Update 1.29 is now live on all platforms. Thank you for your patience throughout the extended experimental phase and the delays. Originally planned as a smaller release, it grew into a broader update that adds new assets and tackles long-standing technical debt, including major improvements to server stability and performance. Let us give you a refresher on what update 1.29 has to offer. Find the full patch notes here.
One interesting improvement is our work on terrain blending. Up until this update, Sakhal suffered most from a lack of this feature, producing blocky textures between terrain transitions that unfortunately made things less immersive. That is no longer the case. It’s important to note that the reason this wasn’t as big of an issue in Livonia or Chernarus is because of the abundance of thick foliage and the lack of varied terrain. Sakhal, however, with its general lack of foliage and more varied terrain, demanded a new method of blending detailed terrain surfaces. This will be the same for Nasdara, where there should be even less foliage than on all existing maps.
Our audio team finally completed the firearm sound overhaul, this time focusing on all automatic rifles and pistols. This is a tremendous feat for our audio team, and a hurdle that needed to be cleared, since it’s something that has been in our backlog for a while. It was definitely a worthwhile task, as it should provide a nuanced and fresh start for those who have learned the sound of firearms from afar as a meta gameplay element. Speaking of which, based on your feedback, we increased the types of firearms you can identify, and extended the audibility of firearms to beyond 100 meters. Although the previous change was justified as making it more immersive (since, in reality, sounds often become muddled by echoes), we decided to keep the subtle differences in sound in order to cherish the community’s unique approach to the game. We also fixed a bug that affected the range of shooting sounds indoors, and made sure they now match the range of shooting sounds in outdoor environments.
Aside from the technicalities, update 1.29 still offers a great amount of content, especially to DayZ Frostline. In order to prepare you for your run in Sakhal, we are introducing the largest pack of winter-themed character cosmetics ever: coats, boots, sweaters, and more. We also added a high-tier gear item - the long-haul backpack - which we’re certain will become a favorite of yours. To match the wolf headdress that came with Sakhal, we have also added a bear headdress and a fox headdress. The latter is craftable with the fox pelt and a leather sewing kit. For the bear headdress, much like the wolf, you’ll simply need to avoid hitting the bear in the head. Good luck with that.
2026 is shaping up to be an important year for DayZ, and we’re ready to talk about the outlines of our plan. DayZ is now more than 13 years old, yet still growing, both in terms of the player base and the game itself. The team has also grown exponentially over the last year, and the game’s reach has expanded to new regions. You can read more about those in the DayZ in 2025 article. As always, our goal for DayZ’s future is to continue expanding and refining DayZ’s core experience for the long run.
What does this mean for 2026? Let’s get into it.
DayZ Badlands: Road to Nasdara
As you may already know, DayZ Badlands is slated to arrive this year. We’re not disclosing which quarter just yet. For now, this year will be a different kind of year compared to previous years (but don't worry, you'll see why). After 1.29, we have planned an additional, relatively minor update to 1.29 later in the year, dubbed "The Road to Badlands Update." This update will serve as a bridge, where you will be able to enjoy a taste of some assets and events from DayZ Badlands prior to its release with 1.30.
While plans may evolve along the way, the fact remains that DayZ Badlands is shaping up to be one of the biggest feats we have taken on since 1.0. Here are some of the key focuses for DayZ Badlands:
Nasdara: the largest original terrain we have ever worked on, featuring many new assets
The first-ever two-wheeled vehicles, including a moped and a dirt bike, along with the physics and mechanics to support them
Tons of new character cosmetics, assets, and firearms true to the region
Animals and infected types that are authentic to the setting
Extreme environmental challenges of an arid desert region
Dynamic ways to obtain valuable loot (think real-life communication skills that could potentially give you an edge)
A new take on base building, with new tools and systems that help you repair and reclaim the war-torn landscape
Much like with DayZ Frostline, the base game will also reap the benefits from our work on the DayZ Badlands expansion. Of course, this is only scratching the surface since we are not revealing too much for now. We plan to release in-depth dev blogs starting next week. Wishlist DayZ Badlands Now!
Stability, Stability, Stability
The overall stability of the game remains a top priority. We are hoping update 1.29 brings much needed stability to server performance. It doesn’t end there, of course. We are already on standby to support the update with hotfixes in the coming weeks after the release. Here's the link to the feedback tracker, should you encounter any issues. Of course, we will also be closely monitoring your experience and will continue making improvements throughout the year.
Continuing Support for Community Endeavors
As a game that came out of the community, it’s important for us to continue supporting our community. This year, we are looking into making significant improvements to our modding tool workbench.
Seasonal Event Support
We kicked off the first event of the year with the Valentine’s Event, and we hope it brought much needed chaos to the stable servers. We do plan to expand on this event in the coming years, so make sure to submit your suggestions through the official channels. You can expect all the seasonal events this year. That means Walpurgis, Halloween, and Christmas!
2026 is bound to be yet another interesting and major year for us. We’d like to show you more, but where’s the fun in that? We will be utilizing the DayZ Badlands dev blog to slowly roll out what we have in store for you. The dev blogs will run every month starting from the coming week. We are sure you’ll like what you’re going to see.
We sincerely thank and appreciate you all for your infinite patience and continued support.
Enjoy the teaser, and let’s have yet another fantastic year of DayZ!
On behalf of the DayZ team,
Lynn