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To move a DayZ dedicated server from Chernarus to Badlands, update the server to the 1.30-compatible build, stop it, locate the Nasdara mission folder inside mpmissions, and change the template value under class Missions in serverDZ.cfg. Start the server again and verify that the log and your first connection show the desert map. Managed hosts may expose the same setting as a Mission field in their control panel.
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Back up the server before changing anything. Badlands is a separate mission and therefore a separate world: your Chernarus files normally remain on disk, but characters, bases, loot and economy data do not migrate automatically.
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What the Badlands map is and what the switch does
Badlands is Bohemia Interactive’s Nasdara Province expansion, an arid terrain of sand and cracked soil west of Chernarus and bordering Takistan. Bohemia described it in 2025 as “This 267km² terrain is DayZ’s largest official map yet.” The playable map is delivered as a mission folder, just as Chernarus is, so changing maps means changing the mission the server loads at startup.
A DayZ server runs one mission at a time. Selecting Nasdara does not merge it with Chernarus and does not convert the existing Chernarus database into a Badlands database. The old mission’s storage remains separate, which is why you can usually switch back later. If you want both maps online simultaneously, plan on two server instances rather than two mission templates in one instance.
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- Use any means necessary to survive a hostile open world for as long as possible.
- Explore the authentic open world of Chernarus, featuring 230 square kilometers of hand-crafted terrain based on real-life locations.
- Become immersed in a tense, emotional experience driven by the emergent interactions of 60 players on a single server, each one fighting for survival.
- Experience a wide variety of complex survival mechanics, from hunting and crafting, through to sophisticated injury simulation and transferable diseases.
- Survive against environmental dangers, including the infected, dynamic weather, and animal predators.
What to prepare before changing missions
Use the correct server build
Nasdara requires the 1.30-compatible dedicated-server build. A 1.29 server cannot host it. If your provider applies automatic updates, let that update complete and confirm the displayed server version. With a self-managed installation, update the server files through the same distribution method you normally use, then check that the executable, configuration tools and installed server files all belong to the same release.
Players connecting to the new server also need a client build compatible with the server. A version mismatch commonly appears as a rejection during connection rather than as a map-loading error.
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Record the current setup
Before touching the mission, save a copy of the complete server directory or the provider’s backup snapshot. Record the current serverDZ.cfg, startup parameters, mod list and load order. Keep the existing Chernarus mission folder and its storage instead of moving or renaming them. This gives you a direct rollback path and preserves evidence when a mod or XML merge later causes a failure.
Decide whether you need both maps online
One instance can host one mission at a time. A single-server community can switch between Chernarus and Nasdara, but players cannot use both worlds concurrently. Two live maps require two server instances, each with its own mission, storage path, ports and administration routine.
Switching a self-managed server step by step
1. Back up the server and note its current mission
- Stop or schedule a maintenance window so no player is writing data while you copy files.
- Back up the server directory, including
mpmissions, the current mission’s storage folders,serverDZ.cfg, startup scripts and mod keys. - Write down the current template, normally
dayzOffline.chernarusplus, plus every mod and its load order.
Do not delete the Chernarus mission after the backup. Keeping it intact is what makes a later rollback practical.
2. Update to the 1.30-compatible build
Apply the server update before changing the template. Automatic-update installations should download the new build when the server is restarted or when the host’s update action is run. Manual installations should be updated from the same official channel used for previous releases. Confirm the version in the provider panel, startup output or server log; a template change cannot make an older binary understand Nasdara.
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3. Find the Nasdara mission folder
Open the server’s mpmissions/ directory after the update. Use the Nasdara folder that is actually present there. Early pre-launch guides did not establish a final folder name, and copying a name from a forum post can produce a startup failure if capitalization or punctuation differs.
On a case-sensitive host, treat the folder name as exact. Copy it directly from the directory listing. Do not rename the folder unless you also understand every path and script that refers to it.
