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DayZ | 1.28 Stable Update - Out Now!

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Greetings, Survivors!
We are happy to announce that game update 1.28 has been released on all platforms. We are grateful for all the feedback we received and for your active participation in the experimental phase.

We’ve known since the launch of DayZ Frostline that Sakhal needed more dynamic elements. This time we were able to add a few. Once you spawn at the coast, for example, you may be able to spot some grounded fishing and military patrol boats, which will make you wonder what may have spawned there. Through your travels down the major roads of Sakhal, you may also find the wrecks of ambulances offering basic medical supplies - if you can fight the infected who are hanging around, that is. Survivors exploring Shantar Island and the Burukan peninsula may hear (or even see) the familiar signs of helicopter crash sites. They offer different kinds of loot compared to the surroundings, and also disrupt the usual routes, making new areas temporarily more dangerous. We definitely recommend giving Sakhal another try. Just think twice before taking a bath in one of the hot spring areas. Something is certainly brewing in there now!


We know how close the subject of firearms is to many of you. Since it’s been a while, we decided to pick related topics from our backlog and implement them in this update. First of all, we are introducing two new firearms. The first is the new king of shotguns - the semi-automatic R12, complete with a wide range of attachments. Secondly, there’s the return (for legacy players) of the RAK 37: a submachine gun that’s fed by 15 or 25 round magazines of .380.


We also have three new scopes to spice up the ranged meta. The new king of scopes is certainly the Marksman scope, followed closely by a new variant of the PSO scope, the PSO-6. Hunting scopes got a lot rarer because we’re introducing lower magnification Sportpoint sights. We’ve also introduced damage states to the scope overlays, the ability to have illuminated reticles in those overlays, and also improved the visuals of the rangefinder overlay. Additionally, our audio department has introduced another large batch of firearm audio changes, this time for all non-automatic rifles. We also finally completed an iteration of the firearm lifting mechanic. It now has a new state of pullback, meaning the firearm doesn’t instantly go up the moment it touches an obstacle.

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A third important piece of this game update is tied to cars. We made a fundamental change to the way the cars are synchronized between the client and server. The goal was to make the driving experience more pleasant, allowing you to keep things under control, even during high latency conditions. Vehicle bouncing and a floaty feel should no longer be present during your driving. The experimental car servers were invaluable in verifying these changes in a live environment, and we certainly enjoyed watching all of the content that was created from these. The reception to this change was positive overall, and we hope you’re going to like it.

Speaking of cars, our audio department looked at engine audibility from inside, around, and from a distance. The goal was for players to be able to communicate easier when sitting inside the vehicles, while also making sure the vehicles are more audible from a distance.


This article can’t cover every new addition, change, and fix in update 1.28. If you’d like to learn more about everything that’s new, head to our official forums and read the change notes.

We hope you enjoy this update and look forward to seeing all of the new adventures you have! We’re definitely not slowing down this year, so see you soon with more news on what’s in store!
On behalf of the DayZ team,
Adam

Zombies Vs Vampires Fest


Survivors,
We’re participating in the Zombies vs. Vampires Fest on Steam. To the DayZ OGs about to say, “Actually, they’re infected ☝️🤓”—just know the fest includes DayZ and its bundles at up to 50% off! So don’t tattle on us to Steam. Grab it at a great price for yourself or for your gaming buddies. The sale runs until June 2nd, so get it now before Update 1.28 drops on June 3rd!

This update is packed with new content, including two new firearms, three new scopes (including the 10x long-range Marksman Scope), and major improvements to car synchronization. After all this time, you can finally show off your drifting skills. And that’s just the beginning—check out [the full details here].

https://store.steampowered.com/app/221100/DayZ/

What is DayZ?
The post-soviet countries of Chernarus and Livonia are 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 Frostline is also getting a whole lot of love with dynamic events like classic heli crashes, dynamic boat wrecks, and medical events to surely keep Sakhal fresh and exciting. Plus, it’s 26% off during the sale!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2968040/DayZ_Frostline/

What is DayZ Frostline?
Sakhal harbors both beauty and danger, offering an experience DayZ fans have never seen before. As you explore, hunt, survive, and unfurl the mysteries hidden beneath the frost line. Unite with fellow survivors or forge your path alone; the choice is yours in this perilous winter wonderland.
Preparation is the key to survival, and as the frost sets in, only those with Ice in their veins and Fire in their hearts will endure.


Deluxe Edition & Cool Edition
More comprehensive versions of DayZ in Deluxe and Cool Editions are also on sale with up to 50% and 35% off, respectively.



We're thrilled about the upcoming 1.28 Update - this milestone perfectly launches us into summer! If you've been wanting to introduce a friend to DayZ, now is absolutely the best time. Between the new update and current sales, there's never been a better moment to jump in.

Exciting things are happening right now, and even more exciting things are coming soon!

Walpurgis Sale


Survivors,
DayZ's first seasonal event of the year - Walpurgis Night - has arrived. To celebrate, we're kicking off a spring sale: from April 15, get DayZ and select bundles at up to 50% off.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/221100/DayZ/

What is DayZ?
The post-soviet countries of Chernarus and Livonia are 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?


