7 Days to Die: Update 1.2 – Crossplay, Performance, and a Stormy Future!

7 Days to Die Update 1.2

7 Days to Die: Update 1.2 is HERE – Crossplay, Performance Boosts, and a Glimpse into the Stormy Future!

Alright, wasteland wanderers, listen up! The Fun Pimps have dropped the stable release of 7 Days to Die’s 1.2 update, and it’s a meaty one. Now, I know you’re probably thinking, \”Another update? What’s the big deal?\” But trust me, this one is a game-changer, especially if you’ve been itching to team up with your console-dwelling buddies. Buckle up, because we’re diving deep into the nitty-gritty of what this update brings to the table.

Crossplay: The Walls Are Crumbling!

Let’s get to the real juicy bit, shall we? Crossplay is FINALLY here, baby! That’s right, PC, Xbox, and PlayStation 5 players can now join forces (or brutally betray each other, you do you) regardless of their platform. No more sad, lonely solo runs while your friends are having a blast on their consoles. This is huge, a real tectonic shift in the 7 Days landscape. It’s a glorious day for unity, or at least, for more chaotic multiplayer mayhem.

But before you all jump in headfirst, there are a few caveats to keep in mind. Currently, crossplay is limited to peer-to-peer sessions, meaning there are no dedicated servers to host cross-platform games. So, you’ll need to pick one friend to be the designated server host. The Fun Pimps have stated that dedicated crossplay servers are on their way with the 2.0 \”Storms Brewing\” update, slated for around March 2025. So, until then, choose your host wisely, or risk laggy zombie hordes and painful disconnects.

Important Crossplay Notes:

Platforms: PC (Windows, Mac, Linux), PS5, and Xbox Series consoles.
Hosting: Peer-to-peer only for now. PC, PS5 and Xbox can host.
Dedicated Servers: Coming in the 2.0 \”Storms Brewing\” update.
Console World Size: Console players can generate random worlds up to 8K but can join larger worlds hosted by PC players. Having at least one PC player in your group will be beneficial for now.
Crossplay Enable: You MUST enable crossplay in the game settings before starting your first game.
EAC: PC players must have Easy Anti-Cheat enabled for crossplay games.
Mods: NO MODS ALLOWED in crossplay games, PC players need to run their game in an unmodified state with EAC on.

No Mods, No Glory – For Now!

Okay, let’s address the elephant in the room. Mods. We all love ’em. They’re the spices of the gaming world, adding that extra flavour, and making the game truly your own. But sadly, for crossplay games, mods are out of the question. PC players need to run their client completely vanilla, with EAC enabled, for crossplay to function. This might sting a bit for the modding aficionados, but it’s a necessary sacrifice for the greater good of cross-platform play. This will likely change with the release of dedicated servers so don’t go throwing your mod folders away just yet. If you’re having issues getting crossplay to work, the release notes have a handy FAQ that may just save you from pulling your hair out.

Performance Boosts: Smooth Operator

Alright, enough about crossplay, let’s talk about the other juicy bits of the 1.2 update. You know that feeling when your game starts chugging like an old steam train? Well, the Fun Pimps have been working hard on optimizing rendering performance. They’ve reduced overhead by tweaking how multiple cameras are rendered in first-person view, which is a massive win for smoother gameplay. This means fewer frame drops, less stuttering, and more time enjoying the zombie-slaying action. Any performance gains are welcome in this gritty world. This fix should address a range of issues, and means a lot for us, the average gamer.

But that’s not all, the player avatar is now influenced by environmental shadows and reflections, which is just a fancy way of saying the game looks better. Console players can also take advantage of new performance and quality graphics presets, meaning you can prioritize higher frame rates or better render resolution. Basically, the game should now run smoother and look cleaner on consoles, a double win for console users. This change is an attempt to make the game look even more crisp and clean for our console brethren.

A Menagerie of Changes: From Cute to Creepy

Okay, let’s dive into the more visual changes of this update. The animal models have had a makeover, and the vultures, rabbits, and chickens look more like their real-life counterparts. The new zombie vulture model is particularly gruesome, which is a perfect fit in this post apocalyptic wasteland.

