There are a few reasons why you’d want to play DayZ single-player. However, there’s no obvious way to start in solo mode in the launcher. If you’re like us, you’re probably a little frustrated that there’s no clearly marked way to play DayZ alone. Fortunately, there are a few solutions to this issue that aren’t too hard to use.
How do I play solo mode in DayZ?
There are two ways to play DayZ in single-player, at least on PC:
- Create a private LAN server
- Download and install the DayZ Community Offline Mode mod
Create a private LAN server
The easiest way to spawn into a DayZ session and play an essentially single-player game is to start your own server. However, the server files aren’t installed by default. Instead, you’ll need to adjust the filter in your Steam library to show Tools, and install “DayZ Server.”
Unfortunately, you can’t just start using the server as soon as it’s installed. If you launch it, you’ll see it error out as it’s trying to initialize. To fix this, you need to:
- Select DayZ Server in your Steam Library.
- Right-click on it
- Enter the Properties menu
- Under Launch Options, enter
-config=serverDZ.cfg - Go to the DayZ Server install folder.
- Open serverDZ.cfg
- Set a server name and adjust any options you desire.
- Save the file and close your text editor.
Once you’ve completed the above steps, you can launch DayZ Server in Steam. Give it a bit to initialize the map, then start the DayZ client. You should now be able to look under the LAN tab and see the server you just set up and connect to it.
You can play the game single-player on this server, and the only thing that’ll be missing is other players. You can also add mods to it if desired, and it’ll keep a record of your character’s location and inventory.
Download and install the DayZ Community Offline Mode mod
There’s also a mod that you can use to play DayZ offline. The Community Offline Mode accomplishes essentially the same thing as the above but doesn’t require you to install or configure the server client.
The drawback with this mod is that you must uninstall it to play online again. This means it might not be worth the convenience for those who want to split their time between a solo save and online multiplayer.
Besides being able to launch into the game without starting the server, it has the advantage of some extra tools that accomplish some useful tasks. There’s an object spawner and a limited teleport system. You also have the option to disable the system that spawns loot and infected if you want a particularly barren map.
