The post-soviet country of Chernarus is struck by an unknown virus, turning the majority population into frenzied infected. Fighting over resources has bred a hostile mentality among survivors, driving what’s left of humanity to collapse. You are one of the few immune to the virus – how far will you go to survive?

DayZ is an unforgiving, authentic survival experience. Up to 60 survivors on a server engage in a completely unscripted gameplay scenario with no goals given, except for one: to survive as long as they can, by all means necessary. There are no superficial tips, way-points, built-in tutorials, or help given to players. Every decision matters, and every mistake can be lethal. If you die in DayZ, you lose all your character progress and start over, as the game features a permadeath concept.

With the need to manage your character's basic survival requirements and the looming danger of permadeath restarting your progress, DayZ is an exceptionally immersive game. Despite not directly featuring any storytelling mechanics, the post-apocalyptic open world of DayZ presents a unique online sandbox where every decision adds up, creating your own personal story. When all 60 players on a server engage in this completely unscripted survival scenario, the resulting emergent gameplay leads to intense player interactions — some action-packed and short, and some involving long, sophisticated roleplay with very real emotions that you remember long after.

Bohemia Interactive is excited to announce the release of Update 1.27, the first update of 2025 for DayZ.

Following record-breaking player numbers and the success of the DayZ Frostline, this update continues the commitment of the developers to further evolve the DayZ experience.

Update 1.27 brings significant improvements to both gameplay and immersion. Players can explore expanded areas on Sakhal, experience a reworked survival system, and enjoy enhanced audio-visual elements. This update also introduces key quality-of-life features such as a customizable boat decay system, improved backpack storage, and refined fishing mechanics.

Key Features & Additions in Update 1.27

• Enhanced Navigation, New Locations & New Point of Interest on Sakhal - Expanded cities, villages, and a new point of interest on Shantar Island.
• Fishing & Survival Adjustments – Fishing now takes longer with incomplete tools, and food poisoning is now linked to specific animal types.
• Customizable Boat Decay System - Server owners can now adjust boat decay settings to prevent abandoned vessels from cluttering the map.
• Expanded Backpack Storage & Inventory Adjustments - Additional tool slots and generalized glowstick and radio slots.
• Sound & Immersion Upgrades - Footstep realism, new character sound effects, and refined gunfire audio.
• New Particle Effects & Visual Polish - Snow falling from trees, improved bleeding effects, and enhanced breath vapor.

To ensure a balanced and fair start for all players, a full server wipe takes place with the release of Update 1.27. All maps and characters have been reset across all platforms, providing a clean slate for survivors heading into the new year.

Looking Ahead: DayZ in 2025

Update 1.27 is just the beginning of what promises to be a major year for DayZ. 

A key focus in the coming months will be refining gunplay mechanics. Players can look forward to improved scopes, new firearms, and adjustments to weapon handling for a more fluid and realistic combat experience. In addition, there are plans for several quality-of-life improvements and performance enhancements, with many updates driven directly by community feedback. These changes will also address bug fixes, optimization efforts, and various refinements.

Expanded dynamic events for Sakhal will introduce greater variety and unpredictability to the world. Meanwhile, a complete overhaul of the UI and main menu is in development, designed to improve navigation, streamline news updates, and enhance accessibility for all players.

There is much more in store for DayZ this year so stay tuned for more news!

Upcoming Seasonal & Special Events

Due to the timing of Update 1.27, there will be no Valentine’s event this year. However, players can look forward to the return of seasonal favorites, including Walpurgis Night, Halloween, and Christmas, with the possibility of new collaborative events in the future.

Key Features

• Detailed, authentic backdrop of Chernarus, an open world terrain featuring 230 square kilometres of hand-crafted environment based on real life locations
• Real emotional experience driven by the emergent interactions of 60 players on the server, all fighting for survival by any means necessary
• Environmental dangers including the infected, dynamic weather, and animal predators
• Wide variety of complex survival mechanics - from hunting and crafting, through sophisticated injury simulation, to transferable diseases
• Persistent servers with complex loot economy, and the ability to build improvised bases
• Visceral, authentic gun play and melee combat systems
• Smooth and reactive character controller utilizing a detailed animation system
• Rewarding and authentic experience of driving vehicles for travel and material transport

DayZ is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC (Steam).