Not Quite Dead Patch Notes & Version Tracker
Quick answer
Latest tracked patches: September 4, 2026 SteamDB-visible updates improved weapon accuracy, zombie hitbox/collision, Plastic Scrap availability, explosive zombie placement, and enemy counts.
Not Quite Dead is now in its Steam Early Access launch window, so this page tracks official patch-note facts, current version signals, and the guide pages that need review after each update. Treat Steam notes as release-note facts, SteamDB build metadata as build/date evidence, and route details, loot tables, spawn rates, and reproduction steps as unverified until they are tested in the live build.
Quick Answer
As of the 2026-09-05 review, Not Quite Dead: Open World Survival is in Steam Early Access after its September 1, 2026 Steam release. The latest tracked official patch notes are the September 4, 2026 SteamDB-visible updates for weapon accuracy, zombie hitbox/collision, Plastic Scrap availability, explosive zombie placement, and enemy-count rebalance.
Earlier September 2 and September 1 updates confirmed fixes or improvements for spawn distance, spawn placement, corpse collision, chest size, vehicle stability, Prison FPS, Prison optimization, Prison zombie movement/navigation, and the main infinite zombie spawning bug. Use Known Issues before treating old complaints as current, and use Not Quite Dead Codes for reward-code status and source boundaries.
Recent Hotfix Impact
| Area | What changed | Player check |
|---|---|---|
| Combat | Weapon accuracy and zombie hitbox/collision were marked improved in the September 4 updates. | Retest ranged fights, moving targets, headshots, and body shots before repeating old hit-registration complaints. |
| Loot | Plastic Scrap availability was marked easier, and enemy/explosive-zombie balance changed. | Recheck early crafting routes and low-risk loot runs before treating old scarcity reports as current. |
| Performance | Prison FPS, Prison optimization, Prison zombie navigation, vehicle stability, and infinite zombie spawning were marked fixed or improved in launch-week updates. | Update first, then separate current live-build issues from pre-patch reports when reviewing Known Issues. |
Latest Patch Snapshot
| Field | Current tracked value |
|---|---|
| Latest tracked patch | "More Balance & Loot Improvements" |
| Last reviewed | 2026-09-05 |
| Patch date | 2026-09-04 |
| Build evidence | SteamDB build 25115847, edited 2026-09-04 03:26:14 UTC; previous same-day SteamDB build 25114019, edited 2026-09-04 01:06:23 UTC |
| Primary source type | Official Steam Community update notes mirrored by SteamDB |
| Player impact | Retest Plastic Scrap scarcity, explosive zombie placement, enemy density, weapon accuracy, and zombie hit registration before filing new bug reports. |
| Related tracker | Known Issues |
Version Timeline
| Date | Source | What changed or matters |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-04 | Steam Community / SteamDB patch notes | Latest tracked balance update says Plastic Scrap is now easier to find. |
| 2026-09-04 | Steam Community / SteamDB patch notes | Explosive zombies were reduced and moved mainly toward military bases, remote areas, and dangerous zones. |
| 2026-09-04 | Steam Community / SteamDB patch notes | Enemy counts were rebalanced so some zones should feel calmer while dangerous locations can remain denser. |
| 2026-09-04 | Steam Community / SteamDB patch notes | Weapon accuracy was improved. |
| 2026-09-04 | Steam Community / SteamDB patch notes | Zombie hitbox/collision was improved so shots, including headshots and body shots, should register more reliably. |
| 2026-09-02 | Steam Community / SteamDB patch notes | Latest tracked hotfix says zombies now spawn farther away from players. |
| 2026-09-02 | Steam Community / SteamDB patch notes | Zombie spawn placement was improved so spawns should appear in more appropriate locations. |
| 2026-09-02 | Steam Community / SteamDB patch notes | Dead zombie corpse collision was fixed. |
| 2026-09-02 | Steam Community / SteamDB patch notes | Chests were made smaller so they should fit into the environment better. |
| 2026-09-01 | Steam store | Not Quite Dead lists a September 1, 2026 release date and Early Access status. |
| 2026-09-01 | Steam Community / SteamDB patch notes | Vehicle driving was marked much more stable. |
| 2026-09-01 | Steam Community / SteamDB patch notes | Prison FPS, overall Prison optimization, and Prison zombie movement/navigation were marked fixed or improved. |
| 2026-09-01 | Steam Community / SteamDB patch notes | The main infinite zombie spawning bug was marked fixed. |
| 2026-09-01 | Steam Community / SteamDB patch notes | A big vehicle was added early, tied to quest progress and the survivor redeem code. |
| 2026-09-01 | Steam Community | The developer asked players to report bugs, multiplayer issues, performance problems, zombie behavior, item problems, and collision problems after release. |
September 4 Changed Items
These items changed in the latest tracked patches. Keep them as patch/recheck items until live-build testing confirms how they feel in normal play:
| Topic | Official status | What to verify in game |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon accuracy | Marked improved. | Whether recoil, aiming, and practical ranged reliability feel better across common weapons without assuming exact damage or spread values. |
| Zombie hitbox / collision | Marked improved. | Whether moving enemies, headshots, and body shots register more consistently in normal combat. |
| Plastic Scrap availability | Marked easier to find. | Whether early crafting and progression still stall because Plastic Scrap is too rare. |
| Explosive zombie distribution | Marked reduced and concentrated in logical high-risk locations. | Whether explosive zombies still appear in low-risk areas or directly disrupt beginner routes. |
| Enemy counts | Marked rebalanced. | Whether calmer zones now give breathing room while military, remote, or dangerous zones remain appropriately risky. |
Official source links for the two September 4 updates: Steam news, More Balance & Loot Improvements, SteamDB mirror for build 25115847, and SteamDB mirror for Zombie Hitboxes & Weapon Accuracy Improved, build 25114019.
