DayZ authors talked about the new desert map

In 2026, the company Bohemia Interactive will release the Badlands expansion for its multiplayer survival simulator DayZ. Gamers will get access to a location inspired by the landscapes of the Middle East and Central Asia. The province of Nasdara is covered with hills with sparse vegetation, deserts, villages with single-story mud-brick huts, and a scorching sun shines over it all. The developers reached out to the public to talk about the features of this biome and give tips for the future — besides adding the novelty to the wishlist, of course.

The DLC has been in production for at least a year, but Bohemia Interactive staff are in no rush to release it, as they need to perfect special "desert" mechanics. In an open letter to fans, they explained what challenges the Czech team has to solve. Since Nasdara is the hottest terrain in the game's universe, it would be foolish to overlook climate-related gameplay. Characters will have to not only drink more, but also choose a special clothing style (with a covered face), and make stops to rest in the shade along the way. At the same time, nights in the desert can be quite cold — this point will also be taken into account in the expansion by the time of its release.

Characters will need to use sunglasses, shemaghs, dust masks, harem pants, and sandals. But a wardrobe is something you can acquire; to collect it, it's enough to look around and search abandoned houses. Given the climate's features, compromises will have to be found between clothing density and inventory capacity. In the heat, you won't be able to carry much on yourself. The situation with drinking will be even more difficult, as players will have to study the map in search of rivers and wells. Standing water in the area is promised to be much less than, for example, in Chernarus.