Project Zomboid Build 42.17.0 Unstable Patch Notes

As always it is recommended that you create a new save with no mods after updates. Updates fix bugs and introduce new changes that may not be compatible with any older saves, especially ones older than the last patch.

Right-click PZ in your Steam library.

Select "Properties".

Under "Game Version & Betas" select "Unstable".

NEW

The Survival Guide has been updated with new content
Added additional static spawn points to Sandbox Mode
Brandenburg
Echo Creek
Ekron
Fallas Lake
Irvington
March Ridge
Valley Station

Added new Skill VHS tapes

Aiming
Animal Care
Blacksmithing
Electrical
First Aid
Knapping
Pottery
Tailoring
Welding

Fluid container empty rates now depend type of container

Added book "The Moments of Darius" by Ignas

Updated Pet Name list in memoriam

UI/CONTROLLER

Additional WIP controller changes have been implemented. (Please keep providing feedback. It has been extremely valuable.)
The ability to customise controls in-game still requires additional work, and will be included in a future update.

Added dedicated Credits Screen

In-Game UI improvements

Clamp XUI to screen size
Rearranged and compacted Crafting window craft control box
Reduced size of input item boxes
Rearranged and compacted recipe filter box
Compacted Building window input panel
Reduced size of output item boxes
Fixed Crafting window input and output panels
Reduced preferred width of handcraft window
Reduced preferred width of build window
Compacted craft inventory panel
Improved scale of Admin Powers window
Host loading bar width has been resized

BALANCE

Game Mode Defaults Updated
Apocalypse
Chance for vehicles to spawn with gas increased from "Low" to "Normal"
Increased "Other" loot spawn rate from 0.6 to 0.8
Increased "Wound Infection Damage Factor" from 0.0 to 1.0

Extinction

Increased "Wound Infection Damage Factor" from 0.5 to 1.0

Outbreak

Increased "Other" loot spawn rate from 0.6 to 0.8
Increased "Wound Infection Damage Factor" from 0.0 to 1.0

Rising

Increased "Other" loot spawn rate from 0.6 to 1.0
Increased "Wound Infection Damage Factor" from 0.0 to 1.0

Sandbox

Vehicle "Chance Has Gas" setting value of "Normal" reduced from 70 to 45

Occupation Values Updated

Chef now gives +1 Short Blade instead of +1 Short Blunt (bug fix)
DIY Expert now gives Inventive Trait instead of +1 Carving, point cost changed from -4 to -2
Doctor point cost changed from -2 to 0
Electrician point cost changed from -4 to -2
Farmer now gives +1 Strength
Nurse point cost changed from -2 to 0
Rancher point cost changed from -2 to 0
Welder point cost changed from -6 to -4

- Trait Points Updated

Nutritionist changed from -4 to -2
High Thirst changed from +1 to +2
Smoker changed from +2 to +3

- Animal stress gain & its impact have been rebalanced

Animals gain less stress from zombies
Animals gain less stress under rain (only certain animals don't like rain!)
Animals gain less stress due to sound
Animal's stress is reduced more when petting them
Animals should flee less often due to stress
Animals will start to destroy objects at stress 80 instead of 70

Reduced the rate that gasmask/respirator filters are drained by corpse sickness

Reduced tool degredation for Tailoring recipes

Added moodle buffs to Radio/TV shows that were not awarding them

Adjusted encumberance values of coffins and gym mats

Adjusted Carpentry XP awards for WoodFloorLvl2, WoodFloorLvl3, SofteningBeam, TanninBarrel and ChurnBucket

Updated several tile properties

Changed the tooltip for scrapping tiles to be consistent with picking up tiles

Updated some flyer definitions, pictures, and text

Added guardrails for the “Other” loot distribution functionality so it doesn't include inappropriate containers such as trash containers, fridges, freezers, coffins, etc

MP

Fixed being unable to set Zombie speed in MP
We are looking forward to receiving your feedback on sprinters and slow zombies! If there

are any remaining issues left, please let us know.

