DayZ: join a modded serverThe official way through Steam - and what the DZSA Launcher is

Published on August 9, 2026 · last updated on November 8, 2026

The official way through Steam

DayZ comes with everything a modded server needs. The process for your players:

1. Get the mod list from the server operator. Ideally as a list with links to the Workshop entries - as the operator, you provide it.
2. Subscribe to the mods in the Steam Workshop. Steam downloads them automatically.
3. Start DayZ through the Steam launcher and activate the subscribed mods there.
4. Connect in-game through the community browser or add the server as a favorite via IP and port.

This route needs no additional software and works regardless of whether a community tool is currently being maintained. For you as the operator, it is the most reliable one you can recommend.

Joining itself is described in join a DayZ server.

What you should do as the operator

The effort for your players depends almost entirely on how well you maintain your mod list:

• Keep the mod list public - on Discord, in the server description or as a Steam collection. A collection is the most convenient option: players subscribe to all of it with one click.
• Document the load order - in DayZ, it is not arbitrary, and frameworks go first. See install mods.
• Announce changes. When you add or remove a mod, nobody gets in otherwise.
• Keep the .bikey files up to date - without a matching key, BattlEye rejects every connection, no matter how the player joins.

In practice, a well-maintained Steam collection replaces most of what community launchers were built for in the first place.

What the DZSA Launcher is

The DZSA Launcher is a tool from the DayZ community and not part of the game. It reads a server's mod list, downloads the matching mods and starts DayZ with the correct load order.

Because many server operators used to recommend it, it still shows up frequently in tutorials and server descriptions - which is why we explain where it fits here.

• We do not provide it and do not link to it. It does not come from us or from Bohemia Interactive.
• We do not offer support for it. We cannot help with problems in a third-party program - with the Steam route, we can.
• Nothing needs to be set up on the server. Tools like this query the server through the usual channels; there is no switch to activate.

In short: if your players want to use a community tool, nothing on the server side stands in the way - but they have to download and vet it themselves. Steam remains the recommended route.

When joining fails

Regardless of the route chosen, the causes are almost always the same:

• The connection is rejected - .bikey files are missing on the server. The classic, see server will not start.
• Mods do not match - a mod was updated in the Workshop, but the server is still on the old version. A server restart pulls in the new version.
• Mod no longer available - if it was removed from the Workshop, it has to be replaced on the server.
• Nothing works after a DayZ update - mods have to catch up, on both server and client.
• Server cannot be found - add it as a favorite via IP and port instead of searching the list.

Before larger mod changes, a backup is worth it, see create backups. If you run DayZ Expansion, the additional points for that mod are covered in install DayZ Expansion.

Frequently asked questions