Summary
Project Zomboidfans have been waiting patiently for build 42, which promises a slew of excellent features that will improve the game. Usually, players are excited about new updates as they add new content and a few QoL fixes, but build 42 can be considered a game overhaul.
Build 42 will bring engine upgrades, a reworked crafting system, the addition of animals, farming improvements, and lots of game polish. The modding community is also excited as they will have new content tomake excellent modswith. There are lots of features coming in build 42, but this list will only cover the most interesting ones.
Updated May 18, 2025 by Aly Azmy:With build 42 inching closer to launch, the developers have teased more of the releasing features. This list has been updated to add the most relevant additions coming with the anticipated update.
Build 42 might launch just before Christmas and players will have many new features to play with. The new features vary from polished towns, new items, new animations, and tweaked zombie spawns. Build 42 will reignite the passion for the game to many players and the update is packed with features to hold interest for a long time.
1Animals
What’s New: Wild & Farm Animals
Single-player worlds can get hauntingly lonely as players have no companions, aside from zombies. While Build 42 does not add NPCs, having animals keep players company will alleviate the feeling of isolation. The animals will also increase the diversity of food options by allowing players to obtain fresh eggs, milk, and meat.
The animals will range from domestic farm animals such as sheep and chickens to wild animals like deer. Animals must be tracked by their paw prints or droppings to find them. Animals will givelots of character to player buildsby having populated pens next to their base.
2Farming
What’s New: More Crops, QoL Changes & Growing Seasons
Currently, farming inProject Zomboidis basic compared to many otherfarming simulator gamesand will receive a significant upgrade in Build 42. Farming players will now have to add regular weeding to their crops and worry about slugs and snails in their gardens. With the introduction of animals, players can use chickens to handle a slug invasion.
Some logical features are added including the ability to plant potatoes by just using a potato, removing the need for constantly needing potato seeds. Growing seasons will be added and planting crops outside of their optimal season will result in a reduced harvest.
3New Heights
What’s New: Skyscrapers
Thanks to the engine upgrade,Project Zomboidwill now be capable of new possibilities due to improved optimization. This improvement will vastly increase the limits of buildings and give shockingly large buildings that would totally transform the landscape.
A skyscraper filled with zombies sounds exciting, but be sure tograb the best gunsbefore exploring one of these buildings. Be sure to remember the way out as a 32-floor skyscraper can become confusing to navigate.
4Map Changes
What’s New: New Towns, Remote Areas & Basements
Knox Country is already overwhelmingly large fornew players to fully explore, but older players will be overjoyed with the addition of new areas in Build 42. The map will receive three new towns and several smaller areas of interest to add more life to Knox Country.
The new towns will be less dense than Louisville and will come with many unique areas to explore. The new areas will add new unique vehicles that are town-specific, giving players something rare to collect from each area. Buildings will have basements added, giving players a safe area to store even more of their valuable loot.
5Crafting System Upgrade
What’s New: Blacksmithing, Drying Rack, Mill & Primitive Crafting
The crafting system is getting an overhaul in Build 42. Weapons will have separate durability for the handle and weapon head and a sharpness indicator that will need occasional topping off at a whetstone. New crafting methods will be added, which introduce metal forging, stoneworking, pottery, and breweries.
Players can now craft new workstations, including a drying rack, a quern-stone, and a mill. A tree stump and workspace boulder will naturally spawn, which givesaccess to primitive crafting. Blacksmithing will be added, which will be used to craft higher-quality melee weapons, such as spears.
6Dynamic Background Music
What’s New: Dynamic Exploration Music
Build 41 added dynamic action music that plays while fighting zombies, and it does an excellent job of ramping up the game’s intensity. Build 42 aims to add dynamic music outside of combat, as players aren’t fighting zeds most of the time.
This new change will giveProject Zomboidmore life during the less active moments when players quietly explore areas and loot.Timed exploration musicis a staple of many games and will now be added toProject Zomboid.
7New Wilderness
What’s New: Extra Map Type & Changes Map Borders
Build 42 has a surprise for wilderness players. The game will feature a new mode that will generate a map consisting of a complete wilderness without any towns or roads. This change will also replace the black borders surrounding the map with a large wilderness to explore.
The wilderness will have procedural generation and will result in more outdoor diversity. Be sure not to get too relaxed in the great outdoors asthe threat of zombiesis always looming around the bushes.
8Visual & Engine Changes
What’s New: Lighting Upgrade & Performance Improvements
The aesthetics ofProject Zomboidare far from its strongest selling point, as the game matchesThe Sims 1, which was released in 2000. The lighting system is receiving an upgrade that will allow light to bounce off walls, blend better through doors, and shine through windows.
A new rendering system will rework the game to improve performance while also looking better. Players who have performance issues withProject Zomboidmight want to give it another try after this update.
9Character Voices
What’s New: 8 Voice Types
Gamers will no longer play as astereotypical silent protagonistas Build 42 adds player voices. During character creation, players will have 8 voices to pick from and these can be heard during gameplay actions. The gameplay actions vary from swinging weapons to panting.
Coughs and sneezes will now emit noise, as well as the preset character yells. The character will no longer be mute while swinging a massive sledgehammer. While this is a small change, it all builds up to increase the immersion ofProject Zomboid.
10Improved Gun Play
What’s New: Better Shooting Mechanics
The game’s standard gun mechanics will likely change, but they will receive slight tweaks to make them more realistic. Gunplay improvements are unclear but are rumored to include shooting variables based on weather, lighting, and character well-being. Tired, injured, or depressed characters may receive shooting penalties.
With the new lighting system and increased nighttime darkness, using guns at night may no longer be advisable. Players may be rewarded for shooting in clear weather conditions, a lit environment, and an energized survivor. Abackup melee weaponis a must-have for cases where shooting conditions are poor.