4. Stop the server before editing
DayZ reads the mission configuration at boot. Shut down the process cleanly before editing serverDZ.cfg; changing the file while the server is running may have no effect until the next restart and can leave an administrator unsure which version was loaded.
5. Change the mission template
Open serverDZ.cfg in a text editor and locate class Missions. Replace the Chernarus template with the exact Nasdara folder name discovered in mpmissions, preserving case and quotation marks. The relevant structure is:
class Missions
{
class DayZ
{
template = "<exact Nasdara mission folder>";
};
};Keep the surrounding braces, semicolons and class names unchanged. Do not put a filesystem path in the value; use the mission directory name expected by the DayZ startup configuration. If your existing file uses a slightly different class layout, edit only the existing template value rather than replacing the whole configuration.
6. Start and verify the new world
- Save the file and start the server.
- Watch the console or log for the mission-loaded entry and any configuration or script errors.
- Join with a compatible client and confirm that the environment is Nasdara’s arid desert terrain rather than Chernarus.
- Check that the expected spawn points, economy files and server-side mods initialize before announcing the change to players.
If the log names a mission that does not exist, stop the server and compare the template and directory names character by character. A one-letter difference, an omitted suffix or incorrect capitalization is enough to prevent loading.
Rank #3
- Use any means necessary to survive a hostile open world for as long as possible.
- explore the authentic open world of chernarus, featuring 230 square kilometres of hand-crafted terrain based on real-life locations.
- become immersed in a tense, emotional experience driven by the emergent interactions of 60 players on a single server, each one fighting for survival.
- experience a wide variety of complex survival mechanics, from hunting and crafting, through to sophisticated injury simulation and transferable diseases.
- survive against environmental dangers, including the infected, dynamic weather, and animal predators
Using a managed-host control panel
Many managed hosts expose a Mission, Map or Server Configuration field. Update the server through the panel first, then open that field and select the Nasdara mission supplied by the updated installation. If the panel offers a file manager, verify that its selected value matches the folder in mpmissions.
Use the panel’s backup or snapshot function before saving the new setting. Some panels regenerate serverDZ.cfg when you click Save, so make the change through the panel rather than editing a generated file that will be overwritten. If no Badlands option appears, the host may not have installed the 1.30 server build yet; contact the host or wait for its update process instead of inventing a template name.
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What happens to Chernarus characters, bases and loot
Changing the mission does not inherently erase the Chernarus world. DayZ keeps mission data in mission-specific storage, so the Chernarus storage can remain available while Nasdara starts with its own world state. If the update has not reset or replaced that storage, switching the template back to dayzOffline.chernarusplus can restore the previous Chernarus world.
Nasdara is nevertheless a new world from the player’s perspective:
- Characters do not transfer automatically between the two missions.
- Chernarus bases and placed objects do not appear in Nasdara.
- Loot, events and persistence begin from Nasdara’s own data.
- A rollback restores the old mission only if you retained its storage and did not overwrite it.
Tell players to treat the move as a fresh season unless you have a tested, mission-specific migration plan. Never promise that a character or base will be waiting after the first Nasdara login.
Review the economy and map-specific XML
Economy files belong to the mission. Before opening the server to the public, review the Nasdara versions of types.xml, events.xml, globals.xml, spawn-point files and any other XML supplied with that mission. Item classes, event definitions and valid coordinates can differ substantially from Chernarus.
Merge custom changes instead of replacing defaults
Do not copy your entire Chernarus XML set over the Nasdara defaults. That can remove map-specific item definitions or introduce spawn coordinates that do not exist on the new terrain. Compare your custom edits with the Nasdara files and reapply only the changes you understand. Keep a clean copy of every default file so you can return to a known-good state.
Audit coordinate-based content
Trader locations, custom buildings, safe zones, heli-crash edits, event positions and territory markers are tied to coordinates. A configuration that worked on Chernarus can place an object in the sea, underground or outside the playable area on Nasdara. Recheck every coordinate and test custom areas with an administrator before players depend on them.
