, with multiplayer sharing through the Map Markings Feature.

• Joinable Factions, VOIP, and ItemZed: Multiplayer gained Joinable Factions System support and audible-distance VOIP Feature communication, while the ItemZed and AnimZed Tool releases gave modders tools for editing items, recipes, loot, and animations.

Build 35 was in development and testing during this window; its stable release came in December 2016, after the cutoff. Work previewed new locations and systems alongside changes to survival and multiplayer.

• Map work: Rosewood and March Ridge were introduced in the Build 35 material, with roads connecting additional areas to the world.
• Composting: Compost bins allowed rotten food to be converted into fertilizer for crops.
• Multiplayer: Voice chat testing accompanied work on safehouse management and factions.
• Survival systems: Nutrition changes affected how food intake influenced character health.
• Animation: The new animation branch was separate from Build 35 and should be understood as development work, not part of its stable release.

Creative Mode was revealed in July 2015 as a development project for collaborative map building, not a completed launch. The period also brought changes to survival, building and multiplayer.

• Creative tools: The developers previewed collaborative construction and Workshop sharing as planned features.
• World and maps: New Denver appeared as a tribute map, expanding the available environments.
• Base building: Object movement allowed players to reposition previously immobile objects and customize spaces.
• Survival balance: Zombie spawn and respawn settings were refined, while farming and seasonal fishing received changes.
• Audio and servers: FMOD audio work and dedicated multiplayer server support formed part of the year’s technical improvements.

Build 29 officially released on October 13, adding a melee-skill revamp, the Scavenge system—renamed Forage—74 new sounds, expanded radio and TV programming, translations, and 3D corpses. Project Zomboid Online Multiplayer also progressed from a 32-player beta to official support, while Build 26 and Build 27 expanded the Steam and survival experience.

• Build 29: The largest release added several major survival and presentation changes.
  • Build 29 Melee Skills Revamp: Blunt and blade weapons gained Accuracy, Guard, and Maintenance sub-skills, alongside revised endurance and knockdown behavior.
  • Build 29 Forage: Forest scavenging provided berries, mushrooms, worms, insects, branches, and stones, with a renamed Forage skill and new trapping books.
  • Build 29 Audio and Media: New ambient, crafting, and footstep sounds joined four TV channels and three radio stations carrying entertainment and Knox-event backstory.
  • Build 29 World Detail: Dead bodies rendered in 3D, while log walls, improvised axes and hammers, and more home-crafting options broadened construction.
• Project Zomboid Online Multiplayer: The Online Multiplayer Beta supported up to 32 players on persistent player-run servers before official multiplayer support arrived. Build 27 added a Server Browser, while Build 29 reduced major join-and-leave lag; multiplayer changes also made Build 23 saves incompatible.
• Build 26 and Build 27: Build 26 reached Steam properly, and Build 27 introduced Animal Trapping plus a northeast West Point expansion featuring a Mall and other new locations.
• Ranged Weapon System Revamp: The Firearms Overhaul made aiming skill affect hit chance, critical chance, range, angle, and rate of fire; panic reduced shooting effectiveness, bullets stopped piercing zombies, and shotguns gained recoil and range limits.
• Build 30 development: Erosion System Integration and the Medical Revamp were highlighted on November 3, including seasonal world growth, a new Health interface, injuries, treatments, and First Aid. The tracked material presented these as Build 30 development rather than confirming that Build 30 itself shipped.