Added Thread-safe DDoS protection for RakNet

Removed unused server options

Moved map progress from client to the server

A new option "Friends and nearby users" has been added to the "Map remote player visibility" setting

Map remote player visibility = 3 (Friends and nearby users)
Faction members are visible on the mini/world map at any distance. Other users will be shown on the mini/world map if near and in the line of sight.

Fixed a rare server crash when driving vehicles

Fixed the rope tied to an animal disappearing after relogin

Fixed being unable to build constructions if standing near a container

Fixed Pipe bomb/Aerosol bomb not doing damage to players or animals

Fixed timed fluid actions not working properly when queued

Fixed Spawn with Self server setting respawning player in a random spot

Fixed character spontaneously taking off their clothes

Fixed an exception occurring when disassembling a working TV

Fixed characters interacting with items from a distance

Fixed climbing rope desync

Fixed "double-tap" door interactions causing doors to instantly open and close

Fixed Unable to view the safehouse info through the safehouse list window

Fixed drying racks "Take All" button not working properly

Fixed the location of a bite/scratch on the body not matching the damage on the character's clothing

Fixed character automatically rotating when standing above/under a vehicle

Fixed Favourited Light Sources losing their favourite status after being transferred to a held container

Fixed "scrap failed" halo text not being displayed

Fixed rope not returning to character's inventory when "Remove Escape Rope" used

Fixed climbing over walls not causing muscle strain

Fixed admins being able to apply cheats after permissions removed

Fixed renaming of food not syncing

Fixed an issue where if multiple players apply a bandage to the same wound, all bandages are consumed

Fixed an exception when uninstalling vehicle parts

Fixed scratches from spiked armour disappearing from characters

Fixed being unable to create a new user without a password via the /adduser command

Fixed exercises not raising the character's body heat generation value

Fixed an issue where after creating a host game players are unexpectedly returned to the main menu

Fixed zombies teleporting on hit

Fixed an issue with open and eat actions not working properly

Fixed memory consumption spiking when players explore beyond the map bounds

Fixed an anti-cheat false positive

Fixed the character not getting stained with blood after butchering an animal

Fixed "Wash yourself" action being performed instantly

Fixed a server-side exception with ISClothingExtraAction

Fixed Welding Torch uses not being synced after disassembling objects

Fixed Occlusion Parameter not working as expected on Remote Events

Fixed server list loading on start

Fixed petting animals not increasing the animal's acceptance or decreasing stress

