Hero image: Ladders arrive in Build 42.22. Image: The Indie Stone
Project Zomboid’s next update — Build 42.22, with climbable ladders and crowbars that can force locked doors — is out for testing on a new Pre-Release branch that replaces the old Unstable one.
The Indie Stone set out the change in a Steam post on 27 October, saying the Unstable name “was causing some confusion among players, especially given the (long) history of Unstable in Build 42.”
For most players, the studio says, nothing changes: it recommends staying on the default Stable branch, currently 42.21.
The Pre-Release branch is aimed at modders, multiplayer server admins and “the brave, testing-friendly type” — and the cycle from now on is a release to Pre-Release, at least a week of testing, then Stable.
The studio is blunt about saves. It warns players not to move a long-term singleplayer save to Pre-Release unless it is backed up, as it “cannot guarantee that the save will work” in the final release.
The headline features are ladders, which can now be used on the map with the E key, and crowbars, which can force open locked windows, doors, garage doors and gates through the right-click menu.
Security doors and jail cell doors can’t be forced. The Burglar profession is handier and quieter with a crowbar, strength helps, and repeated failures raise the chance of damaging the crowbar.
Other changes include characters being unable to sleep with the Bad Smell moodle, opening ammo boxes while walking, and fixes for animals dying when their cell unloads and for chickens disappearing from full hutches.
Multiplayer gets fixes for the duplicate character bug, and PvP damage calculations have moved server-side. The post also mentions updated anti-cheat measures.
The full 42.22 notes are on The Indie Stone’s forums, which did not load from our connection, so this report goes on the Steam post alone.
To opt in, players select Pre-Release under Game Versions & Betas in the game’s Steam properties. Project Zomboid is A$34.95 on the Australian Steam store.
Source: Project Zomboid – Moving on Up: 42.22 Pre-Release, Steam – Project Zomboid