Project Zomboid is one of the most ambitious zombie survival games to date. With some of the most in-depth mechanics of all survival games, Project Zomboid has turned into a bit of a cult classic with fans of the genre, even though it is still in Early Access. One of the most anticipated features of the game remains out though unfortunately.
When Build 41 dropped fans were especially excited about the new mechanics, for example the ability to exercise and improve fitness-related skills. But the multiplayer mode has been left out for some time due to the large amount of bugs and issues involved. A while ago, (Back in July) the dev team broke the silence on multiplayer and estimated that this could be finished in around 6 months. We finally have some more news about the release date due to the latest Project Zomboid blog post.
When Will Multiplayer be Released for Project Zomboid Build 41?
In the latest blog post, (Search and DeZtroy) The Indie Stone have announced that they have made great progress on the multiplayer aspects of the game. To quote the blog post “our much improved and stable MP feels like it is nearing completion“. Although this is still rather vague, they also go on to explain more details surrounding the release of Build 41 Multiplayer.
In the blog post, whilst speaking about multiplayer they explain they are “really trying to make sure the first version falls into this year“. Meaning that we can expect to see at least some version of Project Zomboid in multiplayer dropping in December. Although there is not an exact date set in stone, it seems the team is confident enough to make an official announcement stating fans can expect to play with their friends this year.
They do go on to say that whilst they haven’t released a specific date, they are confident that it will be a December release. There are still some minor doubts and as we all know, anything can happen in production. Some later paragraphs mention that if there are any game-breaking bugs shown in the multiplayer release there is a chance that the release could be pushed back into the new year. The direct quote regarding the release being possibly delayed is;
So while the actual date is still up in the air, we have an internal ETA we’re working to. Right now the intended release date appears to be fairly stable, if it falls back it seems to us that it would only be by a week or two, even if the stars don’t align and we end up having to hold it in until after the New Year and Christmas (both Western and Russian).
Source; Project Zomboid November Devblog
Crunch Time in Development
While this news may sound disappointing to some it is important and ethical that The Indie Stone don’t want to push their team too hard over the Christmas period. This time can already be stressful for some, but it’s good to see that the team doesn’t want their team to Crunch over this time period. We’ve seen other games suffer the effects of rushed releases. Notably CD Project Red was reported to have been pushing their employees with longer hours before the release of Cyberpunk 2077. Personally I am happier to wait for a smoother product and I think it would work in their favor a lot more. “A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad.”
Here is a look at one of the multiplayer test highlight videos which also features in the blog post:
You can read the full blog post from The Indie Stone here.
What are your thoughts on the multiplayer release for Project Zomboid? Are you excited to finally hear a release date for the multiplayer and do you plan on jumping straight in with friends? Write a comment below!
- If you wanted to get straight into some multiplayer action with friends you can always play multiplayer with friends over the internet using Steams Remote Play Together feature! Even if they don’t have the game you can play with them. Check out this guide to find out more.