Project Zomboid Build 42.22 Adds Working Ladders and Crowbar Lock-Breaking

The Indie Stone released Project Zomboid build 42.22 on the pre-release branch on October 28, 2026, adding a first implementation of working ladders across Knox Country, according to PCGamesN.

The update also lets players use crowbars to open locked windows, doors, and gates, including garage doors. High-security locations such as jail cells cannot be cracked. Strength speeds up crowbar opening, and the Burglar trait grants an additional bonus.

Several smaller changes come with the build: players can push objects while holding items in both hands and open ammo boxes while walking. Sleeping near a bad smell is no longer allowed, and large trees should be less likely to block visibility.

The patch also addresses unintended animal deaths, duplicate characters in multiplayer, and miscalculated PvP damage.

Branch renamed as testing window is set

The studio has renamed the old "unstable" branch the "pre-release" branch. Builds will spend at least one week in pre-release testing before moving to stable, except in the case of urgent hotfixes.

Build 42 first arrived before this update, after which the studio faced a long wait for stable builds. Before build 42.22, ladders in Project Zomboid could not be climbed without mods.