Other changes include the CRT TV emergency broadcast sound now has a light source, additional flame prefabs have been added to burning zombies, and a sound effect will indicate when you activate the extra crafting skill point perk while wearing the nerd outfit, and missing spark textures for mines have been added. Some nice additions for sure.

Tweaks, Fixes, and Zombie Shenanigans

The 1.2 update brings more than just visual tweaks, it also addresses some important under-the-hood mechanics. The zombie spawning systems have been tweaked to work correctly, which should fix issues with quests failing due to zombies not spawning in. A very welcome change for anyone like me who has ever failed a quest due to this annoying bug.

Here’s a breakdown of the significant tweaks and fixes:

Video Brightness: Lowering your brightness below 50% now makes interiors and nights look much more realistic. I actually found setting my brightness to zero and running around at night to be quite an experience. If you’re looking for some authentic horror, try it!
Helmet Light: The range of the helmet light mod has been reduced. This means you won’t be able to see as far into the darkness. This change, along with the new brightness settings should make for a more intense atmosphere.
Scream Sounds: The scream sounds have been updated.
Solar Cells: Solar cells can no longer be scrapped, thank god, for all of us who have accidentally scrapped expensive items.
Grace: Grace is no longer zombie food, not that it really mattered for anyone, but it is a change.
Forest Biome Zombies: The lack of zombie spawns in the forest biome has been fixed. The devs tracked this bug down, and now the forest will be as dangerous as it should be.
Torch Audio: The multiple audio player for player-placed torches has been fixed, which is music to the ears of anyone who has ever had multiple torches around their base. Thank God!
Loot Abundance: Decreasing loot abundance below 100% now decreases loot by the desired amount. No more crazy loot drops or lack thereof.
Tactical Assault Rifle: The tactical assault rifle’s reflex sight model has been fixed. It will now appear on the weapon.
Drone Healing Mod: The healing mod for the drone has been fixed. It will now heal the player more than once, and heal the player while in a vehicle. Good news for all of you drone users, it is actually useful now!

A Sneak Peek into the Stormy Future (Update 2.0)

Now, let’s talk about the future, and the much-anticipated 2.0 \”Storms Brewing\” update. The Fun Pimps have admitted that the original release date was a bit ambitious, so it has been pushed back to late Q1 of 2025 (around March, hopefully). This update is shaping up to be a big one, with the following features:

Full New Weather Survival System: Expect environmental damage types, unique remedies, and challenges based on the biome you are in. Weather systems can be cool in concept, but we will have to wait and see how good this is.
Crossplay on Dedicated Servers: YES! Finally, proper crossplay servers!
Advanced New Radiated Game Staged Zombie Enemies: This is super interesting, hopefully they are more creative than just a colour swap, but we will see.
Updated Trees for Performance: More performance optimisations.
New Biome Looks: New scenery is always welcome.
Updated Handheld Drinks and Food Items with Meshes: Finally! The days of consuming air with a drinking sound are over.
New Subtitle System: For all of you playing without audio.
New Belt Message Priority System: For all of you who pay attention to that kind of thing.
New Zombie Spawning Tool: Optimization for high tier POIs.
New Player Wardrobe System: You can now keep your outfit protection, but change your outfit appearance. Finally, I can look cool while being protected from the zombie hordes.
New Player DLC Outfits: I expect these are the armour variants we were supposed to get but were strangely missing in the previous releases.
Switch Drops: More loot!
Tons of Bug Fixes, Balance Optimizations, and Quality of Life Features: The kind of stuff that makes the game run even better.

The food and drink models are a long-awaited addition and the new advanced radiated zombies sound interesting, but they have the potential to be very lazy, if done poorly. I’m less hyped about the weather system, which was already in the game in Alpha 21 and the DLC outfits, which should have been in the game for a while.

Final Thoughts

So there you have it, a deep dive into the 1.2 update, and a glimpse into the 2.0 \”Storms Brewing\” update. This update is a game changer, especially for cross-platform play. I’m always excited for a new 7 Days update, and I am excited to see the future. The amount of changes makes this game feel more complete, and I am excited to see where it goes. Let me know your thoughts on the update in the comments below!

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