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Wait for each mod author to publish a 1.30-compatible version. Changes affecting animations can break otherwise unrelated mods, so a previously stable load order is not proof of compatibility on the new build.
- Start the server with the vanilla Nasdara mission and no optional mods.
- Confirm that the mission loads, players can spawn and the economy initializes.
- Add one updated mod and its matching keys at a time.
- Restart and test after each addition, recording the first mod that produces an error.
- Only then restore larger collections, custom traders or scripted systems.
Keep the mod files and signing keys from the same release. Mixing an updated server-side package with an older client download is a common cause of signature kicks. If a mod has no 1.30 release, leave it disabled until its author confirms support.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting common failures
The server will not boot after the template change
- Compare the
templatevalue with the exact directory name undermpmissions, including capitalization. - Check that the 1.30 update actually installed the Nasdara mission folder.
- Validate quotation marks, braces and semicolons in
serverDZ.cfg. - Restore the clean mission or your backup, then reapply one change at a time.
If the server starts after restoring Chernarus, the binary is probably healthy and the fault is in the Nasdara folder name, mission files or a mod loaded only for that mission.
The server rejects the client for an incompatible version
This generally means the server and client builds do not match. Have the player update the game, and confirm that the server completed its 1.30 update rather than running an older executable with new configuration files.
Players receive signature kicks
Signature errors indicate that the client’s mod files do not match the server’s signed files, or that the server is missing the required keys. Re-download the exact mod release, verify the server’s key directory and remove stale client copies before trying again.
The server starts but still shows Chernarus
Read the startup log rather than relying on the panel status. The old template may still be active because the wrong configuration file was edited, the panel regenerated the file, or the process was not fully restarted. Confirm the effective startup path and inspect the loaded mission name in the log.
The map loads but loot or events are wrong
Restore the Nasdara default XML files and test without custom edits. Re-merge types.xml, events.xml, globals.xml and spawn files carefully, checking that every custom class and coordinate belongs to Nasdara.
Do players need to own the Badlands DLC?
The available pre-launch hosting guidance did not confirm the final entitlement rule for Nasdara. It referenced the precedent of a separate map expansion but treated the Badlands requirement as an expectation, not a confirmed policy. Do not promise that every player can join, or that ownership is mandatory, until Bohemia’s launch notes and the current game client establish the rule.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallPublish the confirmed requirement in your server’s Discord, launcher message or rules page. If players report an entitlement error, capture the exact message and compare it with the current official access policy rather than changing mission files or disabling mods.
One server or two: choosing an operating model
| Decision point | One server, switching missions | Two servers, both maps online |
|---|---|---|
| Maps available at once | One | Two |
| Storage | Retain separate mission storage and switch the template | Separate storage and configuration for each instance |
| Player continuity | Players enter a separate world after each switch | Players choose a world without waiting for a migration |
| Administration | Lower resource use, but every map change needs maintenance and verification | Higher resource and administration requirements, with independent updates and mod testing |
| Rollback | Switch the template back if the original storage remains intact | Stop or reconfigure only the affected instance |
A community that wants an occasional Nasdara event can use one instance and schedule a documented switch. A community that promises permanent access to both worlds needs two instances, distinct ports and a plan for keeping each mission’s mods and economy files current.
Quick Recap
Final launch checklist
- Server build is 1.30-compatible and clients can update to the same release.
- A complete backup and the original Chernarus template are preserved.
- The actual Nasdara folder exists under
mpmissions. - The server is stopped while
serverDZ.cfgis edited. - The
class Missionstemplate matches the folder name exactly. - The startup log confirms the Nasdara mission.
- Vanilla Nasdara has been tested before mods are restored.
- Economy XML and every coordinate-based edit have been reviewed for Nasdara.
- Mod files and keys are 1.30-compatible and tested one at a time.
- Players have been told that Chernarus characters, bases and loot do not transfer automatically.
- The current DLC entitlement rule has been confirmed before access is advertised.
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