# Project Zomboid Build 42.15.0 Unstable Released - Product: Project Zomboid (https://whatsnew.fyi/product/project-zomboid) - Vendor: The Indie Stone - Date: 2026-03-09 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/108600/view/526495718648580633 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/project-zomboid/releases/2026-03-09-build-42.15.0-unstable-released What's New is an index, not a publisher: every entry below links to the vendor's own release notes, which are the authoritative source. Entries are labelled where they are hand-curated sample data, pre-releases, or drawn from a secondary source such as a developer blog. Reuse: the summaries, labels and curation here are © What's New. Quote freely with attribution and a link back; wholesale republication of the corpus is not permitted — terms: https://whatsnew.fyi/terms. The vendors' own release notes remain their publishers'. --- - **added** — Rebalanced Game Modes with new Apocalypse, Outbreak, Extinction, and Rising modes, each with preset settings in Custom Sandbox - **added** — New firearms: JS-14 Rifle (5.56x45mm), JS-3T Tactical Shotgun (12 Gauge), L92 Carbine (.357 Magnum), L94 Rifle (.30-30), MSR7T Tactical Rifle (7.62x51mm), and Trapper Carbine (.45 ACP) - **added** — Character receives a reading speed boost when sitting - **added** — New gun store loot story prototype at Stendo's - **added** — New map symbols for animals - **added** — Gamepad Aiming Tech prototype with aiming reticle handling and reticle slow-down when over active target - **added** — Option to toggle Livestock Zone visual overlay on/off - **added** — Shift + Click allows selecting multiple items in workstation menus - **added** — New SFX for Large Containers including Small Metal Door, Clothes Rack, and Cardboard variants - **changed** — Renamed Game Option "Pause when focus is lost" to be more clear, enabled by default on new game installs - **changed** — Removed tool requirements from several tiles when picking them up - **changed** — Removed tool degradation for screwdrivers in electrical-related recipes - **changed** — Reduced the durability drain on tools designed to chop trees when chopping trees - **changed** — Garden hoes now have the ability to remove stumps - **changed** — Updated loot table distributions entries and room definitions for police, prison, SWAT, gun store, metal fabrication, sewing factory, butcher, music school, and furniture store locations - **changed** — Integrated new firearms into loot lists with appropriate magazines and ammo spawning - **changed** — Decreased penlight light cone size and increased vehicle headlight light cone size - **changed** — Made head turning while sitting on furniture more gradual - **changed** — Lowered the impact of animal corpses on vehicles when driving over them - **changed** — Balanced inconsistent Neck Muscle Strain caused by certain sewing activities - **changed** — Fluid collection properly caps at player's max carry weight - **changed** — Reduced the sound radius for vehicles in multiplayer - **fixed** — Fixed player stuck when start/end grab corpse in multiplayer - **fixed** — Fixed sync when login near player that grab corpse - **fixed** — Fixed melee attacks passing through zombies near vehicles and animals - **fixed** — Fixed desync with clothing where outfits weren't updating on players in different map chunks - **fixed** — Fixed server crash - **fixed** — Fixed MaxAccountsPerUser option - **fixed** — Fixed incorrect position of remote player's character near an obstacle appearing on wrong side of walls - **fixed** — Fixed car trunk capacity not updating after receiving damage - **fixed** — Fixed clock alarm SFX playing endlessly if watch was dismantled while playing the alarm - **fixed** — Fixed safe-to-eat mushrooms receiving the poison tag if cooked together with poisoned one - **fixed** — Fixed not being able to interact with the composter in Craftsman mode - **fixed** — Fixed attached animal ropes which now break like in single player - **fixed** — Fixed remote player not playing HitReaction animation - **fixed** — Fixed disappearing dirt and blood splats on clothes when character unequipped those clothes - **fixed** — Fixed desync with incorrect position of remote player's character on Z coordinate - **fixed** — Fixed character getting damaged when climbing up/down on the escape rope - **fixed** — Fixed exception when attempting to remove graffiti with a 2-handed cleaning item - **fixed** — Fixed Soap not being used in multiplayer - **fixed** — Fixed Propane Tank dupe - **removed** — Removed ability to sleep on toilets 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 the Unstable beta branch?