September 4 Affected Guide Links
| Update entry | Affected pages | Why to revisit |
|---|---|---|
| Combat / Hit Registration | Weapon upgrades, Beginner first run, Known Issues | Accuracy and zombie hitbox/collision are officially improved, so older weapon reliability and moving-target complaints need current-build retesting before being repeated as active issues. |
| Loot / Enemy Balance | Beginner first run, Known Issues, Bunkers and radiation prep, Prison | Plastic Scrap availability, explosive zombie placement, and enemy counts changed; early routes and high-risk area advice should stay cautious until players verify the live build. |
September 2 Changed Items
These items changed in an earlier launch-week patch. Keep them as patch/recheck items until live-build testing confirms how they feel in normal play:
| Topic | Official status | What to verify in game |
|---|---|---|
| Zombie spawn distance | Marked changed so zombies spawn farther away. | Whether close spawns still happen after fast travel, area reloads, co-op hosting, or returning to cleared spaces. |
| Zombie spawn placement | Marked improved. | Whether zombies still appear in blocked, unfair, or obviously inappropriate spots. |
| Chest size | Marked reduced. | Whether placement, looting, collision, and visibility now feel correct in cramped interiors. |
September 2 Fixed Items
These official fixed items should move out of unqualified "current issue" language unless a newer current-build report reproduces them:
| Topic | Official status | What to verify in game |
|---|---|---|
| Dead corpse collision | Marked fixed. | Whether corpses still block doors, loot access, movement, vehicles, or combat paths. |
September 1 Launch Fixes To Recheck
These topics should move out of unqualified "current issue" language, but they still need current-build verification before becoming final guides:
| Topic | Official status | What to verify in game |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle driving instability | Marked improved / much more stable. | Whether cars still get stuck, flip, desync, or behave badly on rough terrain. |
| Prison FPS | Marked fixed. | Whether performance remains stable during combat, looting, and repeated entries. |
| Prison navigation | Zombie movement/navigation inside the Prison marked fixed. | Whether zombies still path through blocked rooms, stairs, doors, or cells. |
| Infinite zombie spawning | Main bug marked fixed. | Whether zombies still stack after leaving and returning to an area. |
| Added vehicle | Added early for launch. | Exact quest step, unlock timing, fuel behavior, storage, and durability. |
Player Impact By Page
| Page | Current action |
|---|---|
| Known Issues | Separate fixed/recheck topics from tracking and unknown topics. Do not present September 1 or September 2 fixed items as active bugs without newer evidence. |
| Codes | Track survivor, BUILDER, and THANKYOU as official reward codes; keep debug-mode access separate from normal rewards. |
| Beginner first run | Update early survival advice for improved combat, rebalanced enemy density, Plastic Scrap availability, and explosive zombie placement. |
| Weapon upgrades | Mention the September 4 accuracy and hitbox improvements without publishing weapon stats or U1-U6 cost tables. |
| Prison | Keep guidance limited to radiation, official fix status, and still-needed testing. |
| Base, Vehicles, and Loot | Mention vehicle utility without claiming exact new-vehicle stats or route details. |
| Black Screen Fix | Keep old-playtest save cleanup separate from unrelated control, vehicle, or multiplayer symptoms. |
Still Needs Player Verification
These are useful player questions, but they should not be written as finished databases yet:
- Exact Prison room loot.
- Fixed Prison route, quest step, or safe path.
- Added vehicle stats, inventory, fuel use, durability, and repair costs.
- Gas mask location and protection values.
- Trader inventory and prices.
- Faction token earning routes.
- Full controller support status.
- Exact U1 to U6 weapon upgrade costs.
- Exact weapon accuracy values, hitbox dimensions, recoil numbers, and damage tables.
What Not To Do
Do not keep old launch-countdown language as the lead. The current anchor is the September 1, 2026 Early Access launch/build status, not earlier wishlist milestones.
Do not turn planned features into current guide content. Dynamic events, expanded crafting, more weapons and gear, new biomes, map expansions, deeper customization, weapon modding, human NPCs, and advanced progression should stay planned until official or in-game evidence confirms them.
Do not turn the survivor code into a complete vehicle unlock guide until the quest path is verified in game.
Source Notes
Sources checked on 2026-09-05: official Steam store page for release date and Early Access status; Steam Community update notes mirrored by SteamDB for the September 4 weapon accuracy, hitbox/collision, Plastic Scrap, explosive-zombie, and enemy-count updates; September 2 zombie spawn distance, spawn placement, corpse collision, and chest-size hotfix; and September 1 launch-window vehicle, Prison, infinite-spawn, Season Rewards, and redeem-code notes. Deployment commit remains needs_evidence here because this content pass can verify repository files and public source pages, not the production deployment state.
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Related Guides
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Beginner First Run Survival Guide | Not Quite Dead
A cautious first-run guide for Not Quite Dead covering opening survival, combat, enemy density, Plastic Scrap, food pressure, stamina, and riskier exploration.
Base, Vehicles, and Loot Priorities | Not Quite Dead
How to think about base setup, vehicle use, and loot risk in Not Quite Dead without inventing stats.
Confirmed Systems Overview | Not Quite Dead
A current-state overview of confirmed, planned, and changing systems in Not Quite Dead: Open World Survival.
Not Quite Dead Trader Guide - What To Buy, Sell, And Verify
A Not Quite Dead trader guide for buy/sell priorities, scarce resources, weapon parts, faction caveats, and Early Access price verification.