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Glitches are normal to appear in any game. Glitches and bugs are software errors that can cause drastic problems within the code and typically go unnoticed or unsolved during the production of said software. These errors can be game caused or otherwise exploited until a developer/development team repairs them. Complex software is rarely bug-free or otherwise free from errors upon the first release. This article is a list of the glitches found in Plants vs. Zombies Heroes. If you think you found one that deserves to be on this page, feel free to add it.

Everybody gets down

Unknow how this glitch starts, but it is quite similar to we will fight.

Time Travel Paradox Glitch

PopCap has stated that attempting to time travel (via the phone's settings app) can result in disastrous results and can corrupt the game. Time traveling backwards work fine, but tickets won't be saved. If the player does manage to time travel forward, the following can be seen:

  • If the player reverts the time to normal, the game may crash.
  • Daily Challenges may no longer be availble since the button to start a daily challenge is grayed out with "Unavailable" on it.
  • Timer for quests may change, sometimes it may increase to 24 hours for a new quest.
  • It is possible to go backwards or ahead for weekly event cards.

Mad Chemistry Glitch

On update 1.14.13, it is possible for Mad Chemist to get the following cards that should not been seen by the player as a programming error that allows these cards to spawned even though they are normally used in AI decks:

  • Blank Zombie, which is otherwise used in early AI decks and some Witty Wednesday as filler. It costs 99 brains and is a trick card with no tribe or ability. The player is completely unable to play this, thus causing a waste in the deck.
  • Plumber, which is the Bungee Plumber used by Template:PvZHLink in the tutorial. It is similar to Bungee Plumber but cannot target the plant hero, has Uncommon rarity, and has no tribes.

It is unknown if this can be given via Eureka or Peel that Orange!'s boss rule.

Unable to Watch Ads Glitch

For some players, watching ads for gem rewards is impossible, as the button in the shop is always grey. It is unknown what causes this or how it can be resolved.

We will fight

WTF-0

Unknown how this glitch starts, but this applies with zombie and plant heroes. Plant heroes can fight against plant hero and so do zombie heroes.

The game would then be glitched as the following may occur:

  • The player cards may look like they are "face-down" and show the symbol on the back.
  • Any placed plants or zombies will be placed onto the player's or opponent side. If the teammates gets "played" to the opponent's side, then it is impossible to win. Sometimes plants and zombies can be placed on the front as if it had Team-Up. Should the "Team-Up" teammates attack, they will damage themselves.

Multi-Scrapping

If you open the prompt to recycle multiple cards, it is possible to recycle the cards multiple times if you quickly press the scrap button. It will add those sparks also to add on and you will lose more than one of that card. It is unknown if the cards can reach the negatives from this.

x2 Cards in Deck Building Bug

Strangely, sometimes adding, removing, etc., 2 cards while building a deck will sometimes only display it as one (Ex: Added 2 cards to my deck, but going to the deck only shows x1). The bug is fixed by clicking the card.

No help from the game

Sometimes, while playing online and you fail a mission 3, 4, 5 or more times, the game won't give you a Premium Pack in an ad. It is currently unknown why this happens, although it could be a way to stop players from abusing the free pack system.

Insta-Block Glitch

Sometimes, Citron will be able to insta-block in Peel that Orange!, despite it being removed in recent updates. The next few hits against him will be glitched and will do more or less charges than normal. The player can also get an "insta-block." This occurs when 2 plants cause a block, and one of those plants have the Bullseye trait. For some reason, the game says that the attack was an insta-block, and the game continues as normal.

This used to also occur if the plant hero uses Soul Patches. The first time will act like an insta-block, the next insta-block will fill only 6 segments which will drain on the next attack, and every other insta-block acts as normal. Insta-Blocks will still occur even if the Soul Patch was destroyed. This issue with Soul Patch was patched in the 1.10.14 update.

Concede Card Glitch

This will only happen if you redraw a card. If your opponent concedes while you redraw a card, all cards disappear except the fourth card.

