When night falls, the dead come out. Zombies spawn around players in waves, they always know where you are, and they surround you. The better your gear, the worse they get, and every kill pays coins and XP.
At a glance#
| When | At night, from about 19:48 to 07:18 game time. Most nights (60%), not every night |
| Who | Players at skill level 15 or higher. Under 15 you are left alone |
| Waves | Up to 5 a night, a minute apart. Your skill level decides how many come for you |
| Tier | Picked by the best gear you carry, from Weak Zombie to Master Zombie |
| Pay | Coins and skill XP for every kill, by tier |
| Safe places | Your own base, under a roof, safe zones, vehicles and underground |
When they come, and for whom#
- Zombies come at night, from about 19:48 to 07:18 in-game time. A night has a 60% chance of zombies.
- Each night brings up to 5 waves, one minute apart. A wave that drags on is moved along after 5 minutes.
- At dawn, every zombie still standing crumbles away (no corpse).
Your skill level decides how many waves come for you:
| Skill level | Waves for you |
|---|---|
| Under 15 | None. You are told at nightfall that you are protected |
| 15 to 19 | 1 |
| 20 to 24 | 2 |
| 25 to 29 | 3 |
| 30 to 34 | 4 |
| 35 and over | 5 |
| Prestiged | All 5 |
Teammates, and players within 30 m of each other, are one group: the zombies come for the group together.
Where they will not spawn for you#
You are skipped for a wave while you are:
- inside your own base (your building privilege), or building blocked in someone else's;
- under a roof or inside a building;
- in a safe zone;
- mounted (car, minicopter, horse, boat) or standing on a moving boat or lift;
- underground (train tunnels, caves).
Monuments are not safe: zombies come for you there too.
Tip: Want a quiet night? Stay home. Want the coins and XP? Go out in the open with your group.
Your gear picks the tier#
The tier is the strongest one that matches anything you wear, hold in your belt or carry in your inventory. A rifle in your bag counts as much as one in your hands.
| Tier | You carry any of | Spawns per wave, for each player |
|---|---|---|
| Weak Zombie | Nothing below | 4 to 7, at 25 m |
| Zombie | Road sign kilt, jacket or gloves, boots, a semi-auto rifle, custom SMG, Thompson or pump shotgun | 5 to 9, at 20 m |
| Empowered Zombie | A metal facemask, metal chest plate or tactical gloves, an AK, LR-300, MP5, Spas-12 or L96 | 7 to 11, at 15 m |
| Master Zombie | An M249 | 8 to 13, at 12 m |
Tip: Raiding gear in your bag brings harder zombies. Leave the AK at home if you only want an easy night.
The zombie classes#
Each zombie in a wave is one of its tier's classes, picked at random.
| Class | Weapon | What it does | Health by tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvester | Pitchfork | The plain zombie | Weak 250, Zombie 500 |
| Massacre | Chainsaw | Runs at you without stopping. The chainsaw does 30 to 60% damage | Weak 250, Zombie 500, Empowered 1,000 |
| Pyro | Machete and 3 Molotovs | Throws a Molotov every 12 seconds from 5 to 18 m away | Zombie 500, Empowered 1,000, Master 1,500 |
| Crusher | Mace | Walks at half speed, hits twice as hard and takes only 60% damage | Empowered 1,200, Master 1,800 |
| Boomer | Explosive | Gets within 3 m, beeps three times and blows up 1.5 seconds later. Takes 150% damage | Master 400 |
Every class has a card in the Bestiary (filter Night zombies).
How they hunt#
- They always know where you are. They see all around them, crouching does not hide you, and they hunt you instead of wandering.
- They are slower than you. Their top speed is 3.5; your sprint is about 5.5. You can always run, but they keep coming.
- They surround you. Close in, they spread into a ring around you instead of queueing in one line.
- They open doors, but never locked ones. Your base stays shut.
- Stuck ones crumble. A zombie that cannot reach you for 20 seconds crumbles away instead of following.
- They give up if nobody is within 150 m of them for 30 seconds.
- Outpost sentries shoot them, and they ignore sleeping players.
Warning: A zombie's melee hit has a 6% chance to give you the Z13 virus. Carry a Blight Serum. See Health.
What each kill pays#
| Tier | Coins | Skill XP |
|---|---|---|
| Weak Zombie | 20 to 40 | 600 |
| Zombie | 50 to 70 | 900 |
| Empowered Zombie | 60 to 90 | 1,200 |
| Master Zombie | 100 to 150 | 1,500 |
A zombie you kill leaves a body with loot in it. Night-time also gives double skill XP and double wood, ore, skins and wild plants (see Progression), so a night of zombies is a big XP night.
Tips#
- Fight from a wall or a rock. They surround you in the open. Put something at your back.
- Kill Boomers first, at range. They have little health and a big blast.
- Spread your group out a little. One Boomer should never catch three of you.
- Bandages and a Blight Serum. Bleeds and the Z13 virus are what kill you, not the swings.
Related pages: Bestiary · Health · Progression · World Events