Developer Bohemia Interactive has revealed more details about the upcoming Badlands expansion for DayZ. The studio has described it as the largest expansion in the game’s entire history and has confirmed that it is coming out in October 2026. This announcement was made alongside the release of a new trailer, which you can check out below.
The company has also released a new update for DayZ, dubbed Road to Badlands, that will slowly start building the title up for the eventual release of the expansion.
The trailer itself is quite short, giving us a look at some of the new environments that players will have to deal with as they scavenge for gear and other useful materials in their quest for survival. Badlands will largely revolve around a new desert environment that will put players’ ability to conserve resources to the test thanks to scarcity and difficult terrain.
In a developer blog post, the studio has also revealed one of the biggest features of Badlands: rebuilding. Players will essentially be able to restore ruined buildings by making use of their own materials. The new map, Nasdara, is going to feature more than 5,000 structures that can be rebuilt with new walls, doors, windows, and defensive options like barricades.
Wells can also be restored in Badlands, giving players a new way to get their hands on drinking water in a reliable way. Owing to the desert setting of the expansion, water will likely play a key role in survival.
“The overarching goal of rebuilding mechanics on bases is for every server to tell a different story over time,” explained the studio. “On one server, a town not far from the spawn point could be fully restored and fiercely defended. On another, the same town could still be rubble.”
“On one server, a building could be fully restored and used by a squad and fenced around the perimeter as a full-on base. On another, the same building could be partially blockaded by a single player holding on to their dear loot. Players will be able to shape the environment just by playing, and no two servers will feel the same after a few days.”
A variety of building materials can be used to rebuild structures: wood, brick, a combination of wood and sheet metal for doors and windows, and even a brick wall to replace doors to set up stronger defenses. Players can also mix-and-match materials depending on what they have been able to scavenge.
Players worried about others breaking into their houses to steal their things can also set up code locks for their doors. Through these, PIN codes can be used to make sure that unwanted people can’t enter your structures. Players will be able to build up consoles to configure these code locks and will have to engage in maintenance gameplay, like replacing batteries, to keep the locks functioning. The code lock can also be damaged, giving enemies an easier way into the structure.
In the meantime, the latest update has brought with it the new SCR-17 battle rifle, new optics, brass knuckles, military clothing, and desert camouflage equipment. Players will also start seeing military convoys from Nasdara showing up in Chernarus and Livonia, complete with their own unique zombie variants.
DayZ is available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