Screenshot 2016-10-12-13-19-27

Tomb Raiser Wrong Summon Glitch + Softlock

Tomb Raiser Zombie has a chance to summon Mixed-Up Gravedigger, which should not be possible as he does not have the Gravestone attribute. If this happens, the game will soft lock.

Animations Glitch

Electric Boogaloo's animations used to be severely glitched. This ranges from going faster or slower than normal, as well as reacting to hits late. It is unknown what makes this happen.

This may also happen to any hero in newer versions, though such thing to occur is more rare.

No Defeat animation Glitch

BrainstormDieswith9Health

The glitch done using Threepeater

After the 1.6.27 update, the Defeat animation can now appear earlier than when the hero explodes. But when both plants Team-Up hits the zombie hero, they can cancel the defeat animation. The first plant must finish the opponent hero's health to 0 and the plant Team-Up will continue the attack to cancel the defeat animation. And the opponent hero gets defeated without the defeat animation, even after the game ends. Also, when you win as Nightcap, he will disappear with a smoke bomb showing up, but after 5 seconds he will appear suddenly without smoke.

It is also possible to do this if a Template:PvZHLink or Power Pummel destroy the zombie hero but the initial damage for one lane is not enough to destroy the hero. It will do its defeat animation with health but when the "Plants Win" screen appears, they will warp its health to 0 and fill the Super-Block Meter, and go back to the idle animation after performing their hurt animation.

On a similar note, if a player concedes while their hero is doing an idle animation, their defeat animation will not play, but the player will still lose.

No defeat animation

Similar to Power Pummel and Threepeater, it can also be done with Missile Madness to destroy the plant hero and continues to take additional damage to decrease their health to 0 when "Zombies Win" screen appears.

No Defeat animation by Missle Madness

It can also be done with Missile Madness.

Auto-skip Zombie Phase and 10 second turn Glitch

This glitch occurs when a hero super-blocks and the Superpower trick fails to return to player's hand due to a lag. The game will automatically skip zombie phase. When it's time for tricks, the player will only have 10 seconds to play tricks but they can still play Superpower trick card for free.

CardGlitch

Move a Dead Plant Glitch

If both Portal Technician and a plant is destroyed in same fight and the Portal Technician spawns Sumo Wrestler or Rodeo Gargantuar. The plant can still be moved even the health is 0. If you moved another plant to the plant with 0 health, it still cannot move to its lane until the plant is fully destroyed.

Move a dead plant

Missing HUD Glitch

If Mixed-Up Gravedigger is played and a non-amphibious zombie appears in the aquatic lane, when bounced, it will be missing the card details and its card background.

Playing with Fire Glitch

In the 39th zombie mission boss, the music will become higher pitch. This is because of the preplaced plants and zombies.

Undead Boosting Glitch

If a fighter with a self-boosting effect activates said effect at zero health, it will still live if its health was boosted.

Duplicated Reward Glitch

After you get a higher rank (or have been promoted to a higher league), play Casual and beat it. After you beat it, you will get a notification that you ranked up and it show that you will get an amount of gems, and even it show that you have been promoted to a higher league and then give you another amount of gems. But if you checked again, no reward was given.

Selfish Engineer Glitch

If a science zombie deals damage but dies in the process of a Zombot Drone Engineer to the immediate right buffing said science zombie, the Drone Engineer will receive the buff. It seems to be a visual glitch.

Unhanded Bounce glitch

PricklyPearAttacksKangarooRiderPvZH

Both sides have a fighter which was supposed to be bounced

BounceGlitch

Professor Brainstorm had an Imp which was supposed to be bounced

Rarely, when a fighter is bounced by a card such as the Template:PvZHLink or the Backyard Bounce, it will not return to its Hero's hand. Rather, it will be bounced off the playing field. However, it will still be able to attack and will be immune to damage in some cases.

In newer updates, this glitch can still occur but the bounced card will not attack.

Still-in-Hand Lane glitch

When a card is played, sometimes it will not be placed in its selected lane. Rather, it will be placed off of the playing field in the hero's hand. The card acts like it is still in the selected lane, and will deal and take damage as normal. Although it appears similar to the Unhanded Bounce glitch, the card does not need to be bounced.

