How to Make a DayZ Server: The Complete Self-Hosting Path

This walkthrough is for DayZ on PC through Steam. Here’s how to make a DayZ server for a Steam PC group: install the dedicated server, configure it, start it, and check each connection layer in order. It does not create an Xbox, PlayStation or Microsoft Store/Game Pass PC server: Bohemia identifies the Game Pass release as the Xbox version, and its DayZ FAQ describes separate platform servers. If you are still choosing who will run the machine, start with the route comparison for home, VPS and managed hosting.

The guide stays at the overview level. It gives you the sequence and the settings to identify; separate Windows, Linux, networking, mod and first-hour guides can cover those workflows in detail as they are published. The command examples below come from Bohemia’s documentation and are examples for the stated setup, not values to copy blindly into every server.

How to make a DayZ server: what you need#

Start with the machine and the group, before downloading anything. Bohemia lists Windows 10 or later, supported Windows Server versions, and Linux as server operating systems. Its requirements page lists 6 GB of RAM and recommends an SSD for the install and logs. That is a minimum listed requirement, not a promise that every map, player count or mod collection will run smoothly on that amount.

Plan for the PC to stay powered on and connected for as long as friends expect to play. You will also need administrator access to install software, manage the local firewall, and change router settings if people outside your home network need to join. If your internet provider puts your router behind carrier-grade NAT, ordinary port forwarding may not make the server reachable from the public internet; check this before spending time on router rules.

Confirm that each player launches the Steam PC build. DayZ server software does not bridge a platform mismatch. If your friends use Xbox, PlayStation or the Xbox build installed through PC Game Pass, stop here and look for a server option designed for that platform instead of trying to adapt a Steam server.

Download the DayZ server files with SteamCMD#

Use Valve’s SteamCMD installation instructions to install the command-line Steam client for your operating system. Bohemia’s Linux hosting guide documents a signed-in SteamCMD flow for the DayZ server application. For the stable server app, its example uses ID 223350; the Steam Experimental server app is 1042420. Use the branch that matches the clients your group plans to run. On October 4, 2026, Bohemia’s DayZ release notes listed 1.29 as stable and 1.30 as Experimental on Steam. Its Badlands announcement scheduled Badlands and Nasdara for October 15, so check the official release notes again before setting up a server after that date; the player DLC requirement for Nasdara was not confirmed in the sources checked for this guide.

For example, Bohemia’s Linux guide uses this command shape for a stable install:

~/servers/steamcmd/steamcmd.sh +force_install_dir ~/servers/dayz-server/ +login YOUR_STEAM_LOGIN +app_update 223350 +quit

Replace the login placeholder with the account name you use for SteamCMD, and adjust the directories to paths you control. Do not put your password or a Steam Guard code in a script, command history or shared screenshot. Steam may request a Guard code when it does not recognize the device. Treat the installation as complete only when SteamCMD finishes successfully and the server files are present in the install directory.

Keep the server files separate from your game client files. Give the server its own folder, note which branch you installed, and keep a copy of the command and the selected paths with your server notes. This makes it easier to update the same instance later and tell its logs apart from another test install.

Set up serverDZ.cfg#

Bohemia’s server configuration reference explains that the -config launch parameter selects the configuration file; the file does not have to be named server.cfg. Start from the configuration distributed with the server files, then change only the settings your group understands.

The basic fields to review are the server name (hostname), a connection password if you want a private group (password), a separate administrator password (passwordAdmin), and the player limit (maxPlayers). The official example uses verifySignatures for signature checking. Choose a player limit for your hardware and group; the amount listed in a configuration example is not a capacity benchmark.

Make a backup before editing the configuration. Keep the admin password different from the join password, and share the latter only with the intended players. Use the mission/map configuration that matches the files actually installed. Do not swap map folders, delete persistence data, or copy a wipe recipe from another server: the correct files and recovery method depend on the instance. If a change could erase the world, first identify the exact files, confirm a recent restorable backup, and know how to recover it.

Launch the server and choose its ports#

The launch options tell DayZ which configuration to read and where to keep profiles and logs. Bohemia documents -config, -port, -profiles, and logging switches such as -doLogs, -adminLog and -netLog. Its Windows configuration page shows -port=2302 as an example; its Linux guide shows -port=2301 in its own sample command. Treat those as examples from different instructions, not as a universal port range.