_ Right-click PZ in your Steam library. Select "Properties". Under "Game Version & Betas" select "Unstable". **NEW** - New Game Mode Defaults: Game Modes have been rebalanced and updated, with all but Apocalypse and Custom Sandbox replaced with new versions. Each includes a pre-set in Custom Sandbox to view/modify all specific mode settings. Expect future adjustments based on playtesting feedback. --"Apocalypse" is intended to serve as the 'Lore Canon' game mode, representing what REALLY happened on July 9th, 1993. Core changes including removing Zombie Respawn, reduced impact of Muscle Strain and Discomfort, more realistic Animal growth rates, adjusted Loot levels, and more. --"Outbreak" is designed for players desiring an accellerated play experience, with an overal focus on less time investment for advancement. --"Extinction" is focused on a brutal hardcore experience, and is intended for veteran players who want more of a challenge. BEWARE SPRINTERS. --"Rising" is intened for players who want a little more breathing room to explore, build, and create. --"Custom Sandbox" remains to allow players to customize settings to their desired play style, and remains a 'core' and valid way to enjoy Project Zomboid. - New Firearms (including relevant magazines, loot distributions based on rarity/appropriateness of firearms, and repair recipes) -- JS-14 Rifle - 5.56x45mm -- JS-3T Tactical Shotgun - 12 Guage -- L92 Carbine - .357 Magnum -- L94 Rifle - .30-30 -- MSR7T Tactical Rifle - 7.62x51mm -- Trapper Carbine - .45 ACP - Character now recieves a reading speed boost when sitting. - New gun store loot story prototype at Stendo's. - Added new map symbols for animals. - Gamepad Aiming Tech prototype - Work in Progress -- Implementing basic aiming reticle handling for Gamepad aiming. Uses aim axis to place target reticle relative to player. -- Added reticle slow-down when over active target for more precise targeting. - Added option to toggle Livestock Zone visual overlay on/off - Shift + Click allows user to select multiple items in workstation menus - Renamed Game Option "Pause when focus is lost" to be more clear, enabled by default on new game installs. - New SFX for Large Containers: -- Small Metal Door -- Clothes Rack -- Carboard and CardboardLarge **BALANCE** - Tool Usage Balance Changes -- Removed tool requirements from several tiles when picking them up -- Removed tool degradation for screwdrivers in electrical-related recipes -- Reduced the durability drain on tools designed to chop trees, when chopping trees -- Garden hoes now have the ability to remove stumps - Loot Table Updates: -- Updated missing Distributions Entries & Incorrect Roomdefs -- Added 'policeswat', 'prisonlocker' and 'swatlocker' roomdefs. Removed forced merge for 'policestorage' and 'policegunstorage' -- Added GunStoreAmmunition to military lockers in gun stores. Added 'metalfabrication' and 'metalfabricationstorage' roomdefs. Added CrateMetalBars and CrateMetalPipes to 'metalshop' and 'metalshipping' -- Added 'sewingfactory' roomdef. Added fabric rolls to sewingstore. Added CrateWallpaper to crates and cardboard boxes in furniture store storage. -- Added ButcherFish to seafoodkitchen display counters. -- Integrated new firearms into the loot lists. Added 'gunStorage' modifier to containers to ensure approropriate magazines and ammo spawn with the correct guns. Removed unused modifiers from Distributions. -- Updated maximum displaycases that can spawn items in gunstore roomdef -- Created a room definition for Music school. -- Microwaves now have ability to spawn Cup of Coffee and TV Dinner - Decreased penlight light cone _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/108600/view/526495718648580633]_