Undead card glitch

Rarely when a card's health is reduced to zero, it will not be defeated. Instead, it will just stay on the field and continue like they have health left. Attacking it again will destroy it.

Zero Health Hero

Hero with 0 Health Glitch

Professor Brainstorm has zero health, but it does not appear to end the game

Unknown how this glitch starts, but sometimes the hero has 0 health. May be a visual glitch only.

A possible cause, is that the more damage glitch occurred and the enemy hero did not know, and didn't do the amount of damage needed to lower the real health. (Ex. the health might show zero when the hero actually has 5 left.)

Fighter size glitch

Sometimes, when a plant or zombie is placed on the field, it will be larger or smaller than it normally is. This also happens with cards.

Card has no strength when planted, but icon still shows

If a card with no strength points, such as the Prickly Pear, is boosted and had strength points added to it and is then bounced, its strength points will return to zero, but the strength icon will still be visible with 0 on the icon. This applies to both when the card is played and on its card.

Zero Strength Water Chestnut

Notice the 0 strength Water Chestnut

Low health animation glitch

StillShivering

Electric Boogaloo is in the low health animation even though he has 6 health.

When a hero heals him/herself when they have low health and the health exceeds more than 5, they will continue to do their animation even though circumstances stand otherwise.

Seedling Transformation Glitch

If the Plant Hero ends their turn by placing a Seedling and pressing the button, both heroes can see what the Seedling will transform into in the next turn. This also works with Tomb Raiser Zombie's created gravestones, but the zombie hero only can see it. 


Invisible Card Glitch

InvisibleHibernatingBeary

Notice the invisible Hibernating Beary.

Sometimes, when the plant or zombie hero places a card, it will be invisible, but still can absorb damage and attack normally.

Out Of The Lawn Glitch

Sometimes in multiplayer, when a player plays a card it won't be placed where it is supposed to be, instead it will be placed out of the lawn.

Three Headed Chomper Outside the Lawn

Notice the Three-Headed Chomper is placed outside the lawn

Z-Mech Stolen Superpower Glitch

When you receive Z-Mech from a Premium Pack, and when you click on him, it will show the image of Possessed instead of Template:PvZHLink.

Super-Block Meter Glitch

Sometimes, when the super-block meter is almost full, and a hit makes a Super-Block, the super-block won't be registered, and the player won't get a card from it. Afterwards, when the hero is hurt, there will be no Super-Blocks as it still won't register.

Transparent Superpower Glitch

SuperBlockTransparent

Sometimes when the Super-Block gives a superpower, some of the superpowers appears to be missing it's frame.

Living Card

If a berry with 2 attack or less attacks a Kangaroo Rider with a Sergeant Strongberry on the field, Sergeant Strongberry will attack the Kangaroo Rider after it has bounced. Leaving both its idle animation and its card icon in the player's deck. The card background is invisible.

GrayTrash

A gray Trash Can Zombie

Gray Glitch

This glitch is a visual glitch that makes zombies or plants darker when played. It can be triggered when you play a plant or zombie quickly as the turn starts.

Wrong Attribute

The Template:PvZHLink is shown to have the attribute "Shielded" and the multiple attack attribute star on the Collection menu. It is purely cosmetic and doesn't act differently. This also happens with the Jugger-Nut.

Sergeant Strongberry and Berry Blast Glitch

When you have Sergeant Strongberry on the field, and play a berry trick (like Berry Blast), the extra damage will not take effect. This only works sometimes, as Berry Blast does normally take Sergeant Strongberry's effect.

"TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES - PLEASE STAND BY" Glitch

This glitch is generally more of a term for various glitches as opposed to a glitch itself. Very specific scenarios can actually break the AI, softlocking the game as the AI attempts to think through a plan, although it can never truly come to a decision.

Given the specifics of these scenarios, it's hard to tell exactly what makes this glitch occur. In addition, given the sizeable amount of situations in the game, the odds of stumbling upon one in regular gameplay is estimated to be incredibly large, being over one in a quadrillion.

The nickname is in reference to the second panel of the end comic to The Great Cave Raid when Super Brainz is trying to think of a way to defeat Spudow.

