Human survivors are the most asked-about missing feature in Project Zomboid. This page separates what The Indie Stone has said from what fan wikis have compiled, and lists the NPC mods that work on Build 42 today. Updated for Build 42.21 Stable and 42.22 Pre-Release, November 2026.
| When | Post | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| January 2022 | 2022 and Beyond | Build 42 is a crafting and balance build; NPCs are "technically" Build 43 and will arrive in stages over perhaps two or three builds, with no dates |
| 17 February 2022 | Holy Cow | Animals and hunting move into Build 42 with basic AI, to be replaced by full NPC behaviour code in Build 43 |
| March 2022 | The Zuckerverse | The first NPC build is wide but shallow, with no story mode: NPCs join your group, help with crafting, cooking, building and hauling, and fight beside you. Hostile NPCs exist. Chained story events come later |
| Current | Steam store page | NPC survivors and the return of Kate and Baldspot are still listed as planned, with no dates |
Also announced: public release of the mapping tools (WorldZed and TileZed) and the AnimZed animation editor, a modding guide, more multiplayer and controller work, and community translation. One press report adds Louisville sewers, rooftop traversal and a map overhaul of Brandenburg, Louisville and Irvington, without dates (one source). See patch notes and version history.
You will see a list online that runs: Build 43 NPCs stage one, Build 45 factions, Build 47 scenarios with Kate and Bob, Build 48 as version 1.0. That list is a fan wiki compilation built from posts dated 2013, 2014 and 2019. It is not a roadmap The Indie Stone publishes, and the wiki's own pages disagree on the numbering.
| Mod | Works on | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bandits NPC | 42.20 and later | Single player and multiplayer |
| Knox Event Expanded | 42.20 and later | Needs the ZombieBuddy mod |
| Week One NPC | 42.19 and 42.20 | Single player |
| Superb Survivors | Build 41 only | No longer maintained |
Compatibility is as one guide found it on the Workshop pages on 14 October 2026 (one source). Check each mod's page before you install. See mods for how to install them.
The earliest alpha builds had NPC survivors and a tutorial story about Kate and Bob, called 'Til Death Us Do Part. Both were removed in 2013 because they were too buggy, and the store page still lists their return as planned. See lore.
Not in the base game as of Build 42. Human survivors are planned, and mods such as Bandits NPC add them now.
There is no date. The Indie Stone does not give release dates, and its 2026 posts do not name Build 43.
In 2022 the studio described NPCs that join your group, help with work and fight beside you, plus hostile NPCs, with story events coming later.
Bandits NPC works on 42.20 and later in single player and multiplayer. Superb Survivors is Build 41 only.
The couple from the original tutorial story in the alpha builds, removed in 2013. The store page lists their return as planned.
Official statements are quoted by post and date; the two 2022 posts are the most recent we found that describe NPC plans in detail. Sources: The Indie Stone: 2022 and Beyond · The Indie Stone: Holy Cow · The Indie Stone: The Zuckerverse · The Indie Stone: Next Steps · Steam store page · PZFans NPC mods in Build 42. Your game is the final word: if it disagrees with us, tell us and we will fix the page.