What changed in Project Zomboid in 2026

Animals will now be properly allocated between male and female.

The Hunter Trait now provides +1 Tracking instead of +1 Trapping, reflecting a hunter's skills more accurately.

Fixed weapon condition desync issues between clients and servers in multiplayer.

Fixed issues with firearm magazines disappearing when reloading in multiplayer.

The cost of the Hiker Trait has been reduced to make it more accessible to a wider range of players.

Resolved various actions that caused items to duplicate in multiplayer.

Vehicle trailers should no longer flip upon hook-up.

A significant sound effects polishing pass has been completed to address volume and range inconsistencies.

Characters can now hop over jersey barriers again.

Project Zomboid will revert to a community translation model for Build 42 and beyond, enhancing collaboration and engagement.

Changes to chunk texture loading should improve performance, especially when driving at high speeds through varied areas.

Players can now remap controller buttons as they see fit, allowing for custom configurations and improved accessibility.

Rancher occupation now has +1 Fitness, and no longer has +1 Agriculture.

Improved Craft History (added cleanup).

Park Ranger occupation now has +1 Carving, and no longer has +1 Tracking.

Wind Sprite Effects option is now turned off by default.

Fixed multiple issues affecting multiplayer gameplay.

Improvised Gas Mask has been rebalanced; Clean rags can be used as Rag Filters.

Adjusted a number of fluid container capacities.

Updated assets for propane tanks to reflect US standards.

AFK players won't die anymore if somebody tries to remove their bandages.

Fixed RakNet DoS vulnerability.

Added new sounds for Garbage Bins and Wooden Doors.

Added new Weapon Reload animations for lever action rifles and shotguns.

Fixed vehicles taking too much damage on collision.

Non-base Module Recipes now work in MP.

Added Option to Accessibility section to automatically pause the game when reading maps.

Added some new garbage bins to Spiffos and PizzaWhirled.

Rancher now receives a bump in Fitness instead of Agriculture.

Buffs to Canteens, Western Canteens, metal Jerry Cans, and Hydration Packs.

Buff to Canteens, Western Canteens, metal Jerry Cans, and Hydration Packs.

Park Ranger now receives Carving instead of Tracking.

Gas Mask Filters reworked to provide a renewable source of early-to-mid game protection.

Backend support for multiplayer mods affected by security updates and new exposed functions for modders.

Backend support for multiplayer mods, new exposed functions for modders, and fixes for mod-related errors.

Gas Mask Filters reworked to provide a renewable source of protection.

Rancher now receives a bump in Fitness instead of Agriculture.

Park Ranger now receives Carving skill instead of Tracking.

Players can now add Cheese to Omelettes.

Fixes for muscle strain application issues and vehicle-related optimizations.

Players can now add Cheese to Omelettes.

Improvements to sound propagation for distant events and fixes for muscle strain issues affecting clients.

Adjustments to Nutritionist, High Thirst, Smoker traits.

Includes fixes for zombie speed settings, server crashes, and player interactions.

Includes issues with crafting, character actions, and item interactions.

Aiming, Animal Care, Blacksmithing, Electrical, First Aid, Knapping, Pottery, Tailoring, Welding

Changes to various occupations including Chef, DIY Expert, Doctor, Electrician, Farmer, Nurse, Rancher, Welder.

Includes various adjustments to crafting and building windows.

Animals gain less stress from zombies, rain, and sound.

Includes fixes for vehicle sounds, scrap sounds, and animal vocal ranges.

Various adjustments to loot spawn rates and wound infection damage factors across game modes.

Brandenburg, Echo Creek, Ekron, Fallas Lake, Irvington, March Ridge, Valley Station

New set of VHS Tapes providing skill boosts, found in Video Stores and homes.

Revamp of controller systems continues, focusing on sensitivity and movement inputs.

Smoker and High Thirst traits receive a point boost; Nutritionist's cost adjusted.

Chefs now use blades for cooking, Farmers receive a Strength boost, and DIY Experts gain the Inventive trait. Several Occupations' point costs reduced.

The Store Loot Story prototype has been moved to a secure location for further implementation.

