--- title: ZED ZONE Raiders and Hostile NPCs: Stopping Base Break-ins description: Why ZED ZONE survivors turn hostile and NPCs break into bases: raiders, Online Wanderers, what the 2026 patches changed, the settings that turn wanderers off, and how players keep raiders out. url: https://zed-zone.wiki/survivors/bandits-and-raiders/ --- # ZED ZONE raiders and hostile NPCs Humans are the enemies most likely to outsmart you. Raiders flank, throw grenades and use every gun you can. Other survivors can turn on you. And for most of 2026, NPCs broke into player bases to get at stashes. - Raiders use every player weapon and flank in squads. - “Online Wanderers” can be switched off in game settings. - Since 0.9.99.9.1 NPCs no longer search containers near your base. _[Image: ZED ZONE: a firefight inside a dark building]_ _Official screenshot · Leven Liu / INDIECN_ ## Who the hostile humans are | Type | What the notes say | | --- | --- | | Raiders (labelled “Looter”) | Spawn randomly across the map and at camps such as the Train Station raider camp; lone raiders can be inside buildings. They use firearms, crossbows, bows and melee, and in squads they flank, throw grenades and lay down suppressive fire. Official | | Scavenger Camps | Hostile camps where dog cages are found. Official See [pets](https://zed-zone.wiki/survivors/pets/). | | Uploaded characters | Characters other players upload appear in your world as survivors. Official | Raiders run on GOAP decision-making AI (Beta 0.70), and the March 2026 patch made hostile NPCs faster to react and more threatening. Official ## What 2026 patches changed - Bandits see less far at night, but when one is attacked the nearby ones become alert and regain daytime sight range. Official - Bandits are less likely to carry guns, and rifle bandits no longer switch to bows. Official - Downed bandits can be revived by other bandits, so finish fights before you loot. Official - NPCs no longer search containers or pick up items near your base (Beta 0.9.99.9.1). Official - Online Wanderers no longer carry modded items (Beta 0.9.99.9.7). Official ## How to stop ZED ZONE NPCs raiding your base - **Update to 1.0.** The container fix above targets the most common report: NPCs, even hired ones, smashing walls and furniture to reach a stash. Players report - **Turn off “Online Wanderers”** in the game settings if you do not want other players’ characters wandering your world. Official - **Read the marker** before you walk up: green companion, white neutral, red hostile. Official Players report survivors turning hostile right after trading or on approach. Players report - **Build properly.** Hordes and NPCs go for the weakest point; see [base building](https://zed-zone.wiki/building/base-building/) and [turrets](https://zed-zone.wiki/building/turrets-and-defenses/). Raiders react fast. Players describe being shot from outside their view range, and a Chinese player lost a quest computer in a lab base to human NPCs. Unverified Keep critical stations away from doors. ## Meeting a stranger safely - **Look at the marker** above their head before you get close. Official - **Holster if you want to talk.** One player noticed NPCs attack whenever you approach armed. Unverified - **Assume shooting starts fast.** Players warn that some NPCs shoot on sight and kill very quickly. Players report - **Fight from cover and finish the downed.** Bandits revive each other. Official Checked against version 1.0.4 Last verified 2026-11-07 ## Sources - [Patch notes: Beta 0.70 (raiders, 3D printing, charging station)](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1211600/view/503949812947747457) · 2025-05-05 · official - [Patch notes: Beta 0.80 (Steam Cloud, companions, recruitment)](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1211600/view/492713648032056659) · 2026-01-10 · official - [Patch notes: critical fixes and performance (March 2026)](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1211600/view/542258317343327763) · 2026-03-06 · official - [Patch notes: Beta 0.9.99.8 (downed and revive, lizard bait, handbrake)](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1211600/view/694274460775088147) · 2026-10-07 · official - [Patch notes: Beta 0.9.99.8.15 (new skill tree, power, loot balance)](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1211600/view/694274460775091085) · 2026-10-10 · official - [Patch notes: Beta 0.9.99.9.1 (voxel building, bicycles, companion gear, controller)](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1211600/view/710038327520138623) · 2026-10-23 · official - [Patch notes: Beta 0.9.99.9.7 (tutorial, character saves, forklift, waypoints)](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1211600/view/710038961706240976) · 2026-11-03 · official - [Patch notes: Beta 0.9.98 (camp doctor, snow, performance, crafting from containers)](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1211600/view/674005725646684956) · 2026-09-13 · official - [Steam thread: AI Survivor](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1211600/discussions/0/580553131768871722/) · 2026-08-12 · players, 2+ reports - [Steam thread: NPCs destroying my building to get to my gear stash](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1211600/discussions/0/589558792744699888/) · 2026-07-24 · players, 2+ reports - [Steam thread: npc and your base/start of base](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1211600/discussions/0/687495779967989351/) · 2026-01-23 · players, 2+ reports - [Steam thread: why is every NPC hostile to me](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1211600/discussions/0/585058652581268732/) · 2026-08-30 · single player report - [Steam thread: mercenary destroyed my campfire](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1211600/discussions/0/657107714318739657/) · 2026-06-01 · players, 2+ reports - [Steam thread: wondering if this game is for me](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1211600/discussions/0/525387040750126367/) · 2026-10-07 · players, 2+ reports ## More in Survivors & Pets - [guide Companions How ZED ZONE companions work: hiring survivors and other players’ characters, the command options, giving gear, Affinity, downed and revive, keeping them fed and warm, and why they used to wreck bases.](https://zed-zone.wiki/survivors/companions/) - [entity Pets (dogs) Get a dog in ZED ZONE: rescue it from a cage at a Scavenger Camp, the four breeds, commands and combat modes, the eight pet skills, collars, vests and the saddlebag, and why pets never die.](https://zed-zone.wiki/survivors/pets/)