# Project Zomboid Build 42.20.0 Stable Released - Product: Project Zomboid (https://whatsnew.fyi/product/project-zomboid) - Vendor: The Indie Stone - Date: 2026-07-29 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/108600/view/717912016810934441 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/project-zomboid/releases/2026-07-29-build-42.20.0-stable-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'. --- - **security** — Fixed a vulnerability disclosed responsibly by Jorge Escabias - **added** — Many areas across the map received substantial overhauls with new tiles, buildings, and locations - **added** — Implemented performance optimizations surrounding new map areas and features - **added** — Added Extra Large (XL and XXL) tree types and updated worldgen biomes to include them - **added** — XL tree overhang can be hidden using right-click when driving or scouting ahead - **added** — Two new challenge modes "28 Minutes Later" and "Top of the World" replace "Cabin in the Woods" in rotation - **added** — Added epilepsy warning screen on startup - **added** — Added filter search boxes to the Discovered Recipes and Media UI - **added** — Added gamepad focus and button rendering support for PrintMedia - **added** — Added controller support in the trading interface - **added** — Added ServerOption "Show coordinates" to show/hide coordinates line on all connected clients - **added** — Added ping values for each player in the Players and Users List tabs - **added** — Added separate trading interfaces for each splitscreen player - **added** — Added a list of all tradable items to the trading interface - **changed** — Changed gamepad preset default to "Original" which sets running/sprinting bound to buttons - **changed** — Moved gamepadBinding.lua from /shared to /client to prevent client-side bindings from being overridden on server join - **changed** — Increased the amount of meat cuts gained from large animals when using the butcher hook - **changed** — Rebalanced vehicle speed/towing to improve towing experience; trailers can now detach when turning sharpness/speed is too high - **changed** — Increased the max limit for "Zombie count before deletion" Sandbox option from 500 to 5000 - **changed** — Adjusted WouldInfectionFactor from 1.0 to 2.0 in Extinction mode - **fixed** — Fixed zombie culling triggering incorrectly, causing severe drops in zombie populations - **fixed** — Fixed an issue where special characters in server names could cause errors or prevent proper server file creation - **fixed** — Fixed an exploit that allowed item spawning via animal attachment commands - **fixed** — Fixed an exploit that could allow users to spawn arbitrary items in the world - **fixed** — Fixed an exploit that allowed arbitrary item spawning via modData - **fixed** — Fixed an exploit that allowed users to gain XP illegitimately - **fixed** — Fixed an exploit that allowed users to manipulate items spawned while foraging - **fixed** — Fixed a map exploit that allowed copying dedicated server map data - **removed** — Removed Unstable warning message from the main menu - **removed** — Removed the ability to respawn in "A Really CDDA" challenge - **removed** — Main menu SFX is temporarily disabled 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 attention before it could be exploited. We greatly appreciate the time and effort involved in reporting issues like this, which helps us keep the game secure for everyone. There is a small chance this change may affect some mods. If you encounter any compatibility issues after the update, we would ask that mod authors please report them in the mod_portal channel on our Discord so we can investigate. ##### How do I switch back to Build 41? Right-click PZ in your Steam library. Select "Properties". Under "Game Version & Betas" select "legacy41". ##### B42 Feature List The patch notes below cover the changes between 42.19 and 42.20. For an overview of the features and additions introduced between Build 41 and Build 42, check out our feature list (https://projectzomboid.com/blog/features-overview-build-42-20/). Please note that Build 42 has seen an enormous number of changes throughout development, so this should be considered a highlights overview rather than a complete list. ##### NEW - Map Glowup: - Many area across the map have received a substantial overhaul from the mapping team - Added a plethora of new tiles, buildings, and locations for these areas and elsewhere - Implemented performance optimizations surrounding these new areas and features - Various new room definitions and containers have been added and adjusted across a wide range of locations - Added "Extra Large" Tree Types: - XL and XXL trees and updated worldgen biomes to include them - "Wood" loot generated by cutting down trees increased for Extra Large trees - XL tree overhang can be hidden using right-click when driving or scouting ahead - Challenge Mode Revamp: - Two New Challenge Modes replace "Cabin in the Woods" in rotation: "28 Minutes Later" and "Top of the World" - Adjusted spawn coordinates for "Winter is Coming" and "A Really CDDA" challenge modes - Removed the ability to respawn in "A Really CDDA" challenge - Challenge Modes menu UI videos and descriptions updated - Updated the Main Menu artwork - Main menu SFX is temporarily disabled - Added epilepsy warning screen on startup - Removed Unstable warning message from the main menu - Added filter search boxes to the Discovered Recipes and Media UI. - The UI now also sorts alphabetically with discovered recipes on top ##### BALANCE - Increased the amount of meat cuts gained from large animals when using the butcher hook - Rebalanced vehicle speed/towing to improve towing experience; trailers can now detach when turning sharpness/speed is too high - Increased the max limit for "Zombie count before deletion" Sandbox option from 500 to 5000 - Adjusted WouldInfectionFactor from 1.0 to 2.0 in Extinction mode - Minor adjustments to the sand biome adjusting sand/dirt/clay balance ##### CONTROLLER - Changed gamepad preset default to "Original" which sets running/sprinting bound to buttons - Added gamepad focus and button rendering support for PrintMedia - Moved gamepadBinding.lua from /shared to /client to prevent client-side bindings from being overridden on server join - Added controller support in the trading interface - Improved campfire interaction reliability when using a controller - Fixed errors occurring when accessing the vehicle seat menu with controller - Fixed an issue that could cause random brandishing or interruptions while standing or running with controller - Fixed a red checkerboard momentarily displaying when swapping between controller types in the config UI - Fixed the cursor not disabling after casting a fishing rod while using a controller - Fixed respawning during a challenge on controller giving a stack error - Fixed a lua crash that could occur when reading a brochure a second time - Fixed OpenMap button not _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/108600/view/717912016810934441]_