All-damage

When Mirror-Nut is on the field and the zombie hero plays a card that damages all plants, such as Fireworks Zombie or The Chickening, and multiple nuts are on the field, and the hero blocks Mirror-Nut's first attack, the hero will not receive their superpower until all of Mirror-Nut's attacks are done, possibly even resulting in the hero being destroyed even if a superpower could stop them from being destroyed. Sometimes this glitch can occur in an offshoot, when another card such as Admiral Navy Bean can destroy the zombie hero when two of them are on the field, and the plant hero plays another bean, and the Super-Block activates, the hero will only receive the superpower when both Admiral Navy Beans have done damage.

Ghost Zombie Yeti Glitch

When a Zombie Yeti bounces itself at the end of a turn, the card may return to the player's hand as normal, but the card will be invisible and unplayable. Additionally, the Zombie Yeti will linger on the field and zombies can be played on this Zombie Yeti's lane as if it had Team-Up, which is normally impossible for a zombie. Attacks will phase right through the Zombie Yeti and it can not attack. Insta-block glitches are also linked to this glitch. It is unknown how this occurs.

Trick or Treater in Plant Hero's hand glitch

Occasionally in the boss battle of Peel that Orange!, a Trick or Treater will be drawn into Template:PvZH Link's hand. If he plays it, it will appear to have the Team-Up trait, and during the fight phase, the Trick or Treater will damage and destroy himself. Aside from this, he will behave regularly if the zombie hero plays tricks during the tricks phase.

Seedling to Trick or Treater Glitch

WhatsApp Image 2017-01-08 at 16.08

Trick or Treater from a Seedling

A sub-glitch to the previous glitch, occasionally, a Seedling may transform into a Trick or Treater. The Trick or Treater will allow the Zombie Hero to gain treats normally. The Trick or Treater will attack itself during the Fight phase. This can also occur with Petal-Morphosis, and if that happens it will cause the game to softlock when it is supposed to attack. The match will never end, the only thing you can do is concede

Letting the Air Out of the Band

Upon the end of a Multiplayer match, when the game plays the main theme for the quests menu, if the button to go back to Multiplayer menu is timed just right, the note for one of the instruments does not properly end, and it will keep playing until the music is changed.

With proper timing, it can be further brought to different screens, including an entire multiplayer match, where the instrument will play during the whole match, outside of occasional glitching or being temporarily muted for a signature superpower being played.

It's unknown exactly why this happens, as replications are scarce and almost entirely random due to the unknown timing. However, one possible cause is the game's music is a .midi file played in real time, and not an .ogg or an .mp3 played, and thusly, by timing the end of a song just right between when a note starts and a note is supposed to end, the game is never properly told to end the note, and the instrument keeps playing. Upon the song changing, it's told to stop all instruments in the song playing, and that's why it is fixed.

Floating Cards Glitch

Sometimes cards can be dragged anywhere on the screen and they won't drop back to your hand. They will also not be able to be placed on the field.

IMG 0074

An example if this glitch

Wrong Class Glitch

Sometimes, cards appear in the wrong class when viewed in the almanac. They may also be played in games with the wrong class, causing certain heroes to play cards that they weren't supposed to be able to play.

Negative Sun/Brain Glitch

Sometimes at the start of turn the sun/brain received is shown to be lower than the actual sun/brain that should be received. After cards are played, the brain/sun may go to a negative number. However, this is only a visual glitch. It usually occurs when a Brainana steals brains.

B-Flat Ultra-Glitch

Note: This glitch was discovered by CITRONtanker, and due to its complexity, it might never happen again.

This glitch is very rare and equally complex. It starts when your opponent plays a Locust Swarm to destroy a plant. Immediately after, they put a B-Flat on the same plant that had Locust Swarm used on it. This causes the game to softlock, likely because B-Flat is not programmed to target a single plant, but rather to destroy a random one. During this, you can perform the Floating Cards glitch, but you cannot progress the battle in any way. If you concede the match, things get really strange. The screen dims, zooms out, and moves down. You can see a card texture there, most likely the one you would get at the start of your next turn.

