Project Zomboidhas had its fair share of ups and downs over the years, but it’s never been quite as good as it is today.Build 42, specifically, is a dizzying high-pointfor this long-lasting survival sim, but plenty more is already on the horizon via planned Build 43 features.
Of course, I’m simplifying things here. Even thoughBuild 42 has only just released in its Unstable version, we do already have a rough outline of the game’s future content updates. That’s becauseProject Zomboidhas a particularly long and storied production history, with the developer The Indie Stone revealing bits and pieces of what’s to come.
All planned features for Project Zomboid Builds 43 through 48
A huge caveat to keep in mind here is thatit takes literal years for major version updates to come toProject Zomboid. Don’t believe me? Build 40 was released in October 2018, Build 41 came out in December 2021, and Build 42 has only just launched in December 2023. This means that any and all features I highlight in this article may not come out for years. That’s on top of it being entirely possible that they may get dropped as development continues.
Project Zomboidis currently planned to release as a full-featured 1.0 game in Build 48. The Indie Stone has historically been reasonably good at sticking to its plans, so there’s no reason to think this might change. At the current pace, though, 1.0 might not come out before 2030. Make of that what you will, but the good news is thatProject Zomboidis more than playable and fun even today. In other words, continued development is a key feature, rather than a painful bug.
Project Zomboid Build 43
Build 43 is supposed to be the initial rollout ofProject Zomboid‘s human NPC systems. Particularly experienced players may recall that the pre-3D versions ofProject Zomboidactually had a rudimentary NPC system in place! This feature, however, was carved out as The Indie Stone moved to a modernized 3D engine with everything the transition entailed.
Human NPCs are, predictably, one of the most highly requested features in the community. Their (re)introduction is going to serve up one of the biggest gameplay revamps the game has ever had, as NPC survivors will now be able to do virtually everything the human players can.
Of note is that Build 43 is going to leverage code that’s beenadded to Build 42 for its NPC animals, so the initial stages of B43’s rollout have already technically begun. With that in mind, B43 is only going to have a simple iteration of the survivor NPC system, with more complex interaction systems slated for Build 45.
Project Zomboid Build 44
Curiously, we know precious little aboutProject Zomboid‘s Build 44 at this time. Almost every other major Build release has been detailed tosomeextent, whereas Builds 44 and 46 are simply being referred to as “Intermediate” updates.
With that in mind, a dedicatedProject Zomboidfan known asDarkcenturi has assembled amassivelistof features and improvements that haven’t already been attributed to particular Builds. This makes it likely that at least some of them will release as parts of B44 and B46:
This list is inexhaustive, mind: The Indie Stone usually loads up every major Build release with a huge assortment of content that doesn’t get outright mentioned ahead of time.
Project Zomboid Build 45
As per The Indie Stone’s claims,Project ZomboidBuild 45 is going to upgrade human NPCs to Stage 2 functionality. This entails a frankly remarkable list of features at this time:
Further, Build 45 is also going to be the first major foray into something The Indie Stone calls “story interactions,” which may or may not be dedicated narrative-based gameplay scenarios or something entirely different. We’ve definitely got a few more years to go before B45 drops, though, so expect more information down the line.
Metagame, too, will be meaningfully expanded upon in Build 45. This is more-or-less the offline functionality of theSTALKERgames’ A-Life system: an off-screen simulation of “Zomboid” and NPC interactions and events. For example, even though youcanhear gunshots going off in the distance even inProject ZomboidB41, as of B45 you will be able to track down where they came from and witness the aftermath.Zomboid‘s metagame also refers to unique events featuring specialized Zomboids, item drops, and other assorted goodies, so it’s plenty exciting no matter how you flip it.
Project Zomboid Build 46
Much as in Build 44,Project Zomboid‘s Build 46 is supposed to be an Intermediate content update that we have no idea what it might focus on. For reference as to whatmightbe featured, circle back to the B44 list of features I outlined above. Presumably, whatever doesn’t make its way into 44 will release as part of 46, but not much else is known.
Project Zomboid Build 47
Project Zomboid‘s Build 47 is supposed to be the final iteration of the NPC AI and gameplay systems. It’s going to field non-persistent NPC set-pieces and events, which will expand upon Build 45’s deeper interpersonal and inter-group relationships between AI actors.
The Indie Stone has also mentioned that Bob and Kate Smith (the old tutorial characters from pre-3D versions ofProject Zomboid) will be reintroduced in B47. Since their unique tutorial scenario won’t be released until B48, however, the specifics are a tad hazy.According to the developer, “Kate and Baldspot will go on a long journey over the map (to an as yet undisclosed location) and the stories we tell will cover the people they meet and the places they’ll go on their travels – sometimes from their perspective, and sometimes through the perspective of others.” That particular update was posted back in 2011, though, so take it with a pinch of salt.
Project Zomboid Build 48
Finally, the 1.0 version ofProject Zomboidis going to be known as Build 48. It’s going to feature the grand return of the Smiths’ legendary tutorial scenario, the Fort Knox location, a further improvement of the game’s user interface, and a comprehensive upgrade for the Agriculture features and skills.
Most interestingly, B48 is going to introduce Wilderness 2.0, featuring “proper trees with canopies, river banks, and hills and sloped terrain.” IfBuild 42’s inter-city wildernessis anything to go by, we’re looking at a truly monumental improvement to every aspect ofZomboid‘s non-urban areas, and it’s going to be a real hoot.