Players can now choose from 'Exclusion Zone' towns when creating a new Sandbox game.

Increased rates for 'Other Loot' and cars more likely to have gas in Apocalypse mode.

Squeezing right-trigger for gas pedal no longer activates aim while driving.

Right-click no longer toggles forceAim conflicting with RMC menu, waits longer before engaging.

Addressed a security vulnerability caused by malicious mods generating harmful files outside the game directory.

ToggleToAim no longer breaks for melee/unarmed.

Controller users can now move or perform actions while the inventory is open.

All 14 mods identified with the exploit have been removed from the Steam Workshop.

Switching seats no longer makes the player exit the vehicle.

Updated the outdatedunstable branch to match the unstable branch to mitigate known vulnerabilities.

Fixed characters getting stuck at rotating character at the start of the tutorial on controller.

Vehicle radial menu isn't interrupted by player aim anymore.

Released security updates for Build 41 to address a separate vulnerability identified during an internal audit.

Resolved an issue where a GameClientConcurrentModification Exception occurred when remote players time out.

Resolved an issue where creating a new character caused errors and the dead character reappeared after reconnecting.

Addressed an exploit related to the Park Ranger's herbalist trait that allowed for trait point exploitation.

IP Addresses now hidden by default with an option to reveal them via a toggle check-box.

Minor loot spawn adjustments and erosion speed changes across game modes.

Weapon attachment visual updates and adjustments to various firearms.

Added support for PowerA generic XBOX controller and various aiming improvements.

Generalized increase in skill points for core professions and rebalanced occupation costs.

XP granted reworked to reward crafting items rather than grinding.

New traits like Tinkerer and Target Shooter added, with various cost adjustments.

Two new Traits added to enhance Maintenance and Aiming skills.

Day Sprinters added to Extinction Mode, changing gameplay dynamics.

Firearm attachments have received adjustments along with new 3D art.

Ongoing improvements to modding support and workflow.

Saves from earlier builds will not be compatible with B42.16; players are advised to back up saves.

Includes both major and minor bug fixes based on player reports.

Minor changes include reduced firearm spawns and increased fresh food in canon modes.

Tailoring recipes have been adjusted to reward crafting new items over grinding.

General polishing of UI and menus for improved user experience.

All existing Occupations have refreshed names and reworked starting skills and costs to enhance player experience.

Stress is no longer caused by zombies banging on fences.

Echo Creek has been removed as a spawn location, now serving as a destination instead.

Due to extensive work required to patch vulnerabilities, legacy versions will remain unavailable until further notice.

Patches have been released for new vulnerabilities identified during an internal security audit and reported by the modding community.

Additional hotfixes have been pushed to fix rare crash bugs for both stable and unstable branches.

Some mods may be affected by the recent patches; mod developers are encouraged to report issues.

Legacy versions were temporarily removed from circulation due to unresolved security vulnerabilities.

Resolved additional cases where the game would not load if the username contained non-ascii characters.

Resolved a problem where the game would not load if the username contained non-ascii characters.

Shift + Click allows users to select multiple items in workstation menus.

Work in progress for basic aiming reticle handling for gamepad aiming.

Fixed melee attacks passing through zombies near vehicles and animals.

Apocalypse mode rebalanced to serve as the 'Lore Canon' game mode with adjusted gameplay elements.

Decreased penlight light cone size and increased vehicle headlight light cone size.

Lowered the impact of animal corpses on vehicles when driving over them.

Introduced a new modding guide and fixed various mod-related issues.

Introduced new firearms including JS-14 Rifle, JS-3T Tactical Shotgun, L92 Carbine, L94 Rifle, MSR7T Tactical Rifle, and Trapper Carbine.

Improved controller support with a new gamepad firearm aiming system.

Removed tool requirements for several tiles, adjusted durability drain on tools, and added functionality to garden hoes.

Added new map symbols to represent animals.

Renamed 'Pause when focus is lost' option for clarity, now enabled by default on new game installs.

Prototype for a new gun store loot story at Stendo's.

Fixed desync issues with clothing not updating on players in different map chunks.

Fixed player stuck issues and sync problems related to GrappleTech.

