7 Days To Die 2.5 Survival Revival (Experimental)

The V2.5 Survival Revival experimental is live: a community-driven drop that restores long-requested systems (hello, jars), reshapes survival with smell and storms, and layers on quality-of-life fixes before the stable release hits for the holidays. Spin up a server now to test the new balance before you promote it to your main world.

Launch a 2.5 server Preview maps

7 Days To Die 2.5 Survival Revival banner

Quick opt-in on Steam (experimental branch)

Open Steam → Library → 7 Days to Die → Properties → Betas tab.
Select the latest _experimental build.
Let the download finish, then restart the client and your server.

Read this before updating

Clear any active crafting queues; the workstation progression change can remove in-progress workbench unlocks without refunding materials.
Default controller layouts were rebuilt—bindings reset to the new defaults on first launch.
Saves from 2.X load, but a fresh world is recommended to feel the new storms, smell, and loot pacing. If you keep an old save, turn storms on to see the updated hazard system.

Headline features at a glance

Water survival returns to jars: scavenging, boiling, optional refunds, and a reworked dew collector unlock.
Bigger haulers: vehicle storage boosts plus visual storage mods.
New lore-friendly undead: Rancher replaces Plague Spitter; Chuck replaces Frost Claw.
Smell system 2.0: meat, food, dysentery gas, and carcasses now attract the horde with tunable AI smell modes.
Weather you can see coming: distant storm rendering plus decoupled biome hazards, temperature, and clothing protection.
Apiary workstation for honey production and new honey recipes.
Full third-person camera support with new quick-action bindings.
Turret ammo flexibility, better quest variety, new character window render, food/water stat bars, free cosmetics, and a new Trader Jen model.

Water survival & empty jars (balanced return)

Early game is back to scavenging empty jars and filling them at natural or man-made water sources; toilets and sinks are now dry.
Dew collectors unlock at Workstation Crafting 16, craft on the workbench, and cost more to craft—use jars, dew, or both in mid-game.
Jars are one-time use by default. A new Jar Refund option offers 0% (default) to 100% refund chances in granular 5–10% steps.
Craft jars at the forge with a crucible: 31 sand + 6 clay base recipe, reduced to 25 sand + 5 clay with Advanced Engineering 5/5.

Vehicle storage upgrades

Default storage gains: Bicycle +1 slot, Minibike +3, Motorcycle +4, Gyrocopter +5, 4x4 Truck +9.
New vehicle storage mods add a full row (10 slots) per mod; stack two mods per vehicle. Visuals update (e.g., saddlebags) when installed.

New undead cast (Rancher & Chuck)

The Rancher now replaces the Plague Spitter with a lore-friendly Navezgane desert look while keeping the swarm spit attack.
Chuck replaces Frost Claw with a mountain-themed brute who still hurls boulders.

Smell system tuned for stealth (and chaos)

Carrying 5+ Raw Meat starts a smell after a 10s grace period; smell distance grows to a cap, lingers briefly, then decays faster.
Pack raw meat into bundles of 5 (paper + plant fibers), stash it in vehicles/containers, or dunk yourself in water to clear scent.
Eating creates smell; consecutive consumables combine distance. Dysentery flatulence counts. Carcasses broadcast farther—defend your kills.
Smell distance shrinks indoors to 20% of normal. Stealth meter includes smell, and zombies can detect and path to scent at your chosen AI Smell Mode: Off, Walk, Jog, Run (default), Sprint, Nightmare.

Biome hazards, storms, temperature, clothing

Hazards, storms, and temperature now act independently. Each biome has unique VFX, messages, and face-covering gear cues (smoke/ash, sand/dust, brutal cold, toxic fallout).
Storm grace time depends on clothing: naked gives 30s to leave; sheltering ramps a recovery timer at 3x the grace rate. Storm zombies are meaner and drop more loot.
Temperature rework: time of day, shelter, shade, wetness, torches/campfires, and consumables all push core temp. Hot/Sweltering increase water use by 300%/600% and slow movement by 10%/20%; Cold/Freezing doubles/triples food use over time and slows movement similarly.
Protective clothing now has four insulation slots (socks, cap liners, long underwear, glove liners) across Tattered, Patchwork, ThermalCore tiers; armor insulation mods add more resistance. Full high-tier sets buy the longest storm protection.

Apiary workstation & honey recipes

Unlocks at Workstation Crafting 30 (Tier 3). Recipe: 5 Beeswax, 100 Wood, 50 Nails, 10 Forged Iron, 8 Duct Tape.
Fuel with 10 Chrysanthemum, Goldenrod, or Cotton. Outputs 1 honey every 2 in-game days; opening can trigger an angry bee swarm.
Mods: Smoker (removes swarm chance), Brood Box (doubles storage), Extractor (doubles production speed).
New recipes: Honey Tea (hydration + cures infection), Honey Glazed Sham, Honey Brisket (150 food + infection heal).

Third-person camera & controls overhaul

Toggle first/third person anytime (unless a server enforces a mode). Separate 3rd Person FOV, camera distance, and camera mode (orbiting vs locked; optional weapon-only lock).
Quick Actions Menu holds camera toggles, weapon drop, attachments, and lets you adjust camera distance via mouse wheel/trigger.
Swap Camera Side / Scope Zoom Level changes shoulder view in third person and cycles scope zoom. New controller shortcuts for toolbelt/menu slots are available; legacy scope zoom binds were removed.

Turrets, quests, and UI polish

Turrets now accept all ammo tiers; piercing behavior for high-tier rounds is in progress. Use storage to stage cheap ammo for day-to-day and premium for hordes.
Quest lists now surface up to 7 per tier with a 3 near / 3 mid / 1 far spread and prefer traders with dense quest clusters for the starter/opening routes.
Character window now renders with a perspective camera and four-point lighting. HUD adds numbered food and water bars under health/stamina.

Cosmetics and traders

Free Original Survivors Pack (male/female classics) and a free Holiday Santa Hat will roll out with 2.5 stable.
A refreshed Trader Jen model is on deck (may land in a follow-up bugfix patch).

Server config quick refs

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