"A Dark and Stormy Glitch"

This glitch is rare, but sometimes when tap the store icon on the menu, the screen will strangely turn black- however you can still see your gem values. This can be solved by closing and reopening the game.

Patched Glitches

The following glitches were patched out eventually.

  • Before version ???, it was possible for the game to ask the player where did they want to move the Surprise Gargantuar if he was spawned from a Gargantuars' Feast even if there was less than 2 open lanes. If that occurred with no available lanes, the game softlocked.
    15857686 10208181103710743 471539552 o

    Unmovable Surprise Gargantuar

  • Before version 1.6.27, if a fighter was given a trait from another fighter, such as an Imp getting Deadly or a Template:PvZHLink getting Frenzy, was bounced, the card in the player's hand would still have the trait icon on the health or strength. This continued to apply when the card was placed, and it did not go away until the fighter was destroyed. This however was purely an aesthetic glitch and the fighter would behave like usual.
  • Before version ???, if a Seedling transformed into a plant (or transformed from the effects of Petal-Morphosis) that had a "When played" ability, it would not have activated its ability. Should this occur with Wild Berry, the game will not allow the turn to end, forcing the player of their opponent to concede.
    Wildberryglitch

    Wild Berry not changing lanes

  • Before version ???, the game would not have responded and soft-locked if a Bungee Plumber was used on the plant hero while a Soul Patch was on the field, since back then, all attacks made on the plant hero had an animation where the attack went in the direction of the Soul Patch.
  • Before version ???, Soul Patch would have taken damage for Wall-Knight even if he used Uncrackable, where he would not have taken any damage in the first place.
  • Before version ???, it was much harder to clear Electric Boogaloo's Shocking Moves since only tricks could be used on the heights lane of that mission, and yet zombies could be played there as normal.
    Can't Play On Heights
  • Before version 1.6.27, Neptuna's trident experienced a visual glitch when using a superpower trick. If the player used a superpower trick or Neptuna's Signature Superpower: Octo-Pult, they would notice the yellow glow clipping out of Neptuna's trident.
Neptuna superpower with triden glitch

Neptuna when using superpower trick

Neptuna using octo-Pult with trident glitch

Neptuna's trident clipped out when using her Signature Superpower.

  • Before version ???, if the player skipped a quest in the Daily Quests, a new one would appear but did not replace the old one. Although the old quest could be completed, it did not give its reward. Skipping to the next day made it disappear permanently and would not have a new quest to replace it.
  • Before version 1.14.13, should an Template:PvZHLink who was revealed from a Gravestone used his ability on himself to damage/destroy certain plants such as Template:PvZHLink or Hothead and gets killed from it while there was a Headstone Carver on the field, the headstone carver would have attempted to boost a non-existent zombie. However, since he does not exist anymore, the game would not end until the player or their opponent conceded.
  • Before version ???, in A Fight to the Finish Line, there was a cosmetic glitch where the second lane which was supposed to be a ground lane actually looked like an aquatic lane.
    Water or Ground
  • Before version ???, the icon for Yeti Lunchbox was missing its lunchbox. Only the light was present.
    YetiLaunchBoxGlitch

    Notice it only shows the picture of the light while Yeti Lunchbox is not visible.

  • Before version 1.14.13, should multiple attacks via special abilities occur on the hero, (e.g. multiple Admiral Navy Beans, the Sergeant Strongberry loop as shown in the picture, or Re-Peat Moss), the Super-Block would not have blocked the rest of the attacks.
    Screenshot 2016-09-21-17-05-36
  • Before version ???, it was possible for the textures in the game to be replaced with pink textures, similar to the pink textures used in Plants vs. Zombies 2 where textures are replaced with either sun sprites or pink textures with a black X if the player locked their device with the game still on or opened the notifications while playing the game.
    PvZH 4441 2Pinky
    PvZH 4442 2Pinky
    PvZH 4443 2Pinky
    PvZH 4444 2Pinky
  • Before version ???, scrolling left from the first card in the player's deck would have shown a 3StrengthPvZH/3HeartPvZH card, a sun icon, and a brain icon.
    Unclassified Info Glitch
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