How to Update Mods on a DayZ Server (Without Kicking Everyone)

To update mods on a DayZ server, stop it, download each mod's new version from the Steam Workshop (app 221100), replace the old @ModName folder with it, copy the mod's .bikey from its keys folder into the server's top level keys folder again, and start. Players then let the DayZ Launcher update their copies. Update the game first, then frameworks like @CF, then the mods that depend on them, and never skip the key: authors sometimes re-sign a mod with a new one.

What you can change on an existing world vs what needs a new world

What goes where

Self hosters download a mod update with SteamCMD, logged in with an account that owns DayZ:

steamcmd +login your_steam_username +workshop_download_item 221100 1559212036 +quit

The files land in steamapps/workshop/content/221100/<mod id>/. Copy them over the old mod folder.

Step 1: Back up first

Stop the server cleanly so persistence saves. Copy the mpmissions folder, the profiles folder and the mod folders you are about to replace. If a mod update breaks loot or traders, this is how you roll back.

Step 2: Read the mod pages

Open each updated mod's Workshop page and change notes. Look for:

• a new required item (another mod it now depends on),
• new or changed types.xml entries to merge into your mission,
• notes such as "wipe required" or "update your settings files".

Large mods like DayZ Expansion often ship settings changes in profiles along with the update.

Step 3: Update in the right order

1. The game server after a DayZ patch, so it matches players.
2. Frameworks such as Community Framework and Dabs Framework.
3. Core mods like DayZ Expansion.
4. Everything else, in the same order as your -mod= line.

Updating a mod that needs a newer framework before the framework itself is a classic "server closes on start" cause.

Step 4: Replace the folders and copy the keys again

Replace each old @ModName folder with the new files, keeping the same folder name so your -mod= line still matches. Then copy every .bikey from each updated mod's keys folder into the server's keys folder, overwriting old ones with the same name.

Step 5: Start and read the log

Start the server and open the newest .RPT file in profiles. Missing classes or script errors name the mod that failed. Then join through the DayZ Launcher, which updates players' mods before connecting.

The gotcha: the new version needs the new key

Every mod file is checked against its .bisign signature and the keys in the server's keys folder. Most updates keep the same key, so people get used to only replacing the mod files. Then one day an author re-signs the mod with a new key, often under a new file name. The old key is still in keys, the new one is not, and every player who loads the updated mod is kicked with "Signature check timed out" or "Modified data", even though the server and players have identical versions.

The fix is a habit: copy the keys on every update, not just the first install. Old keys left in keys do no harm. Do not "fix" it by changing verifySignatures in serverDZ.cfg: Bohemia only supports 2. Our signature check timed out fix covers the other causes.

Common problems

• Everyone kicked for signatures after an update: the new .bikey was not copied into keys, or the server still has the old mod version.
• Only one player kicked: their launcher has not updated the mod yet, or their files are damaged. They update through the DayZ Launcher or verify DayZ in Steam.
• Server closes on start after updating: a mod now needs a newer framework or a new required mod, or it is not updated for the current DayZ version.
• "Bad version, server rejected connection": the game itself differs between server and player. Update the server and the player's game. See the bad version fix.
• New items never spawn: the mod's updated types.xml entries were not merged into your mission files.

When should I expect a wave of mod updates?

After every DayZ game update. Update 1.30 entered Experimental on PC on 16 September 2026, and Badlands with the Nasdara map is planned for 15 October 2026 (Bohemia on Steam). Expect frameworks and big mods to update in the days around that, and plan restarts accordingly. More in our Badlands and update 1.30 guide.

Updating mods on GamezServers

A DayZ server from GamezServers updates the game and every Workshop mod in the Workshop mods setting (the @1559212036; style IDs) or your uploaded launcher modlist each time it starts, loads them with the right -mod parameter and copies their keys into keys. So updating mods is: Backup, then Restart. Mods you uploaded by hand under their own folder names are not on that list, so update those and copy their keys yourself in the file manager or over SFTP.

FAQ

How do I update DayZ server mods?

Download the new Workshop version, replace the mod folder, copy its .bikey into the server's keys folder and restart.

Why are players kicked after I update a mod?

Usually a new key that is not in keys, or players whose launcher has not updated the mod yet.

Do players need to update mods manually?

No. The DayZ Launcher updates the server's mods for them when they join through it.

Will updating mods wipe my DayZ server?

No. Persistence stays. Removing a mod is different, because what it added disappears from the world.