Project Zomboid
In the codexIndieRPGSimulation

Project Zomboid

Project Zomboid is the ultimate in zombie survival. Alone or in MP: you loot, build, craft, fight, farm and fish in a struggle to survive. A hardcore RPG skillset, a vast map, massively customisable sandbox and a cute tutorial raccoon await the unwary. So how will you die? All it takes is a bite..

DEV: The Indie StonePUB: The Indie StoneAppID 108600
UPDATE PULSEevery ~9d·last 9d ago·11 recent on record

Is Project Zomboid still being updated? — the short answer, with the evidence.

94.8
Excellent

Elixir Rating

93.8% of 483,931 Steam reviews are positive, which after adjusting for sample size gives a reception score of 93.7. Nothing we would call a substantial update has landed in six months, but the developers were last heard 6 days ago — adding 1.1.

reception 93.7·support +1.1·Excellent

Computed from Steam’s own review tally and observable developer activity — never from anyone’s opinion of the game. How this is calculated

Should you look into this?

From Steam's own record

Current price

$16.74$24.99−33%

Development

Actively supported

Last heard from developers

6 days ago

Usual rhythm

every ~7 days

Substantial updates (6 mo)

0

Current silence

within normal range

The developers post roughly every 7 days and were last heard 6 days ago — within their normal range. Nothing we would call a substantial update has landed in six months, though the developers have posted 22 times. It is currently 33% below its usual price.

Distilled by the oracle

Our coverage

1 dispatch written from this game’s announcements

patchAug 20, 2026

Project Zomboid's Spiffo Returns as Chef Plushie in Makeship Charity Drive

Rockjaw, writing on behalf of the Project Zomboid team, announced on August 6, 2026 that a new merchandise campaign has launched via Makeship — with every cent of proceeds earmarked for Mary's Meals, a charity focused on providing nutritious meals to schoolchildren worldwide.

What's in the collection

  • Chef Spiffo plushie — the franchise mascot in a chef's outfit
  • Spiffo's Restaurant Pin Collection, comprising three pins:
    • A Spiffo's logo pin produced with a "layered" effect, dated © Spiffo's Corporation, 1993
    • A 'Happy Birthday Spiffo' pin
    • A 'Spiffo gets his burger on' pin
  • An official Spiffo keychain featuring a plushie rendering of the character

The campaign follows a previous Makeship run centred on a 'Brawler Spiffo' plushie, which raised more than $180,000 USD for Médecins Sans Frontières. The studio expresses hope that the Chef Spiffo campaign will surpass that figure.

For players with no immediate interest in the merchandise, the relevance is simple: buying officially means the money goes directly to a named charitable cause rather than studio revenue.

Two years of development

■ substantial ■ routine

Nov2025FebMayAugNov2026FebMayAug

39 announcements · 0 substantial · 12 months with nothing

Recent Transmissions

30 entries in codex

Community AnnouncementsSep 28, 2026
Build 42.21 Stable Released

We released 42.21 into our Unstable beta last Wednesday, and extend our thanks to the community for checking it over and kicking the tires! If you’ve just seen your game updating and want to know what’s new, then read on below. Full patchno…

PCGamesNSep 25, 2026
Project Zomboid is "trying to move faster" as a new update fixes vanishing zombie hordes

Project Zomboid build 42.21 includes balance changes and bug fixes aplenty, as The Indie Stone chases a more regular stable patch rollout. Read the full story on PCGamesN: Project Zomboid is "trying to move faster" as a new update fixes van…

Community AnnouncementsSep 23, 2026
Re-population of the Dead: Build 42.21 Unstable Released

Hello Survivors! We’re back, and we have a new update, which is now available to play and test on the Unstable branch on Steam. As our first incremental update post-Build 42, this update contains fixes and updates for a whole bunch of thing…

PCGamesNSep 20, 2026
Ambitious new Project Zomboid mod fills the world with simulated NPC factions, inspired by Stalker

Taking after Stalker's iconic A-Life system, this Project Zomboid mod creates a "persistent living world" with autonomous NPCs and factions. Read the full story on PCGamesN: Ambitious new Project Zomboid mod fills the world with simulated N…

Community AnnouncementsAug 26, 2026
42.20.4 STABLE & 42.19.2 UNSTABLE & 41.78.21 LEGACY Hotfixes Released

While this update should not break saves, if you encounter any bugs please ensure you can replicate them on a fresh save with no mods installed before reporting them to our team here. FIXES Fixed security vulnerabilities. Mod makers should …

Community AnnouncementsAug 17, 2026
42.20.3 STABLE Hotfix Released

While this update should not break saves, if you encounter any bugs please ensure you can replicate them on a fresh save with no mods installed before reporting them to our team here. MP Improved server player limit handling, including supp…

SteamDBAug 9, 2026
Project Zomboid peaks at 124k players

Project Zomboid has peaked at 124,995 concurrent players on 9 August 2026. View charts and more statistics on our website.

