Peak pushed a small emergency hotfix today with Hotfix 1.42.a, and yes, the zombies took the hit. The developer says the creatures were turning into too many match-enders, so this update reduces how often they turn up and softens several of their behaviors. This is a quick balance pass, not a rework. If you want context on the game’s recent maintenance rhythm, we previously covered the maintenance patch that added a new map rotation and other tweaks in our earlier story.
Patch Notes – 1.42.a
- Removed zombies entirely from Tenderfoot difficulty.
- Significantly reduced the number of zombie spawn points on the map.
- Slightly reduced zombie walk and sprint speed.
- Increased the amount of time a zombie will take to recover after a lunge.
- Reduced the radius at which a sleeping zombie will wake up and begin chasing the player.
- Reduced the distance at which a zombie will go from a walk to a sprint.
- BUT, zombies will now attack skeletonized players. Good luck!
Minor Fixes
- Fixed faulty text on the Applied Esoterica Badge.
Short and effective: fewer spawn points and slower zombies should cut down on those sudden, unavoidable encounters that end runs. The change that lets zombies target skeletonized players adds a twist for anyone who likes playing with low-health theatrics.
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