The 1.28 update has just gone live on our Experimental branch today. This release brings new scopes into the game, improves vehicle synchronization, introduces weapon lifting changes, and adds exciting new dynamic events specifically for DayZ Frostline.
And speaking of Frostline - we've got good news for those who haven't experienced the expansion yet. For a limited time, DayZ Frostline is available at 26% off!
Now's the perfect time to jump into Experimental and test these new features while enjoying the frozen challenges of DayZ Frostline at a discount.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2968040/DayZ_Frostline/

What is DayZ Frostline?
Sakhal harbors both beauty and danger, offering an experience DayZ fans have never seen before. As you explore, hunt, survive, and unfurl the mysteries hidden beneath the frost line. Unite with fellow survivors or forge your path alone; the choice is yours in this perilous winter wonderland.
Preparation is the key to survival, and as the frost sets in, only those with Ice in their veins and Fire in their hearts will endure.


Deluxe Edition & Cool Edition
More comprehensive versions of DayZ in Deluxe and Cool Editions are also on sale with up to 50% and 35% off, respectively.



To all survivors, both veterans and newcomers alike, we extend our best wishes for your adventures ahead of summer and 1.28 Update. May fortune favor you, and see you at the bonfires.

Walpurgis Night 2025

Survivors,
Spring has arrived, and so is Walpurgis Night, our first seasonal event of 2025! As promised in our DayZ in 2025 article, we're kicking off a year of in-game celebrations inspired by real-world traditions and events!
The Lore Behind the Event

Walpurgis Night (Čarodejnice in Czech) blends ancient pagan spring rites with later folklore honoring Saint Walpurga, a protector against witchcraft. Today, many parts of Europe mark it with bonfires, Maypole dances, and revelry. It is a perfect theme for Chernarus and Livonia. However, for Sakhal, being in a different part of the world, we modified the bonfire events with the new dynamic tire fire! It should still keep the spirit of spring while being thematically suitable for the new winter terrain in the east.

Event Highlights (April 15 – May 6)
  • Bonfires (or tire fires on Sakhal, to fend off the cold)
  • Seasonal Gear: Witch hats, much beloved Witch hoods, birch brooms, cauldrons, crooked noses, and the return of the Infected Witch
  • High-Risk Comfort: Will you risk a firefight for a moment's respite by the flames?

The event will be on all official stable servers across all platforms.
Lock in, grab a pitchfork (or flaming broom!), and hunt those bonfires. Just remember, stay warm but stay sharper.

On behalf of the DayZ team,
Lynn

1.28 Experimental Release


Greetings, Survivors!
We’re about to enter the public testing phase of game update 1.28 on Steam and Xbox! Lets talk about what is coming, and what to keep an eye on during your experimental adventures. As usual, if you’d like to get spoiled with everything, head to our forums to see the change notes.

One of the biggest changes in this update is the introduction of vehicle synchronization. The goal was to make the driving experience more pleasant, allowing you to keep things under control, even during high latency conditions. Vehicle bouncing and a floaty feel should no longer be present during your driving. Since it was quite a fundamental change, there may be a few side-effects beyond what we’ve already found. We encourage you to try it on the experimental servers (we even have a dedicated cars server for you to play on) and tell us about your experience. We’ll be watching the feedback closely. If you are interested in learning more about what was changed and why, check out this detailed blog post from Arma Reforger, as we are using the same approach for DayZ.

It's been a while since we looked at the gunplay in our game, so we decided to give it some attention by updating the weapon lifting mechanic. Ever since it was introduced years ago, we felt that close-quarters combat often ended in a frustrating experience, as your gun could move up at any point. Last year, we made a number of tweaks to improve the experience, but we ultimately had only two states: normal or lifted. With update 1.28, we’re introducing a gradual pullback to all of our firearms. This means your character now tries to pull the firearm back (if there’s enough space) before lifting it up. As you can imagine, this has major implications for indoor combat, as well as in cases of infected overwhelming you at close range.



Another thing we focused on was scopes. We’re introducing 3 new scopes for our firearms:

  • With its 2x zoom, the Sportpoint sight will be filling a gap in low-tier civilian scopes, making the hunting scope a lot more rare in the world
  • PSO-6 is a brand new variant of the well-known PSO scope; it brings a 6x zoom to all eastern firearms, including VSD
  • The rail-compatible Marksman scope, with its variable 3.5x-10x zoom levels, will be the new top-tier choice for all long-range engagements




Coupled with these new additions, we are also bringing much needed improvements to scope overlays. Damage state is now visualized on the overlays and support for illuminated reticles was added as well. Binoculars, NVG scopes, and the rangefinder have received visual updates and fixes to the overlay. And keep an eye on your Night Vision goggles - they may become more difficult to use when damaged!



Our audio team brought in a huge batch of sounds for the firearm overhaul, updating the shots and tails for all non-automatic rifles. They also looked at vehicles and balanced their audibility from inside, around, and from a distance. The goal was for players to be able to communicate easier when sitting inside the vehicles, while also making sure the vehicles are more audible from a distance. Feedback on the footsteps tweaks from update 1.27 was also taken into account. We separated the configuration of player character and infected steps, and slightly lowered the audibility of both. Lastly, the Sakhal caves received a brand new soundscape to get immersed in.

Speaking of Sakhal, a major focus of this update is on introducing new dynamic events to the environment. So make sure you go out there and explore!

On behalf of the DayZ team,
Adam