June 26

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Posted By Friendly?: A DayZ Podcast | July 01, 2026 16:00 CEST

What's New with DayZ?

The devs have absolutely cooked with their latest DayZ Badlands update and you seriously need to go check out the full breakdown for yourself. Dev Blog Week 73 dives deep into the identity of the upcoming Nasdara map expansion, giving us a massive look at some incredibly cool new assets. We're impressed with the modular bazaar system which is likely to be a favourite with our community map makers!

We are getting a first look at regional civilian and military areas, as well as an interesting focus on PVP. The new infected from Dev Blog Week 70 are impressively tailored for the arid environment, alongside a brand new "not-quite-undead" design philosophy for the local infected. If that is not enough to get you hyped, they also showcased five brutal new melee weapons including a Scimitar, a Jambiya dagger and a literal Döner Knife, plus the official confirmation of the iconic Luger P08 pistol.

Bohemia is putting an insane amount of research into this expansion and it looks spectacular.

ICYMI - Read the latest dev blog here: https://dayz.com/article/Dev-blo...

DayZ 2 Confirmed to be in Production!

Earlier this month, the DayZ devs flew out some super lucky content creators for reasons unknown. This is not a new tactic from BI, as they have done this to reveal Frostline and most recently with Badlands. This time, however, the guests where caught off guard by a huge banner with the number '2' written on with, in the famous DayZ-esque typoography.

What could this possibly mean, I hear you ask? Only one thing. DayZ 2 is happening. At this stage, we have no more information, but we know BI have confirmed it's officially in production!

There are a lot of questions like "Why now?", "What about Badlands", "When can we see it?!" but I'm sure we'll hear a lot more in the coming weeks.

Image credit: @Lottie

Community Spotlight

Each month we want to celebrate the hard work this community puts in to keep DayZ feeling fresh and new 13 years on! Below are some of our favourites from the last month.

WOBO Talks Switch 2

@Wobo jumps straight into the big reveal that DayZ is heading to the Switch 2 and he tackles it with the same calm precision he brings to every deep dive. He talks through the expected release window, the handheld control tweaks and how the upgraded hardware might cope with a world that loves to chew weaker systems alive.

He digs into performance targets, visual expectations and the places where the Switch 2 might need to compromise without losing that harsh, unpredictable DayZ feel. It’s a sharp, grounded look at what this new platform could mean as the game opens its doors to a fresh wave of survivors.

Will you be getting DayZ on the Switch 2?

AmishZed Takes on Nyheim’s Madness

@AmishZed is back causing trouble in Nyheim and this one is an absolute riot. He bumps into Chill Pilgrim early on and the pair link up like two freshies who instantly realise they’re better off sticking together in a city that wants them dead.
Their run through Nyheim is packed with scrappy firefights, including a brilliant moment where they use a train as cover while everything around them kicks off. They bounce between tense player encounters, dodgy back‑alley moments and a hilarious run‑in with Robbie, who gets relieved of his gear then sent on his way. By the time they clear the Refugee Arrival Center and fight their way out, it feels like a proper survival odyssey. It’s teamwork, chaos and classic AmishZed energy all the way through.

Beanz Leans Into Quality

@Beanz recently shared some of the thumbnails she has been cooking up lately and they look absolutely incredible. We know she has taken a bit of a step back from live streaming to fully dedicate her energy to highly edited, long-form recorded content and honestly? We are absolutely loving this change of focus.

Shifting away from the grind of streaming to pour all that creative energy into scripted, beautifully produced videos is a massive win. The sheer effort is clearly paying off, and it is raising the bar for the channel. Keep them coming, Beanz!

You can find the channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@BeanzYT

A DayZ Freshie Makes an Epic Movie

Learning DayZ is brutal, and crafting a movie‑style YouTube video is even tougher. Mastering survival mechanics, unpredictable PvP, and harsh permadeath takes time, but filming it demands planning, cinematic awareness and relentless editing. Turning chaotic gameplay into a coherent story is a real test of skill and patience.

@DRT committed three intense months to documenting a single official run, transforming a 12‑episode saga into a 4.5‑hour film with original music and deliberate cinematography. The story follows a lone fresh spawn who finds unexpected brotherhood, builds a hidden woodland refuge, and endures run‑ins with hackers, ambushes, and rare streaks of luck. Despite losses and close calls, the journey ends with hope, proof that in DayZ, what matters most is the story that survives you.

Elite Console Survival on Sakhal

It is so rare to see high-tier console gameplay look this good, and we absolutely love the fact that this latest video takes place on the KarmaKrew Sakhal server. @ItzMaverick teams up with Sabs2Riches and G_Baby717 for a chaotic, action-packed run immediately following a fresh map wipe.

The squad navigates the brutal icy landscape, getting straight into an intense early firefight against a massive six-man squad on the coast. They eventually secure an AUG, night vision goggles and full ghillie suits during high-stakes airfield battles before establishing a secure base in Gobo.

It is an incredible showcase of top-tier tactical movement and console teamwork. GG and keep it up!

A Fresh Glimpse at Sahinkaya

@John McLane just dropped fresh screenshots for his upcoming map, Sahinkaya and the hype is very real. Having thoroughly enjoyed the initial playtest and knowing his incredible pedigree with legendary maps like Deer Isle and Alteria, we know we are in for an absolute treat.

The latest 0.2 version builds on the public test from last year, with the playable area officially doubled. An open public playtest is being planned next. Keep your peepers peeped for this one! You can see a lot more images on John McLane's X post.

FreshSpawns Find a DayZ Server Where AI Players Never Stop Hunting You

The Fresh Spawns lads are back (as if they went anywhere...) and this time they are tackling the ultra-hardcore brutal world of the LONE 2025 server. This unique zombie-free experience replaces the infected with incredibly sophisticated, tactical AI bandits that flank and hold angles like real players.

