Skip to main content
DayZ connects through a launcher rather than an in-game menu, and if your server runs mods, every player needs the exact same mods loaded. This guide covers the official DayZ Launcher, the community DZSA Launcher (which automates mods), direct connection, and the errors you’ll most likely hit on the way.

​
Finding Your Server Address

1

Log in to the Game Panel

Go to the Wasabi Hosting Game Panel and sign in with your panel credentials.
2

Select your server

Click your DayZ server in the server list to open its dashboard.
3

Copy the address

The dashboard shows your address as IP:port (for example 203.0.113.10:2302). The game port defaults to 2302 — this is the port you connect with.
DayZ uses several ports: the game port (default 2302, UDP) for gameplay and a separate Steam query port for server browsers. When connecting directly, always use the game port.

​
Option 1: Official DayZ Launcher

1

Open the launcher

Start DayZ from Steam — the DayZ Launcher opens before the game.
2

Find your server

Go to the Servers tab and type your server’s name or IP into the filter box. Star it as a favorite so it’s one click away next time.
3

Load the required mods

If the server runs mods, the launcher lists them when you select the server. Subscribe to any you’re missing on the Steam Workshop, wait for the downloads, and the launcher enables them for that session.
4

Join

Click Join. The game boots with the right mods and connects automatically.

​
Option 2: DZSA Launcher (best for modded servers)

The community-made DZSALauncher (DayZ Standalone Launcher) is the favorite for modded servers because it downloads and enables all required Workshop mods automatically — players just search and click.
1

Install DZSA Launcher

Download it from the official DZSA website and point it at your DayZ installation.
2

Search or direct connect

Search your server by name, or use direct connect with IP:port (game port 2302).
3

Play

DZSA fetches every mod the server reports, verifies versions, and launches the game connected to your server.
Running a modded community server? Tell players to use DZSA — it eliminates virtually all “missing mod” support requests. More on the server side in Installing Mods.

​
Option 3: Direct Connect

Both launchers support connecting straight to an address — in the official launcher use the server filter with your IP; in DZSA use Direct Connect with IP:GamePort (e.g. 203.0.113.10:2302). Direct connect still requires you to have the server’s exact mod set enabled.

​
Password-Protected Servers

If the server has a password set in serverDZ.cfg (see Server Configuration), the launcher prompts for it when you join. Share it privately with your community — there’s no way to join without it.

​
First-Join Tips

  • Login queue — busy servers queue new connections; the timer counts down automatically, don’t cancel and retry (you’ll go to the back).
  • Fresh spawn — new characters spawn along the coast with minimal gear. Your character is tied to that server; each server (or hive) has its own character.
  • Persistence — everything you build or bury lives in the server’s storage. As the owner, protect it with regular backups.

​
Troubleshooting

Give it a few minutes after startup — DayZ servers take noticeably longer to boot than most games, especially with mods. Check the console in the Game Panel for the line indicating the mission has loaded. Filters (map, version, modded) in the launcher can also hide it — search by IP instead.
Client and server game versions must match. If a game update just shipped, update your client in Steam — and note the server needs updating too before anyone can join. Also make sure you’re not on the Experimental branch while the server runs Stable (or vice versa).
Your loaded mods must match the server’s mod list exactly — same mods, same versions. Errors mentioning a PBO that is “not part of the server data” mean you have an extra or outdated mod loaded. DZSA Launcher resolves this automatically; in the official launcher, compare your enabled mod list against the server’s.
If the server logs show signature verification kicks, a mod’s .bikey is missing from the server’s keys/ folder — that’s a server-side fix, covered in Installing Mods.
Verify the IP:port against the panel, and if you use the Firewall Manager, confirm no rule is blocking your IP.

Need a DayZ server?

Get your own DayZ server from €8.00/month — deployed in about 2 minutes with DDoS protection included.