7 Days to Die Roadmap 2026: V4.0, Bandits and the Current Version

Rather than speculate on a forward-looking roadmap, this page tracks what has actually shipped in 2026 and the major industry events around the game. Information is drawn from Steam patch notes and The Fun Pimps' official announcements. Always check the live Steam news feed for the most recent updates.

Newest Release: V3.2.0 Stable (26 August 2026)

V3.2.0 is the current stable build. It ran on the opt-in latest_experimental branch from 19 August 2026 and became the default public build on 26 August 2026. PC clients and dedicated servers should be on Default Public Version, which is where V3.2.0 already is. Do not select latest_experimental unless a newer experimental build actually exists and you intend to test it; as of 10 September 2026 none has been announced.

It is a small release by TFP's own framing, a couple of features and a fix pass, and the announcement that shipped with it explains why. See the new smaller-update cadence below, which is the more important roadmap story.

The two headline features:

• Honk to open trader doors. Your vehicle's horn now opens the outer doors at traders. Not every door fits every vehicle, and on-screen text tells you when you are close enough. A new door variant, oldWoodDoorNoHonk, was added for trader interiors so inner doors do not respond - it has replaced the interior oldWoodDoor in Rekt, Hugh and Joel.
• Combine Station UI rework. The result and its final stats are now readable before you commit, a plus marker flags combined items, and combining is now an explicit button press rather than happening implicitly.

What actually matters if you run a server:

• Custom POIs are now pushed from the server to the client (the server sends a minimal metadata package). This is the biggest operational change in the release: historically, players joining a server with custom prefabs had to obtain them out of band. Treat the exact scope as unconfirmed until it has been tested in the wild - the note is terse and this is an experimental build.
• Screamer chain-spawning is gone. Screamer spawns were commented out of the screamer scout groups in entitygroups.xml, so screamers no longer call more screamers. That removes a well-known runaway-spawn load spike. If your modlet overrides entitygroups.xml, re-check it against the new file.
• Sleeper spawn checks optimised for player visibility when players are far away - a server-side CPU win on larger maps.
• Auto turrets no longer support stability, and can no longer be placed on walls. Existing wall-mounted turret designs are affected. Forum reports on release day say the placement still appears permitted and the turret then falls and breaks; another user notes a pink outline is the "cannot place" indicator. Unconfirmed by TFP either way.
• Prefab/POI properties changed: a new AllowDecorations property separates world decoration in POIs from the TraderArea setting, and the obsolete AllowTopSoilDecorations was removed. Prefab authors should update.

Other changes: cooking pot, cooking grill and anvil requirement logic fixed so a held one no longer influences cook time; campfire can morph terrain like other blocks again; junk loot and general trader inventory can now supply cotton when Crop Yield is set to none; timid animals detect threats better; new buff icons for chicken stress events; some Chinese localization clarified.

Fixes: being unable to craft lower-tier items after unlocking them; demolition zombies not exploding from client damage; rabbits running too slow; Permadeath not granting Base Skill Points on death; Loot Max Tier clamping user mods; entities causing blocks to collapse during chunk resets; the "Failed to search EOS servers" popup.

Still open: a player reported on the release thread that changing quest progression settings on a dedicated server has broken it for at least two patches and is not addressed here. That is a community report, not a TFP statement, and we have not reproduced it.

Current Stable: V3.2.0 (26 August 2026), on the V3.0 "Dead Hot Summer" line

The current default build is V3.2.0, stable since 26 August 2026. It replaced V3.1.0 "Henpocalypse", which held the default branch from 27 July 2026 on all three platforms - see the V3.1.0 section below for what that changed. It sits on the V3.0 line, so the V3.0 notes here still describe the underlying release.

V3.0 went stable on June 29, 2026 after a two-week experimental cycle - and yes, that includes consoles: the stable build launched simultaneously on PC, Xbox Series X|S and PS5 with crossplay, so "is 3.0 on console?" is simply yes, since day one. It is now the default Steam branch, no opt-in needed.

The headline changes: ~150 sandbox customization options compiled into a shareable SandboxCode, 11 official presets, the Item Magnitude loot system with the Combine Station, 60+ new POIs, the Sign-Tech overhaul, and a reworked mod infrastructure. Full breakdowns: V3.0 release notes · all 11 presets for servers · what V3.0 breaks for modded servers.