With punishing hardcore survival mechanics and a strict no-wipe policy, the stakes are massive. The boys have to team up to hunt down these robotic threats, ending in a wild twist where a squad mate make a revelation I won't spoil here. It is a brilliant, paranoid look at the future of DayZ survival.

HollyRex Cooking Up A Storm!

@HollyRex turned her cooking stream into a proper comfort‑zone hangout, whipping up DayZ cookies and a veg pie while chatting away with her community like they were all crowded round the same campfire. It had that warm, familiar vibe where the baking almost becomes background noise to the laughs, the stories and the daft ideas flying around.

You could feel how much she enjoys spending time with her viewers, turning a simple bit of cooking into something that felt personal and memorable. It was creative, wholesome and exactly the kind of off‑beat community moment that makes this scene so much fun.

Our Favourite Shorts of the Month

If you are looking for quick bursts of pure DayZ carnage, our community shorts have absolutely delivered this month.

@Heybarmby and his duo kick things off with that doomed promise not to die first.

They’re still arguing about a past fight where they were abandoned and the other insists it was impossible to win.

We've all been to engrossed in our in-game conversations, so I'm sure you can figure out what happens next.

@Clutcher shows exactly what solo DayZ feels like on a packed server. His gameplay perfectly captures the isolation, the constant tension of every single footstep and the brutal weight of every split-second decision.

By highlighting the crushing lows and adrenaline-pumping highs of surviving entirely alone, he proves just how raw and demanding a true solo run can be.

@CallMeAlex drops a rapid burst of freshie chaos, throwing himself at fully geared players with that fearless, nothing‑to‑lose energy. The pacing is slick, the music hits just right and every clash feels like a proper gamble where a frying pan and blind confidence somehow beat an M4.

It’s scrappy, stylish and instantly recognisable to anyone who’s ever spawned in and gone hunting for trouble.

Video of the Month

We loved this guide so much in our Video of the Week section that we had to feature it here too. @Wkey breaks down how to build unraidable bases on The Lab server by prioritizing clever planning over raw defense.

The guide highlights picking locations within two kilometres of traders, utilizing existing prefab buildings like piano houses for cost-effective starters and designing curved raid paths for sweet wallbang angles. It is a masterclass in making sure your loot survives the entire wipe.

Listen to the episode here:

Speculating the Bridge to Badlands

@AlwaysStreams just dropped a massive breakdown on the highly anticipated Bridge to Badlands stream and it has the entire community deep in speculation mode. We are looking at a potential influx of new desert military-themed assets, fresh convoy variations and game-changing gear pieces like heavy armor and helmets.

The real talking point is how the development team might tackle server hopping alongside game stability improvements as we pivot between patches 1.29 and 1.30. Could this fundamentally change how we lock down high-tier loot? BI are keeping tight-lipped but the implications for the future meta are absolutely massive.

The Heart and Soul of Banov

As seen in the below image, an insane amount of work has gone into Banov and a lot of people are loving the latest release. Creator @KubeloLive shared a moving retrospective of the journey since 2021, overcoming development struggles, a total hard drive failure and a brutal bout of burnout. Supported by Sumrak, the creator pushed through to release the biggest update the map has ever seen this month.

The infographic reveals that the massive expansion officially dropped on June 9th, 2026, marking a triumphant milestone for the project. It stands as a true testament to community passion and raw perseverance.

Classic Ghillie Duo Action with JLK

Another cracking video has just dropped and it brings back absolute peak old school DayZ vibes. The duo of @JLK and Camo fully commit to the legendary forest ghillie sniper playstyle on a packed 100 player server.

They build up their kits from hunting gear to craft full suits, locking down an SVD and an M14 DMR before running into some classic base-building heartbreak when players crawl right through a gap in their walls. From clinical airdrop snipes to a heart breaking final stand, it is a brilliant reminder of why we love duo survival runs.

Sidenote: Thumbnail of the month award? 🏆

Zesty's Unhinged Crane Base

@Zesty Polvo is known for his...different content but this latest project is next level. He teams up with his mate Flexing to build a ridiculous, high-altitude base right on top of the iconic yellow crane in Severograd.

The build is total chaos, plagued by constant PvP skirmishes, demoralising encounters with sus players and frequent accidental falls that force long respawn treks. They even recruit a solo player, only to, well, I wont spoil that part. It makes for an incredibly entertaining, stressful watch, but what's new! GG.

Nate's Outpost Incoming

@Nate from A Beautiful Potato is cooking up a spectacular new 419-square-kilometre map called Outpost and we absolutely love the fact that it is multi-biome and hard as nails. Taking heavy inspiration from southern Chile and Antarctica, this fictional land mass features diverse environments ranging from warm northern beaches down to a brutally frozen southern tundra.

The map is packed with icy expeditions, a massive inland ocean named Malsk Na Lake and punishing weather shifts like sudden chunks of hail. Survival is a genuine struggle, introducing a toxic rain mechanic where the only warning is a ominous message reading "the rain taste spicy on the tongue." You will need to wrap up warm because this playtest is punishing.

Ceremor Joins the Podcast Carnage

We had the absolute treat of joined by @Ceremor, one of the true wildcards of the DayZ scene. The moment he starts talking about his first steps in the old Arma 2 mod, you can almost smell the nostalgia and panic of those early, lawless days.

He’s brutally honest about where the game stands now, especially his hatred for base building, which he reckons drags DayZ away from the raw survival chaos that made it special.

Thank you for a banger of an episode. You can listen on Spotify or anywhere else from our LinkTree.