The latest Zwift update has been announced and will be released in phases over the next couple of days. This is a minor update mostly focused on fixing issues introduced in the previous update (1.39.0). Let’s dig into the details…

The forum thread for this update begins with this post from Mike Lusthaus, recently-hired CTO at Zwift:

Hi everyone,

I’d like to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Mike and I’m the Chief Technical Officer at Zwift. Our last game release, version 1.39, was not at the quality level that it needed to be, and we know that there were many issues that prevented you from enjoying riding and running in Zwift. We take your feedback very seriously, and are grateful to the many members of the Zwift community who reported issues and provided helpful information about your experience, environments, and devices.

The new game version 1.40 is focused on resolving many of these issues as our top priority, and we have many additional fixes and improvements actively in development which will be released as part of our next game release real soon.

Version 1.39 is an important release for us as it contained a major merge to our game codebase. We tested it a lot and rode it internally for weeks but still missed some things we should have caught. Going forward, we won’t have this type of merge behavior and while we will still introduce issues from time to time, they shouldn’t be as broad as the ones we introduced in 1.39. As you’ve likely noticed, we’ve been investing in our game launcher so that we can release phased rollouts of new versions (which lets us minimize blast radius in the event of an unexpected critical issue), and we’re investing in our automated testing and crash detection systems. We have a renewed focus on driving down existing bugs and quality-of-life issues in the game, and we’re in the final stages of testing Zwift for native Apple Silicon which we’ve observed to have huge performance improvements across the board.

Thank you for your patience and please keep your feedback coming. We’re working hard to keep you riding and continue to improve the experience alongside launching new features.

A few worthy callouts from Mike’s note:

An exceptional update: Mike notes that 1.39 “contained a major merge to our game codebase” but also notes “Going forward, we won’t have this type of merge behavior”. Sounds like Zwift is planning to make code changes in smaller but steadier steps.
Investing in testing: Mike says “we’re investing in our automated testing and crash detection systems.” Applause for this! We would love to see Zwift provide more detail as to the cause of crashes, and of course better automated testing is a big win for everyone.
Zwift for native Apple Silicon coming soon: “we’re in the final stages of testing Zwift for native Apple Silicon which we’ve observed to have huge performance improvements across the board.” This should be very good news to everyone with a newer Apple machine that uses Apple silicon.

RoboPacer cyclists have been modified to look like actual robots instead of holographic humans:

One reason Zwift told us this change was made was to make it clear that RoboPacers put out a draft “shadow” just like any other rider. Making them look like actual physical riders in game, and not a hologram, helps clarify this while the robo look makes it clear they are automated riders.

Run RoboPacers have the same look as before, but Zwift says this will change in a future release.

The beacon floating above the head of HoloReplays has been modified so it’s different from the RoboPacer beacon (see below). This icon was also updated in the rider list on the right.

RoboPacer iconHoloReplay icon

Here is the list of fixes/tweaks Zwift included in their release notes:

Adjusted estimated duration for La Reine to bring it in line with other routes.
Joining a RoboPacer or another Zwifter is more reliable.
Fixed an issue causing misrouting when riding the Big Foot Hills, Downtown Titans, Zwift Gran Fondo 2022 or Eastern Eight routes.
Fixed a crash during launch when running on Windows N Edition.
Fixed a crash on Android when signing in for the second time after saving or discarding a ride.
Fixed a crash that could occur when scrolling through race results.
Fixed an issue preventing calibration of the Sterzo steering device.
Fixed an issue with the Zwift Hub not properly setting “free ride” blocks from ERG mode to SIM mode in workouts.
Fixed an issue that was causing the Zwifters Nearby list to scroll unexpectedly while viewing other Zwifters and made the Ride On button inaccessible.
Fixed an issue where Kickr Bike steering could not be disabled.
Fixed an issue with Tacx trainers not properly applying correct road feel for tarmac and cobbles.
Fixed an issue where additional cobblestone sections were appearing in France.
Fixed issue where running kit changed colors mid-session.
Fixed an issue where some effects like dust and rain were glowing.
Fixed an issue where menu buttons would be unresponsive if the Action Bar was visible.
Fixed the interaction for ignoring screenshots when ending an activity.
Fixed an issue where some Notable Moment screenshots were blurry.

See notes on this update release in the Zwift forum >

Popup detail text not showing on ride summary power curve chart
Vertical scrollbars not functioning properly in the garage when trying to scroll through items using your mouse in Windows 10.
Difficulty editing intervals in workout editor due to remapping of arrow key behavior

If you spotted any other changes or bugs in the update, please comment below!