V3.0.1 - Stable (13 July 2026)

V3.0.1 went stable on 13 July 2026, four days after its experimental debut. A bugfix pass rather than new content: Sign-Tech error handling, Beachwear cosmetic fixes and a batch of reported bugs, measured against V3.0.0 b259. Saves carry over. Update the server and all clients together, because a version mismatch is the usual cause of a "my server disappeared" report.

Patch day for this release produced three recurring problems, all avoidable: items left in a workstation or crafting queue could be lost during the update, rolling a save back to 3.0.0 after playing on 3.0.1 reset characters, and a broken crafting queue could crash-loop the game on load. Console players cannot roll back at all, so a cloud backup before patch day is the only protection there. The full walkthrough for each, including the fix for the crash loop, is in the V3.0 release notes breakdown.

V3.1.0 "Henpocalypse" - stable since 27 July 2026

Yes, V3.1 exists. It was the stable release from 27 July 2026 until V3.2.0 replaced it on 26 August. It went stable on 27 July 2026 across PC, PlayStation and Xbox simultaneously, following an experimental branch that opened 22 July. It is a real content update, not a point-release: its headline is chicken farming - catch and carry live chickens back to base, place them in the new Chicken Coop workstation (three tool slots: Brooding Lamp, Chicken Run, Nesting Box), feed them Rekt's Chicken Feed, and manage a new Chicken Stress event - plus four chicken recipes and the Big Beak cosmetic (arriving 29 July, two days after the stable build).

What matters for server owners (the part beyond the chickens):

• Your preset codes may break. Density and Respawn are now split into day and night values, and into enemy and animal types. TFP updated the official preset codes to match; if you run a custom preset, re-copy it or invalid settings may silently default. Details on our presets guide and SandboxCode guide.
• New sandbox options to know: Chicken Coop Time / Yield / Input, Chicken Stress Event, Infection Chance, Hunger Multiplier, Thirst Multiplier, and a Stack Size Multiplier (capped at 30,000).
• Saves are compatible - no new game required (back up first via Manage Saves).
• A V3.0 save-corruption bug is fixed: the "EndofStreamException and corrupted game from converting copies of saves to v3.0" is resolved in 3.1.0, along with a serverside memory-stream exception, an EOS exception during POI reset, and the getsandboxoptions console command not returning results to clients.

As always, test on a throwaway world before your community save, and keep client and server on the same branch. Full breakdown of the update, the new sandbox options and what admins should change: 7 Days to Die V3.1.0 Henpocalypse, and the preset-code trap.

V4.0: what is actually confirmed

This is the part most articles get wrong, because they are still working from a roadmap The Fun Pimps replaced. Here is the split, with the confidence level stated plainly.

Confirmed by the developers:

• V4.0 is in active development and is the next major update. A TFP programmer wrote in March 2026 that "3.0 and 4.0 are both currently in development, with 5.0 and 6.0 planned out".
• Bandits are its primary planned feature. A TFP moderator, correcting a set of AI-generated predictions in the same thread, wrote that "4.0 is going to focus on bandits and that the other features originally listed in the first roadmap are going to have their own updates".
• It is being built by a different team from the one shipping the 3.x updates. The V3.2.0 announcement on 26 August 2026 states it directly: "Work on v4.0 continues in parallel and is moving along well."
• Bandit work is active, described by the same moderator as "moving at full steam ahead".

Not confirmed for V4.0, despite appearing in a lot of coverage and in an earlier version of this page:

• Story mode. It was on the older roadmap bundled with the bandit update. That bundle was split up.
• The learn-by-doing skill toggle. Same reason. Nothing from TFP attaches it to V4.0.
• A UI overhaul or an event system. Both are old-roadmap features now expected to get their own update numbers, but which number has not been announced.

When is V4.0 coming?

There is a real answer here, and it is neither "2026 confirmed" nor "nobody knows". The distinction is worth keeping straight:

Release date	None announced. No experimental window, no month, nothing dated.
Development target	End of 2026. On 15 August 2026 a TFP moderator wrote that "their stated goal is to have the first version of bandits released by the end of the year" and that further 3.x updates would come "between now and 4.0 at the end of the year provided there are no delays".
Confidence	A target, not a commitment. The same post notes that advance release dates have historically been the exception, and the studio has a long record of features moving between versions.

