After years of relative quiet, SurrounDead, the open-world zombie survival game developed by Zurvivor, is finally enjoying the spotlight. Originally released in early access on Steam back in 2022, the title has seen a significant rise in popularity since April 2025, reaching over 5,400 concurrent players at its peak in July—up from less than 1,100 previously. Riding the wave of renewed interest, the development team has just launched Patch 0.7.1f, also known as the “Preparation” update.
New Ghillie Gear and Gameplay Options
The standout additions in Patch 0.7.1f include an extended set of ghillie gear, offering increased tactical customization for players. This new lineup introduces multiple variants of ghillie masks, hoods, tops, gloves, pants, boots, and even body armor. These stealth-enhancing items further expand players’ survival strategies in the game’s evolving post-apocalyptic environment.
In addition to cosmetics, new difficulty customization options have been added. Players can now tweak settings such as health regeneration, battery depletion, and radiation filter use, making it easier—or more punishing—to tailor the game to their playstyle.
Vehicle Controls, Storage UI, and Camera Enhancements
Among the quality-of-life improvements are independent keybindings for vehicle movement, a new camera transition effect when entering or exiting vehicles, and more transparent storage details for buildable storage units and tents. These changes aim to streamline user experience and make survival-based gameplay more intuitive.
Gameplay Overhauls: Zombies, Combat, and Loot
The update brings major gameplay changes aimed at deepening the game’s systems and intensifying encounters:
- Molotov cocktails and makeshift splints are now craftable without needing a workbench.
- Zombie presence has doubled in abandoned camps and has also been increased in the new laboratory area, which now spawns only lab-specific zombie types.
- Melee combat has been fine-tuned, with weapons like the fireman’s axe getting faster swings and the baseball bat now capable of hitting up to three targets.
Shotguns Get a Full Rework
Fans of firearms will be pleased to know that shotguns received a full rebalance. These weapons now feature:
- Faster recoil and reload speeds
- Increased pellet count on the Exterminator (from 6 to 8)
- Updated damage falloff ranges for better weapon variety and balance
AI Behavior and Survival Adjustments
Patch 0.7.1f also includes several broader system tweaks:
- Headshot-only kill mode has been refined, making headshots instantly lethal to most zombies while reducing body shot effectiveness.
- Dynamic events will now take longer to appear and won’t trigger until after players have survived for four in-game days.
- Wolves and bears have had their combat stats adjusted, while zombies can now attack wildlife, creating more dynamic interactions in the world.
Bug Fixes and Behind-the-Scenes Work
The development team has addressed a wide range of issues, including:
- Fixing an exploit allowing excessive ammo stacking via the vicinity menu
- Resolving issues with terrain shadows, zombie spawns, and weapon damage scaling
- Correcting UI glitches, debug menu behavior, and audio playback inconsistencies
An important technical milestone was also highlighted—progress on reworking the player model’s skeleton is now nearing visible results, laying the groundwork for improved animations in future updates.
What’s Next for SurrounDead?
Zurvivor confirmed that more content is on the way, with bunkers and additional features expected in upcoming updates. The momentum gained from this patch, coupled with the game’s growing player base, suggests that SurrounDead is finally breaking into the mainstream of survival titles on Steam.
For those looking for alternatives, other recent early access hits such as Schedule 1 and R.E.P.O. are also capturing the attention of genre fans. But if your idea of a good time is surviving hordes of the undead in a detailed open world, SurrounDead might just be the next game worth your time.
