DayZ by Bohemia Interactive is always played on a server, whether you are on PC, PlayStation or Xbox. There is no official offline or single-player mode. This guide covers the difference between official and community servers, what 1PP and 3PP mean, how to find a European server in the launcher, how to play solo and what running your own server involves. Everything here is accurate as of 20 October 2026.
Official vs community servers
A single DayZ server holds up to 60 players. Servers come in two groups. Official servers are run by Bohemia Interactive, which also decides when they are wiped, meaning a full reset of the world, characters and bases. The studio announces wipes alongside major updates, most recently with update 1.30 and the Badlands expansion on 15 October 2026. The details are in our DayZ wipe guide.
Community (unofficial) servers can be hosted by anyone with suitable hardware. The game launcher has a separate “community” tab for them, and you manage mods and community servers straight from there. On PC, community servers can run mods from the Steam Workshop, and there are thousands of them. Some also use community maps such as Namalsk, Deer Isle or Pripyat. On a community server, the admin is in charge of wipes: Bohemia’s hosting rules allow admins to reset the persistence files (the saved state of the world) without restriction.
What a community server admin may change
Bohemia publishes hosting rules for public community servers. The current version dates from 2020, so treat the table below as the state described in that document.
| Rule (2020 version) | What it means |
|---|---|
| Player count | 30 to 60 slots |
| Camera | first person only (1PP), or both 1PP and 3PP |
| Other admin options | crosshair and server time |
| Restarts | no more than 5 per day |
| Not allowed | server password, disabled signature verification, selling in-game items for real money |
What 1PP and 3PP mean
1PP (first person perspective) shows the world through your character’s eyes. 3PP (third person perspective) puts the camera behind your character. On 1PP servers the third person view is switched off. Whether a server runs 1PP only or allows both is the admin’s call, so check the server name and description in the browser before you join.
How to find a European server
The launcher’s server browser can filter by name. Type what you are after into the filter, for example vanilla (no mods), PvE, PvP, solo or RP (roleplay). The same works for narrowing the list to servers with a region or country in their name. We do not recommend specific servers here, because the line-up changes often and there is no verified list.
The browser also has a “Battleye required” filter. By default it shows servers protected by the BattlEye anti-cheat. Switch it from “Default” to “No” to see servers without BattlEye as well. That mostly matters if you run into anti-cheat trouble, which we cover in BattlEye errors.
Can you play DayZ solo or offline?
There is no official offline mode. Steam does not list a single-player category for the game, only multiplayer, MMO, PvP and co-op. The Microsoft Store lists online play for 2 to 60 players, and the PlayStation Store marks the game as “Online play required”. An internet connection is also part of the minimum PC requirements.
Playing solo in DayZ therefore means one of two things:
- Playing alone on a regular server. You do not need a group, you just have to accept that other players are around. You can also type solo into the server filter.
- Your own server. Anyone with enough hardware can host one, and then you can be the only one on it.
If you are new to the game, start with our beginner’s guide.
Your own server: key terms
Bohemia released the DayZ server files in September 2018. This is not a step-by-step setup guide, but these terms from Bohemia’s official wiki will help when you read the documentation or your host’s settings:
serverDZ.cfgis the main server configuration file.- The default server port is
2302. - The Chernarus mission is called
dayzOffline.chernarusplusand the Livonia missiondayzOffline.enoch. These are the names of the missions the server runs. - The
storageparameter sets the folder where the server keeps persistence, the state of the world and characters.
The Sakhal map from the DayZ DLC Frostline is only accessible to players who bought Frostline. Bohemia has, however, made the Sakhal assets free for the community to use personally on their own servers and maps.
Servers on PlayStation and Xbox
On PlayStation you need a PlayStation Plus subscription for online play, and since DayZ can only be played online, you cannot play without it. Both the PlayStation Store and the Microsoft Store list up to 60 players online.
Maintenance and experimental servers
Official servers have scheduled maintenance every Wednesday at 08:00 (GMT+1). During that window the server list may be empty. If the problem continues after maintenance, contact Bohemia support.
On PC you can try the experimental version of the game. In Steam, right-click DayZ, open Properties, go to the Betas tab and choose Experimental. The same path takes you back to Stable. Experimental servers get their own wipes: in August 2025, Bohemia wiped both the servers and characters for the 1.29 experimental build.
Join our Discord to find players to team up with, whether it is a duo or a bigger group: GamersTogether Discord.
FAQ
No. The game has no official offline or single-player mode, and Steam, the Microsoft Store and the PlayStation Store all list it as an online game. You can play alone on a regular server or on your own server.
Up to 60. Under Bohemia’s 2020 hosting rules, community servers run 30 to 60 slots.
On a 1PP server you only play in first person. On a 1PP/3PP server you can also switch to a camera behind your character. The server admin decides which applies.
Yes. The PlayStation Store states that online play requires PS Plus, and DayZ is online only.
Official servers have scheduled maintenance on Wednesdays at 08:00 (GMT+1), and the list can be empty during that time. Also check your server browser filters, such as the BattlEye setting.
Information verified on 20 October 2026. Find more guides in our DayZ guides section.