Reduced durability impacts when using tools for their intended purpose.

Game modes rebalanced and updated with new versions, including Apocalypse, Outbreak, Extinction, Rising, and Custom Sandbox.

Translation files are now in JSON format.

Fixed clock alarm SFX playing endlessly if the watch was dismantled while playing the alarm.

Fixed multiple server-side and client-side errors.

Updated loot distributions and added new room definitions for various locations.

Introduction of new firearms including JS-14 Rifle, JS-3T Tactical Shotgun, L92 Carbine, L94 Rifle, MSR7T Tactical Rifle, and Trapper Carbine.

Fixed a server crash issue.

Introduction of new game modes: Apocalypse, Outbreak, Extinction, and Rising, each catering to different play styles.

Light cones adjusted to more accurately represent different lights and flashlights.

Added option to toggle Livestock Zone visual overlay on/off.

Characters now receive a reading speed boost when sitting.

Fixed numerous gameplay bugs including issues with crafting, interactions, and animations.

A significant security vulnerability reported by the modding community has been patched on the main stable and unstable branches.

Introduction of new guns appropriate for the 1993 setting.

Improvements to the Right-Click Menu for crafting, barricading, and inventory interactions.

Efforts to unify systems, UI, and terminology for a better player experience.

Changes to the base settings and new tailored pre-sets for various gameplay styles.

Updates to crafting/building recipes, skill progression, traits, and occupations.

Current focus on addressing bugs in multiplayer gameplay.

The option was missing from context menu

Occurred only when the Weapon Multi hit sandbox option is enabled

Exception occurred when remote player equipped weapon in hotbar

Fixed wrong items being selected and captured from stack of items.

Fixed several cases with commands: AddXP and LoseXP.

Fixed basement entrance disappearing after building & removing floor overtop of entrance.

Fixed not being able to craft Fire-Hardened Spears.

New improved whitelist implemented.

Fixed car battery looping SFX glitch.

Fixed door shaking animation.

Fixed not being able to get an animal corpse from the car trunk.

Fixed plant tile updating only after revisiting chunk or relog.

Fixed bombs staying in player's inventory after relog.

Updated 'Announce Animal Death' message.

Fixed weapons unequipping when character is climbing through windows.

Fixed disassembled furniture not disappearing from the world.

Fixed some performance issues with animal zones.

Added a limit on the number of animals sent in a single AnimalUpdatePacket.

Fixed remote player health sync issues.

Fixed animal pathfinding in multiplayer.

Fixed microwave/Stove timers resetting to 0.

Fixed stair pillars not appearing on clients until reloading the area.

Fixed updates breaking setting the ZombieState FMOD parameter.

Fixed double door SFX.

Fixed Favoriting recipes being reset after relogging.

Fixed server crash caused by pipe bombs.

Added plastering functionality in multiplayer.

Fixed rope attached to the animals not breaking.

Fixed clothes drying only when picked up.

Fixed seasoning ingredients not being displayed in tooltip.

Fixed body insulation/temperature always being at 0.

Fixed hitting SFX isn't always playing.

Fixed 'Walk To' stream of errors if cursor is placed outside the bounds of a basement.

Fixed SFX glitch when getting attacked by a zombie while shooting.

Fixed wrong animation when unequipping an attached item on the player's back.

Fixed not being able to remove and replace battery in different devices.

Fixed ongoing issue with erroneous zombie migration.

Fixed non-lootable containers placed in doorways.

Fixed NPE caused by calling getVehicleContainer() on null square.

Fixed weight pointers.

Fixed being able to put more items in the container than capacity allows.

Fixed being unable to build stairs above ground sometimes due to non-existent squares.

Drying racks are now functional in multiplayer.

Fixed not being able to butcher the animal corpse in the inventory.

Fixed character with the claustrophobic trait not panicking inside buildings.

Fixed number of visible zombies counter.

Fixed multiplayer soaked and wet states.

Fixed not being able to remove seeded furrows.

Fixed odd cutaway behavior of player-built stairs and support pillars.

Fixed backpack sprayer duplication.

Fixed memory leak with NetworkState packets.