So a reasonable expectation is: more 3.x releases first, then a first V4.0 experimental when it is ready, with end of 2026 as the goal TFP have stated rather than a date they have promised. Our running tracker for this, updated whenever TFP say something new, is the V4.0 status page.

Why older articles say bandits were coming in V3.0

The roadmap changed again in August: smaller updates between majors

This is the most substantial roadmap development since V3.0 shipped, and it changes how you should read the version numbers. Alongside V3.2.0 on 26 August 2026, TFP announced a structural change:

• A dedicated team now handles the smaller updates. In their words: "We've built a dedicated team focused specifically on these smaller updates, with one goal in mind: delivering bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements more consistently between our major releases, alongside new cosmetic content."
• That team is separate from the major-release teams. "Most importantly, this team is separate from the teams building our major releases. These updates aren't taking resources or focus away from major development."
• So 3.x releases are not evidence that V4.0 slipped. They are being produced by different people, in parallel, on purpose.
• More of them are expected. TFP said to expect drops like 3.1 and 3.2 "and beyond" more regularly, and that a player survey would help decide what the team works on next.

Practically: expect further 3.x releases between now and V4.0, and do not read them as a delay signal. Also, do not call the next one V3.3 until TFP does. As of 10 September 2026 the most recent official announcement is still V3.2.0 Stable on 26 August.

What comes after V4.0?

V5.0 and V6.0 are planned internally, and nothing about their scope or timing is public. The one first-party statement is the March 2026 one already quoted: 3.0 and 4.0 in development, "with 5.0 and 6.0 planned out".

A TFP moderator did speculate in the same thread about what might land where, floating the event manager or UI overhaul for 5.0 and story for 6.0, while immediately allowing that story might instead shift to 7.0. That is a guess by someone who works there, not an announcement, and it is worth treating as such. Anyone presenting "5.0 is the story update" as fact is reading the old roadmap or that speculation.

Previous Stable: V2.6 (April 2026)

V2.6 Stable was released on April 28, 2026, and remained current until V3.0 shipped. It still matters in July 2026 for one reason: overhaul mods. No major overhaul has a V3.0 build yet, so Darkness Falls-class servers stay pinned to their older branches - see the 2026 Mod Status Tracker.

For dedicated server admins still on the 2.6 line, see the V2.6 server admin patch notes, and when you are ready to move, the free 2.6 → 3.0 config migration doctor upgrades your serverconfig.xml to the V3.0 SandboxCode layout.

Industry News: Behaviour Interactive Acquisition (March 2026)

On 24 March 2026, Behaviour Interactive (publisher of Dead by Daylight) acquired The Fun Pimps, the studio behind 7 Days to Die. The Fun Pimps' own announcement, titled "A New Chapter for The Fun Pimps and 7 Days to Die", is dated 24 March 2026 on their forum. An earlier version of this page said April; that was wrong.

Practical implications for players:

• Development continues. V2.6 Stable shipped about five weeks after the announcement, and V3.0, V3.1 and V3.2 have all landed since.
• The extra capacity is visible in the structure: a dedicated team for smaller updates alongside the major-release teams, announced in August. See the cadence section.
• No documented changes to mod policy, EAC enforcement, or pricing as of this writing.

Recent History (Reverse Chronological)

This is the short version. For the full story, from the 2013 Kickstarter through Alpha 17's rebuild, the Telltale console collapse, the modding renaissance, V1.0, and the Behaviour acquisition, read the complete history of 7 Days to Die.

