How to Play DayZ With Friends on a Private Server (2026)

To play DayZ with friends on a private server, run a DayZ dedicated server, set password (or enableWhitelist = 1 with a whitelist.txt) in serverDZ.cfg, and have friends join through the DayZ Launcher with Direct Connect and the password. DayZ has no co-op hosting from the game menu, so every world you share with friends runs on a server. Your own server also lets you turn off base damage and tune loot for PvE.

How can you play DayZ with friends?

DayZ has no "host game" button. Every multiplayer world runs on a dedicated server, so your choices are about whose server:

On official and public servers you can meet up with friends, but you spawn apart, strangers can kill you on sight, and you play by someone else's rules. A private server is the way to get a world that belongs to your group.

How do I make a DayZ server private?

All three tools live in serverDZ.cfg, the server's main config file:

hostname = "Our Chernarus";
password = "pickSomethingLong";
passwordAdmin = "aDifferentAdminPassword";
enableWhitelist = 0;
maxPlayers = 10;

• Password. password sets the join password. Anyone without it is turned away. This is the simplest option for a friend group.
• Whitelist. enableWhitelist = 1 only lets in players listed in whitelist.txt in the server folder, one ID per line. The easiest way to collect the right IDs is to let each friend join once with the whitelist off, copy their player IDs from the server's admin log in the profiles folder, then switch the whitelist on.
• Player limit. A low maxPlayers keeps the server small even if the address leaks.

Always set passwordAdmin, and make it different from the join password. Restart the server after every change, since serverDZ.cfg is only read at startup. Bohemia documents the file on its server configuration page, and every key is explained in our serverDZ.cfg explained, and our general guide to making a game server private compares passwords and whitelists across games.

How do friends join a private DayZ server?

1. Start the DayZ Launcher from Steam and open the Servers tab.
2. Use Direct Connect with the server's IP and game port, or search for the exact server name. Clear any filters, since a passworded server is hidden by some of them.
3. If the server runs mods, let the launcher subscribe to and download them.
4. Click Play and enter the join password when asked.
5. Add the server to Favourites so it is one click next time.

Join through the launcher rather than the in game browser when mods are involved, because only the launcher downloads them for you. If a friend is kicked for signatures after an update, their game or a mod is out of date. Our signature check timed out fix covers it.

How do I set up a PvE DayZ server for friends?

Vanilla DayZ has no PvE switch. Player damage cannot be turned off in serverDZ.cfg. A friends only PvE server is built from three parts:

1. Trust and a whitelist. On a private server with only your group, PvE is mostly a rule everyone agrees to.
2. Base protection settings in serverDZ.cfg, so mistakes and zombies do not undo hours of building.
3. Workshop mods if you want player damage blocked for real. Search the Workshop for PvE mods, or use a framework like DayZ Expansion, which adds safe zones and groups.

Settings worth changing for a relaxed friend server:

Loot editing is covered in how to edit loot on a DayZ server, and gameplay rules in cfggameplay.json explained. Back up any XML or JSON file before editing it, since one broken bracket can stop the server starting.

Which map should a friend group pick?

Chernarus is the safe pick if anyone in the group has only the base game, since every player needs the DLC for a DLC map. Small groups often prefer Livonia, which is compact enough that friends find each other quickly.

How do we find each other after spawning?

DayZ spawns fresh characters along the coast, often far apart. A few ways groups handle it:

• Agree on a meeting town and use the in game map and landmarks.
• Use voice chat in game (proximity) or Discord while you travel.
• Mods like DayZ Expansion add groups and map markers for teammates.
• Admins can teleport players with an admin tool mod, which helps on day one.

How do I become admin on my DayZ server?

In game, type #login followed by your passwordAdmin in chat. Kicks, bans and server messages go through BattlEye RCon, using a tool such as BattleMetrics or DaRT with the RCon port and password. Our DayZ admin tools and commands guide lists them.

FAQ

Can you play DayZ co-op without a server?

No. DayZ has no co-op hosting from the menu, so playing with friends always means a server, either official, community or your own.

How do I put a password on my DayZ server?

Set password = "yourpassword"; in serverDZ.cfg and restart the server. Friends enter it when they join through the DayZ Launcher.

Can I turn off PvP in DayZ?

Not with a vanilla setting. Use a private whitelisted server with agreed rules, base damage off, and a PvE mod from the Workshop if you need player damage blocked.

Do my friends need the DLC to join?

Only for DLC maps. Chernarus works for everyone who owns DayZ.

Can Xbox or PlayStation friends join a PC DayZ server?

No. DayZ has no crossplay. PC, Xbox and PlayStation each have separate servers.

Your own DayZ server, without the setup

Self hosting DayZ means a Steam account that owns the game, forwarded UDP ports, Workshop keys and regular restarts. See how to make a DayZ server for that route. Or use our DayZ server hosting: the join password, map and first person mode are panel settings, Workshop mods install by ID with their keys, and you edit serverDZ.cfg and types.xml in the file manager. Plans start at 19.99 USD a month for 8 GB, which suits a vanilla friend group, with 50% off the first month for new customers on monthly plans and each friend able to pay their own share.