Project Zomboid Build 42.22 arrived on the optional Steam Pre-Release branch on 27 October 2026. You can finally climb ladders placed around Knox Country and force open locked doors with a crowbar. The update also fixes problems affecting animals, multiplayer, driving and everyday survival.
For now, 42.21 is still the default Stable build. The Indie Stone recommends staying there if you’re in the middle of an important save. The new ladder and crowbar interactions are available to testers who deliberately select Pre-Release.
Project Zomboid Build 42.22 patch notes: key features
Two features stand out. Existing map ladders now let you move between levels, while the crowbar has gained a context-menu action for forcing supported locks. Neither involves crafting a special tool or installing a mod: they’re gameplay additions in the new test build.
Beyond those additions, Project Zomboid Build 42.22 changes how shoving works when your hands are full, adjusts visibility around large trees, and addresses several animal-care and multiplayer bugs. Some of those fixes will be especially welcome to anyone managing a farm or a busy server.
How do the new Project Zomboid Build 42.22 ladders work?
Find a ladder on the map, stand beside it and press E. You can also right-click the ladder tile and select the interaction. The Indie Stone specifically suggests testing ladders in empty swimming pools and at the Rosewood Fire Station.
These are existing world ladders, not craftable replacements for sheet ropes. Zombies cannot climb them, but they can wait below, so look before descending. Our ladder guide covers both controls, the developer’s location examples and what to check if E does nothing.
Project Zomboid Build 42.22 crowbar changes
With a crowbar equipped or carried, right-click an appropriate locked object to find the forcing action. The supported targets include ordinary wooden and metal doors, jammed or locked windows, garage doors and locked fence gates. Reinforced security doors and jail cell doors are exceptions.
Stronger survivors are more likely to succeed, while Burglars get an additional bonus and make less noise. Repeated failures make crowbar damage more likely, and the action builds Muscle Strain. A window can also break when an attempt goes wrong. Our crowbar forced-entry guide explains which obstacles to try.
Project Zomboid Build 42.22 gameplay and animal fixes
The driving change actually lets more XXL trees remain visible within the driver’s view cone, rather than removing them altogether. Elsewhere, survivors can shove while both hands hold encumbering items, though the game may drop what is in the way. The Bad Smell moodle now prevents sleep.
You can open ammunition boxes while walking, which is handy when you’re moving through a building and need to reorganise supplies. That change sits alongside smaller inventory and action fixes, rather than being a new weapon or ammunition type.
For animal keepers, the patch tackles rabbits starving because their mothers stopped producing milk, animals dying when an area unloaded, and chickens disappearing from full hutches. It also addresses a crash involving chicken nest boxes. Those are named fixes from the changelog, not a general overhaul of farming.
Multiplayer, towing and map fixes
Multiplayer fixes include the cloned-character bug, PvP hits failing to apply correctly, and server backups taking too long to generate. PvP damage is now calculated on the server, a significant technical change for anyone hosting or playing on competitive servers.
The changelog addresses trailers and towing, the All Known on Start map option, and notes failing to persist after maps were put away. Controller, Steam Deck and split-screen fixes also feature in the developer’s full notes.
Other smaller fixes in Build 42.22
Additional changes cover smaller interactions, crafting and building interfaces, and equipment behaviour. They include repairing door deadbolts and restoring Strength experience when cutting down trees through the right-click action. These may be less eye-catching than ladders, but they affect normal play.
Steam Deck and controller fixes cover opening reading material and rotating furniture. In split-screen, The Indie Stone has addressed misplaced Cat’s Eyes effects and duplicated chat messages. The sound pass also adds ladder footsteps and sheet-rope climbing sounds.
How to install Project Zomboid Build 42.22
To play Project Zomboid Build 42.22 now, back up your saves, right-click the game in your Steam Library, open Properties → Game Versions & Betas and choose Pre-Release. That’s the new name for Unstable. Our installation and backup guide takes you through the switch.
The Indie Stone plans to test each build for at least a week before moving it to Stable. That is a minimum, not a release date. The developer also warns that a save used in testing may not remain compatible, so keep a separate copy of any world you care about.
When does Project Zomboid Build 42.22 reach Stable?
As of 31 October 2026, Project Zomboid Build 42.22 remains Pre-Release and 42.21 remains Stable. If you want the new ladders and crowbar interactions today, opt in and back up your saves. Otherwise, the default version stays unchanged until The Indie Stone announces the Stable release.
Official source: The Indie Stone: Complete Build 42.22 Pre-Release Patch Notes.