Date	Release	Notes
August 26, 2026	V3.2.0 Stable	Default public branch. Honk-to-open trader doors, Combine Station UI rework, server-pushed custom POIs, screamer chain-spawn removed. Ran on latest_experimental from 19 August.
July 27, 2026	V3.1.0 "Henpocalypse" Stable	Chicken farming; PC + PlayStation + Xbox same day. Was the default build until 26 August 2026.
July 13, 2026	V3.0.1 Stable	Fix pass promoted to the default branch: Sign-Tech error handling, Beachwear fixes.
July 9, 2026	V3.0.1 EXP	First fix-and-tuning batch for V3.0, opt-in experimental branch.
June 29, 2026	V3.0 "Dead Hot Summer" Stable	Simultaneous PC + Xbox Series X|S + PS5 release with crossplay; now the default branch.
June 15, 2026	V3.0 "Dead Hot Summer" Experimental	Opt-in via Steam beta branch latest_experimental (PC only).
March 24, 2026	Behaviour Interactive acquisition announced	Industry-level news; not a patch.
April 28, 2026	V2.6 Stable	Superseded by V3.0 on June 29, 2026.
March/April 2026	V2.6 EXP cycle	Experimental builds leading up to V2.6 Stable.
Earlier 2026	V2.5 b32 Hotfix; V2.5 Apiary Hotfix	Maintenance fixes during the V2.5 cycle.
Earlier 2026	V2.5 "Survival Revival" Stable	Was the current stable before V2.6; introduced refinements over V2.0.

Moving between versions

Saves generally carry within a major line, and every release since V3.0 has kept them. Back up your Saves/ folder before any upgrade anyway, and see Save Migration for the mechanics. The parts that actually break are modlets, which need retesting against the new XML, and overhaul mods, which need their maintainer's build for the new line before you move a dedicated server. The 2026 Mod Status Tracker shows which overhauls have recertified.

Server config properties are documented in our XML reference. New properties appear with most releases, so diff against the shipped serverconfig.xml in your dedicated-server install rather than assuming your old one is complete.

Roadmap FAQ

What is the next 7 Days to Die update? The next update will be another 3.x release from the smaller-update team; the next major version is V4.0. Between now and then, further 3.x releases are expected from the dedicated smaller-update team. As of 10 September 2026 the most recent official release is V3.2.0, stable since 26 August.

When is V4.0 coming out? No release date has been announced. The stated goal has been to get the first version of bandits out by the end of 2026, "provided there are no delays". Treat that as a target rather than a date.

Will V4.0 have bandits? Bandits are V4.0's primary planned feature, described by TFP as the focus of that release, with bandit work "moving at full steam ahead". That is as close to confirmed as anything unreleased gets, but it is not a shipped feature yet.

Is story mode in V4.0? No. Story was bundled with the bandit update on the older roadmap, and TFP have said the other features from that bundle are getting their own updates. No version number has been attached to story mode.

What is the current version of 7 Days to Die? V3.2.0, on the default public branch since 26 August 2026. You do not need to opt into any Steam beta branch to get it.

Why do older articles say bandits are coming in V3.0? The roadmap was renumbered in 2026. The sandbox update became V3.0 and the bandit update moved to V4.0. See the explainer above.

Forward-Looking Notes

The pattern to expect: further 3.x releases from the dedicated smaller-update team, then a first V4.0 experimental branch when bandits are ready, then a V4.0 stable some weeks after that. TFP have historically run experimental for a few weeks before promoting a build to the default branch, and they have historically not announced dates in advance.

This page does not list speculative features. If you arrived from a "V4.0 release date" headline, the honest position is that no date exists, end of 2026 is the goal TFP have stated, and V5.0 and V6.0 are planned internally with nothing public about their scope. We update this page when TFP say something new in their own announcements, and the changelog at the top records what changed and when.

Sources

• Steam news feed for 7D2D - primary source for patch notes, EXP/Stable announcements, and official communications. Search "7 Days to Die" on Steam, click the news tab.
• Fun Pimps community forum - historically community.7daystodie.com, now redirecting to community.thefunpimps.com.
• This wiki's own pages for the operational impact of each release - Blood Moon balancing, Security & Land Claims, Save Migration.

Related Pages

• V3.2.0 Server Admin Patch Notes: what V3.2.0 Stable changed for dedicated server admins.
• V3.0 "Dead Hot Summer" release notes - what shipped to the experimental branch on 15 June 2026
• V3.0 mod compatibility - what Dead Hot Summer breaks for modded servers, and what to do
• Save Migration: Local to Dedicated - moving saves between machines or version-upgrade scenarios
• V4.0 status page - the running tracker for bandits, dates and what TFP have actually said
• Server Log Masterclass - diagnosing post-update issues
• XML Settings reference - verified property list
• Best 7 Days to Die mods - what to play right now, and which overhauls have recertified for the current line
• 7 Days to Die server hosting: run a managed server that stays current across the stable and supported legacy branches without hand-running SteamCMD updates.