DayZ Badlands Release Date, Price and Everything New in Update 1.30

DayZ Badlands launches on 15 October 2026, alongside DayZ Update 1.30. It's Bohemia Interactive's next paid expansion for DayZ after Frostline, and it takes survivors to Nasdara, a 267km² desert province that Bohemia calls the largest and most ambitious terrain it has ever made for DayZ. The expansion costs approximately $24.99, with regional pricing.

Here's everything Bohemia has confirmed about DayZ Badlands: the release date, price, the new map, motorbikes, the rebuilding system and what else Update 1.30 changes.

DayZ Badlands at a glance

When is the DayZ Badlands release date?

DayZ Badlands releases on Thursday, 15 October 2026. Bohemia revealed the date with a teaser at Gamescom 2026 and has confirmed several times since that every core feature is on track. Update 1.30 has been in Experimental testing on Steam since 16 September, which is normally the last step before an update goes live.

Bohemia hasn't announced an exact unlock time yet. We'll add it here when it does.

How much does DayZ Badlands cost?

Bohemia says DayZ Badlands is priced at approximately $24.99, and that regional pricing may apply. Its reasoning is that Nasdara is a brand-new terrain built specifically for DayZ, with a long list of new features. Because Badlands is an expansion, you'll also need to own DayZ itself.

What's new in DayZ Badlands?

According to Bohemia, all of these core features are on track for launch:

• Nasdara: a 267km² arid province with bazaars, border crossings and settlements. Water is scarce, and the heat keeps your hydration in the red.
• Sandstorms that sweep across the map.
• A rebuilding system: rebuild and barricade selected houses, from a three-storey squad base to a small stash house with new doors and windows. Normal base building still works too.
• Motorcycles with new two-wheeled physics and ragdoll crashes.
• Radio gameplay, including Morse code signals that lead you to underground shelters.
• Underground facilities built with a new terrain-hole system, which Bohemia says will also be available for other maps and for modders.
• New regional firearms, clothing and loot, including a night desert camouflage uniform and the MP-18 submachine gun, which shares magazines with the Luger pistol.
• New wildlife: dogs, desert monitors and mouflons.
• Regional diseases to survive.
• New infected with an updated look that fits the region.

Image: Bohemia Interactive

Watch the DayZ Badlands trailer

What's in DayZ Update 1.30?

Update 1.30 arrives with the expansion and changes the game for everyone. From Bohemia's Experimental notes and dev blogs:

• Two motorbikes: the moped (blue, red or yellow) and the enduro, with swappable coloured plates. They use a new two-wheeled simulation with leaning, and crashes trigger ragdoll physics.
• New inventory icons: more than 150 icons redrawn in one consistent style, so items are easier to recognise at a glance.
• Smarter infected attacks: infected now aim upward, centred or downward depending on where your head is, so attacks feel more natural when you're crouching, prone or fighting on stairs and slopes. There's also a new running heavy attack.
• Weapon colour variants from DayZ's alpha days return, with upgraded textures.
• A code lock, one of the community's most-requested features. Bohemia says it will work on all maps, not just Nasdara.

Bohemia also warned modders that animation-related mods may run into problems, because the animation systems have been updated.

Is DayZ Badlands coming to PS5 and Xbox?

Bohemia's announcements so far focus on the Steam release, and the Steam store page lists the expansion for PC. Bohemia hasn't yet detailed console pricing or timing in these posts. We'll update this article as soon as it does.

What is the DayZ Badlands Creator Program?

From October 8 until the morning of launch day, Bohemia is running a Creator Program with Lurkit, giving selected streamers and modders early access to Nasdara. Content can't be published until the embargo lifts on release morning. The radio gameplay feature is being held back until launch, and Bohemia suggests creators tag streams with "Spoiler" for players who want to go in blind.

More DayZ on iGame Magazine

• DayZ Update 1.29 complete guide – the previous update, patch notes and hotfix
• DayZ Update 1.28 – what changed last summer
• DayZ Frostline expansion details – DayZ's first paid expansion

DayZ Badlands FAQ