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What’s Coming in City Defense Z
Since its release, City Defense Z has set up a deep strategic foundation: managing day/night cycles, base expansion, resource balancing, powerful meta-upgrades, card-driven tactics, and the tension of defending through escalating undead assaults every night.
The journey so far has shown that no two runs are the same, with merging systems, evolving buildings and units, diverse maps, and a living NPC cast that adds atmosphere and tactical weight.
Now, get ready: the next major update is due on 20 September 2025, one of a pair of upcoming releases that will bring a host of new features and improvements. Below’s the full roadmap:
Roadmap Highlights
September 20, Part 1
Hand-drawn NPC Characters replacement
Permanent Upgrades Expansion V1
Dynamic Economy Redesign with scaling systems V1
Major FPS Boost Optimizations
Redesigned Merge-able Buildings
Toggle-able HP Bar System
Seasonal Leaderboard System
Joker Card System
Card Lock System
Complete Control Rebinding system
October 11, Part 2
Permanent Upgrades Expansion V2
Dynamic Economy Redesign with scaling systems V2
Complete UI Overhaul and polish
Detailed Unit Information Panels
Full Steam Deck Optimization (targeting official approval)
Intro & Outro Cinematics with storytelling
Market System Transformation
Enhanced Building Card System
Scalable UI System
NPC Dialogue Toggle settings
Mass Unit Selection
ASMR Merging Animations polish
Enhanced Expedition System
Why we think this will add value and look forward to trying out the updates for ourselves.
The update expands on core systems already in the game: meta upgrades, card layouts, base building, and merging.
New UI and control refinements show a solid focus on accessibility and polish.
Changes to economy scaling, building systems, NPC visuals, and Steam Deck support will enhance both immersion and performance.
Competitive features like seasonal leaderboards, plus more customization (HP bars, dialogues, controls), give long-term players more depth and flexibility.