Community AnnouncementsAug 6, 2026
Show your Spiffo’s pride, and help us fundraise

"Welcome to Spiffo’s, how can we serve you today?"Today we're launching our latest collaboration with the wonderful humans at Makeship. Here’s what’s on the menu:A Chef Spiffo plushie, with that cheeky raccoon looking as happy as can be in …

Read our dispatch on this
Community AnnouncementsAug 5, 2026
42.20.2 STABLE Hotfix Released

While this update should not break saves, if you encounter any bugs please ensure you can replicate them on a fresh save with no mods installed before reporting them to our team here. TECHNICAL/DEBUG Fixed percent symbol handling in files M…

Community AnnouncementsAug 5, 2026
42.20.1 STABLE Hotfix Released

While this update should not break saves, if you encounter any bugs please ensure you can replicate them on a fresh save with no mods installed before reporting them to our team here. MP Improved Lua checksum validation for multiplayer anti…

PC GamerAug 2, 2026
Perennial early access game Project Zomboid hit a new concurrent player record after a huge map update added reworked towns, a spooky orphanage and '400 procedural basements'

It's been a big week for Project Zomboid, the wildly successful zombie survival sim that, like a doomsday prepper holed up in a fortified basement, simply refuses to leave Steam early access. Its first major build update since 2021 coincide…

PCGamesNAug 2, 2026
Project Zomboid soars to a new Steam high after 19-month wait for an update, but its dev won't rush the next one

The Project Zomboid build 42 update arrived this week, and it's carried the zombie survival game to its highest ever Steam player count. Read the full story on PCGamesN: Project Zomboid soars to a new Steam high after 19-month wait for an u…

GamingOnLinuxJul 29, 2026
The massive Project Zomboid Build 42 is out now

Project Zomboid just had a big free upgrade with Build 42 now out in the stable branch, bringing with it an overhaul to various parts of the game. Read the full article here: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/07/the-massive-project-zomboid…

Community AnnouncementsJul 29, 2026
Build 42.20.0 Stable Released

As part of our preparations for the release of Build 42 Stable, we've also released a small security patch for Builds 41 and 42.19. We'd like to thank Jorge Escabias for responsibly disclosing this vulnerability and bringing it to our atten…

PCGamesNJul 29, 2026
Project Zomboid build 42 is finally here, and it adds animals, basements, and deeper crafting

Project Zomboid build 42 is finally here after over a year's wait, and it promises to be a huge one, with loads of features to explore. Read the full story on PCGamesN: Project Zomboid build 42 is finally here, and it adds animals, basement…

Community AnnouncementsJul 28, 2026
B42 CHECKLIST

Tomorrow, Wednesday 29th July, we will be releasing Build 42 of Project Zomboid!This is a quick post to ensure that those who want to continue playing Build 41 are aware of how they can do so with minimal disruption, and indeed to tick off …

Community AnnouncementsJul 27, 2026
42.20: The Big Glow Up

Hi everyone, as previously mentioned Build 42.20 will be coming to the public stable branch this Wednesday, July 29th! For full details on this please check out this announcement blog. A big new part of this is a HUGE new upgrade to the Kno…

GamingOnLinuxJul 24, 2026
The massive Project Zomboid 'Build 42' update confirmed for July 29

The incredibly detailed zombie survival game Project Zomboid is set to level up in a huge way with the proper release of Build 42 on July 29th. Read the full article here: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/07/the-massive-project-zomboid-bu…

Community AnnouncementsJul 24, 2026
BUILD 42 STABLE PLANS

Project Zomboid version 42.20 will be coming direct to the stable public branch Wednesday, the 29th of July. Details on what this will entail will follow after, by way of celebration, the unveiling of our new Build 42 Steam Store trailer! T…

PCGamesNJul 10, 2026
After 19 months of waiting, Project Zomboid's next update will finally deliver a stable build, "and it's a big one"

19 months after the launch of Project Zomboid build 42, The Indie Stone says its next update will come to stable as the new Steam default. Read the full story on PCGamesN: After 19 months of waiting, Project Zomboid's next update will final…

Community AnnouncementsJul 9, 2026
NEXT STEPS

Hello Survivors! It’s July 9th, something of a key date in PZ lore, so we felt it was a great time to check in with you to lay out our overall plans for the rest of the year. So pack up the car, fuel up the generator, and let’s get ready fo…

Community AnnouncementsJun 1, 2026
Build 42.19.0 Unstable Released

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. How do I subscribe to …

Community AnnouncementsMay 29, 2026
REINFORCING THE BARRICADES

Hello, Survivors! Today we are bringing you some news related to our localization process, along with a quick preview of the upcoming 42.19 Update! So throw some beef jerky into your fanny pack, fill up your canteen with whiskey, and let’s …

Community AnnouncementsMay 11, 2026
Build 42.18.0 Unstable Released

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. How do I subscribe to …

Community AnnouncementsMay 8, 2026
SPRING IS HERE

Happy May, Survivors! Glad to see you made it through the winter. Build 42.18 Unstable will be releasing soon, so here is a quick preview of what to expect. This update primarily focuses on modding improvements and bug fixing across both Si…

Community AnnouncementsApr 20, 2026
Build 42.17.0 Unstable Released

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. How do I subscribe to …

PCGamesNApr 19, 2026
A new Project Zomboid update could make multiplayer servers much more deadly

The next Project Zomboid update is about to make your sandbox adventures more varied, and your multiplayer lobbies a whole lot more terrifying. Developer The Indie Stone has been cooking up fresh overhauls for its zombie game, and says that…

Community AnnouncementsApr 17, 2026
Location, Location

Hello Survivors, we hope your shelter is keeping you dry and warm! Shortly we plan on releasing Build 42.17 Unstable, which contains some new sandbox options, balancing changes, and (as usual), tons of bug fixes and Multiplayer stability im…

Community AnnouncementsApr 14, 2026
Charity Merch Update

Hey all! This is just a quick and happy update for those who had been following our recent "Brawler Spiffo" merch drop in support of Médecins Sans Frontières. Thanks to the amazing support of the Project Zomboid community, we were able to r…

PCGamesNApr 9, 2026
Project Zomboid bans rogue mods deploying "malicious code" to players' PCs

Project Zomboid developer The Indie Stone has confirmed that it has identified and taken action against a series of mods for the zombie game that were "creating malicious files outside of the Project Zomboid directory." The mods in question…