Fixed server hangs on world save creation

Fixed thumpable doors animation doubling

FIXES

Updated icon for 'already read' literature to be more readable
Fixed not being able to examine Container Info for fluid container entities
Fixed D-Pad not working on Scythe Grass action on controller
Fixed not being able to pick up dung with a controller.
Fixed Device Options and Disassemble context menus not showing up with controller
Fixed controller button presses within the RMC causing interactions with the world
Fixed characters performing sporadic actions while controller is at rest
Fixed being unable to continue splitscreen characters in subsequent play sessions
Fixed an issue with toggleCrouch not working properly
Fixed infected player characters not zombifying on death
Fixed firearm magazines not increasing their encumbrance value when loaded with ammunition
Fixed firearms not appropriately increasing in encumbrance when a loaded magazine is inserted
Fixed animations not playing when player is seated
Fixed emotes not being performed when character holding a non-weapon item in their offhand
Fixed "Forge Bar Half" with steel quarters returning an Iron Bar Half
Fixed certain objects not being destroyed in fire
Fixed a campfire's IsoFire being removed when a different object on the square was destroyed
Fixed being unable to pick up / disassemble generic cooler shelves and magazine stands
Fixed not being able to disassemble player-constructed fence posts
Fixed missing collision on some furniture items
Fixed being unable to place light switches
Fixed top-most railing on stairs not preventing players from accessing containers on the floor below
Fixed "Disassemble Object" showing instead of tile names
Fixed not being able to disassemble log gates
Fixed issue with vaulting animation not lining up with tile art
Fixed single tile arched doorways being set up as windowframes
Fixed RMC context menu for some lights not having text
Fixed being unable to barricade windowframes
Fixed being able to read obsolete skillbooks
Fixed standing zombies not crawling under cars, even when the sandbox setting is "always"
Fixed chasing zombies being able to fall through Log Walls
Fixed an issue where the character would always move east after standing up, regardless of input direction
Fixed fliers/brochures not displaying relevant text when opened from map icons
Fixed destroying a wall next to a lit campfire causing an exception
Fixed rabbits being able to spawn in water
Fixed digging furrows generating exceptions
Fixed occasional Zero Length Vector error when placing items or removing windows via Pick Up tool
Fixed freezes/crashes when selecting Random Traits if game language is set to Polish
Fixed error when using makeup
Fixed character not coughing/sneezing when they have a cold
Fixed locked doors not appearing in the RMC under certain conditions
Fixed visual issue with some spawned items that appeared to be floating
Fixed "Show Recipes" not working for Schematic Pages
Fixed an exception in isClimbingRope when the game is paused
Fixed an exception that could occur when grabbing items
Fixed Animal Footsteps not playing when they run along fences
Fixed Claustrophobic still being available after selecting Agoraphobic, and Agoraphobic reappearing for Veterans after any trait was selected.
Fixed missing space in tutorial "Fill Empty Jar" context interaction. Previously read "FillEmpty Jar"
Fixed not being able to butcher dead rabbits found in random building stories
Fixed "Cut Up Circular Sawblade with Bandsaw" being listed "Cut Up Tire with Bandsaw"
Fixed Water/ElecShutModifier display incorrectly showing in non-debug sandbox settings
Fixed pathfinding issues when sitting behind High Tables
Fixed zombies being unable to break some breakable fences
Fixed being able to sleep on swing sets
Fixed inverted colours and extreme visual effects when adding a second character via couch co-op in CDDA
Fixed player-made buildings being automatically powered
Fixed an issue where multiple KeyBindings on the same key weren't detected correctly
Fixed walls being disassemblable in basements allowing players to make holes into the void
Fixed FireBrushUI "Add by click" and "Remove by click" not setting the correct z coordinate
Fixed the Admin Powers window not changing available cheats list after role changing
Fixed Recipes filter panel width counting
Fixed controller sensitivity buttons not responding for some font sizes
Fixed a console error when interacting with drying racks
Fixed ground snow rendering darker than intended
Fixed puddles flickering on/off
Fixed curtains automatically close/re-opening when interacting with Shift+E
Fixed typos and updated the in-game tips
Fixed a bug with controller & CD player
Fixed a sporadic exception with IsoObjectUtils
Fixed Lua error when reading print media with the "Auto reveal print-media map locations" option enabled.
Fixed an issue that could cause animation tracks to abruptly stop
Fixed Turn180s being twitchy on keyboard
Fixed HeadLookAround while sitting on furniture
Fixed a lua crash on RemoveAllZombies
Fixed character incorrectly aiming when pressing LCTRL while mouse is over UI
Fixed viewcone and many character stats becoming NaN after performing physical actions while eating, then performing another physical action
Fixed Potter's wheel not being completely destroyed when burned
Fixed Drill presses and bandsaws randomly spawn in sheds

SFX

Fixed M16 shooting sounds when the camera is zoomed out to the maximum distance
Fixed driving over live zombies on the ground playing wrong sounds
Fixed scrap failure and success sounds not playing
Fixed scrap-success sound for low metal fences
Fixed tent sounds only playing on old tents
Fixed disassembling metal/chainlink fences playing either no or incorrect sounds
Fixed Lamb still playing baby sounds when grown up
Increased animal vocal sound range from 40 to 70.
Increased vehicle engine sound radius from sqrt(1200) to 70
Increased rain ambiance radius from 10 to 20
Fixed vehicle sfx bugs in MP
Removed distance cap for gunshots and explosions

TECHNICAL

Added additional security validation
Added a warning to the SteamWorkshopItem Submit screen for the new popup
Updated spiffo_combat.png

Project Zomboid Build 42.17.0 Unstable Released Notes (20th April 2026)

Full Patch Notes