The game port and query port are separate settings. The Bohemia references checked for this guide do not support the popular blanket instruction to forward every UDP port from 2302 through 2305, and they do not establish one DayZ RCon port to copy. Match the actual settings in your launch line and configuration to the current server documentation and your network equipment. If a port or protocol is not specified for your setup, do not guess it.

The same configuration reference documents BattlEye’s BEServer_x64.cfg and the RConPassword and RestrictRCon settings. Keep RCon credentials private and do not expose an administration interface broadly to the internet. The reference does not give a universal DayZ RCon port, so this guide does not invent one.

Let friends connect safely#

Test from the inside out. Start the server, read the newest log for startup errors, and join from a Steam PC on the same local network. A local test separates a server/config problem from a router or internet reachability problem. Ask one friend outside your home network to test next; a local address that works inside the house does not prove that a public connection can reach the server.

For remote players, check the selected game and query settings against the local firewall and router. Use a reserved local address for the server PC if your router requires a stable destination for forwarding. Avoid opening a large guessed range “just in case.” If the server remains invisible or unreachable, check that the ports in the running process and serverDZ.cfg match the rules, then confirm that your ISP connection allows inbound connections and is not behind CGNAT. The router’s forwarding screen, the server configuration you actually launched, and the current Bohemia instructions should agree; if they do not, pause and identify the mismatch before exposing more ports.

Keep the firewall enabled and allow only the traffic your tested server needs. Do not publish your home IP address or admin credentials in public server posts. If you cannot get inbound access because of the network service you have, that is a network limitation, not a reason to keep changing random ports.

Add Workshop mods and administer the server#

Get the unmodded server working before adding Workshop content. Bohemia’s Linux example uses SteamCMD’s Workshop app ID 221100 to download items, then arranges mod folders and copies the supplied .bikey signing keys into the server’s keys folder. Its Community Framework and Community Online Tools example demonstrates one order for those particular mods; it is not a universal dependency list.

For each community mod, read its current Steam Workshop page and the creator’s instructions. Check the required dependencies, load order, client/server files, keys and game-build compatibility. The server and the clients need compatible copies. Workshop items are made and maintained by their authors, so credit the creator when you share the setup and do not assume that a community map or mod is an official DayZ feature. If a required item has not been updated for the server branch you installed, leave it out until its creator documents a compatible release.

When you change a mod collection, preserve a backup and write down the previous list before changing files. Stop the server through its normal shutdown path before an update; Bohemia warns that graceful shutdown avoids side effects for player characters and saved server storage. If players stop joining after a change, compare the server and client mod lists, dependencies, keys and logs before removing or replacing files.

When home hosting stops making sense#

A home server trades a monthly hosting bill for a machine that must stay on, a reliable route from the internet, and recurring work for updates, logs and mod compatibility. It can suit a small group that wants to manage its own setup and already has the network access. If you would rather leave the machine, firewall and routine server operation to a managed service, Game Hosting’s DayZ page is our recommended managed option for Steam PC. Its Workshop workflow uses a service-owned Steam account, so you do not enter your Steam password in the panel.

That service is not a solution for Xbox, PlayStation or the PC Game Pass Xbox build. Decide the group’s platform first, then compare home upkeep with a compatible hosting route. Before you change a running world, keep a restorable backup and record the exact server branch, map, configuration and mods your group uses.

If you decide to rent instead, this guide to choosing a DayZ host explains which platform, resources, mod workflow and backups to compare.

Frequently asked questions#

How do I create my own private DayZ server?

Install the Steam PC dedicated server through Bohemia’s documented SteamCMD flow, edit the selected serverDZ.cfg, launch with matching parameters, and verify a local join before you work on internet access. Add Workshop mods only after the base server works.

How much does it cost to create a DayZ server?

The answer depends on whether you already own suitable hardware and how you account for electricity, internet and your time maintaining updates and mods. Renting adds a recurring charge but removes the need to keep a home PC online. There is no honest single total that fits every household or group.

Can I make my own DayZ server on Xbox or PS5?

This walkthrough covers the Steam PC build. Xbox and PlayStation use separate server ecosystems; the PC Game Pass version is the Xbox build. A Steam PC server will not make those players compatible with your group.