How To Host A DayZ Dedicated Server

A DayZ dedicated server runs your own Chernarus, with your own rules, mods and wipe schedule. This guide was checked on 4 October 2026 against the files Bohemia Interactive ships with the server (version 1.29.163709), its server manager script, its official mission repository, and a test server we ran with a password the same day.

What You Need

• A Steam account that owns DayZ. Unlike most game servers, the DayZ server will not download with an anonymous SteamCMD login: we tried, and SteamCMD refused with "No subscription".
• A Windows machine. Bohemia's server manager script lists Windows 10 and Windows Server 2012 R2 or newer.
• Disk space: our install was 3.4 GB, plus about 120 MB for the mission files and room for the world's save files.
• Memory: Bohemia publishes no figure for the server. Our test server used about 4.1 GB right after loading Chernarus, with nobody online.

Install The Server With SteamCMD

The DayZ server is app 223350. Log in with your own Steam account (SteamCMD asks for your password and Steam Guard code itself):

steamcmd +force_install_dir C:\DayZServer +login your_steam_name +app_update 223350 validate +quit

The experimental server is app 1042420. Bohemia also ships Server_manager.ps1 in the server_manager folder, a PowerShell script that can download and update the server and Workshop mods, and start and stop the server.

Get The Mission Files

The server download does not include the mission files, and the server will not run a world without them. Our test server, started without them, looked for mpmissions\dayzOffline.chernarusplus\mission.c and warned the files were missing.

Bohemia publishes the missions in its official DayZ Central Economy repository on GitHub:

1. Download the repository (Code, then Download ZIP).
2. Copy the dayzOffline.chernarusplus folder into a folder called mpmissions inside the server folder, so you have C:\DayZServer\mpmissions\dayzOffline.chernarusplus.
3. For the other maps, copy dayzOffline.enoch (Livonia) or dayzOffline.sakhal the same way, and change the template in serverDZ.cfg.

The repository also holds seasonal versions, such as the Christmas and Halloween missions. Its licence is Bohemia's Arma and DayZ Public License (non-commercial, share-alike).

Ports And Firewall

Bohemia's example launch options use -port=2302. Our test server, with those options, listened on:

Forward those three UDP ports to the server and allow them through the firewall.

Configure The Server

Settings live in serverDZ.cfg in the server folder. Every line in the shipped file explains itself; the ones to change first:

The file says verifySignatures only supports 2, and guaranteedUpdates should stay at 1.

Start The Server

Bohemia's example launch options are:

DayZServer_x64.exe -config=serverDZ.cfg "-mod=" "-serverMod=" "-profiles=C:\DayZServer\logs" -port=2302 -freezecheck -adminlog -dologs

-profiles sets where the server writes its logs, -adminlog and -dologs turn logging on, and -freezecheck watches for a frozen server. On our test machine the server was ready about 22 seconds after starting.

Join Your Server

• Server browser: players search for the server name in DayZ's server browser.
• Direct connect: players can also add it by its IP address and port.
• Same version: with forceSameBuild at 1, players need exactly the server's version.

Mods, Persistence And Wipes

Mods

Workshop mods go on the command line: -mod= for mods players need too, -serverMod= for mods only the server runs, each as a list of mod folders. Bohemia's Server_manager.ps1 can download Workshop mods for you, with the example_mod_list.txt and example_server_mod_list.txt files showing the format.

Persistence

The world (bases, items, vehicles) is saved in a storage folder inside the mission: on our test server, mpmissions\dayzOffline.chernarusplus\storage_1. The number is the server's instanceId, which is how several servers on one machine keep their saves apart. storageAutoFix (on by default) replaces corrupted files with empty ones.

Wipes

To start a fresh world, stop the server and back up, then remove that storage_1 folder; the server makes a new one on its next start.

Updates

Run the SteamCMD command again, and check the mission repository for changes after a game update.

Common Problems

SteamCMD says "No subscription"

The DayZ server needs a Steam account that owns DayZ. Log in with your own account instead of anonymous.

The server starts but the world never loads

The mission files are missing. Copy the mission folder from Bohemia's repository into mpmissions, and check that its name matches template in serverDZ.cfg.

Players cannot connect

Check UDP 2302, 2304 and 27016 are forwarded and allowed through the firewall, and that players are on the server's exact version.

Where are the logs?

In the folder you gave -profiles. Our test server wrote its main log there as a .RPT file.

Or Rent A Server Instead

Hosting DayZ yourself means a Steam login on the server, mission files from GitHub, three ports and a few gigabytes of memory for Chernarus alone. A rented DayZ server comes with the files in place, and you edit serverDZ.cfg and mods from its control panel. Compare memory, locations and what each host includes before you buy.

Compare DayZ server hosts on price, locations, memory and support.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

Checked on 4 October 2026 against:

• The DayZ server (app 223350, version 1.29.163709): its shipped serverDZ.cfg, and Bohemia's server_manager folder (Server_manager.ps1, its readme and example launch options)
• Bohemia Interactive's official DayZ Central Economy repository, for the mission files
• Valve, SteamCMD
• Our own test server on Windows, run with a password on 4 October 2026