To move a DayZ dedicated server from Chernarus to Badlands, update the server to the 1.30-compatible build, stop it, identify the Nasdara mission folder under mpmissions, change the template value in serverDZ.cfg, and restart. The exact folder name must be copied from the files installed on your server; do not rely on an unverified name from a forum post.
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What the Badlands map is
Badlands is the player-facing name for the Nasdara Province expansion. Bohemia Interactive describes it as an arid terrain of sand and cracked soil west of Chernarus and bordering Takistan. The DayZ Team called it “This 267km² terrain is DayZ’s largest official map yet” in its 2025 announcement.
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A DayZ server runs one mission world at a time. Changing the mission template does not convert Chernarus into Nasdara; it starts Nasdara as a separate mission with its own persistence, economy files and coordinates.
Before you change anything
Confirm the required server version
Nasdara requires the 1.30-compatible dedicated-server build. A 1.29 server cannot host it. If your host applies automatic updates, allow that update to complete before editing the mission. With a manual installation, update the server files using the distribution method you normally use, then verify that the server and every administrator tool use the same build.
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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.
Record the current installation
- Write down the current mission template, normally
dayzOffline.chernarusplus. - Save the complete server configuration, including launch parameters, passwords, administrator IDs and mod keys.
- Export or copy the enabled-mod list in its load order.
- Back up the current
mpmissionsdirectory and the server’s persistence/storage directories. - Note custom economy XML, trader locations, safe zones, spawn edits and map additions so they can be reviewed rather than blindly copied.
Changing missions does not inherently erase Chernarus. Each mission uses its own storage location, so a clean backup gives you a dependable rollback path.
Control-panel switch versus file-level switch
Use the method that matches how your server is administered. A panel may write the same configuration value for you, while a self-managed server requires direct editing.
| Approach | What you do | Advantages | Risks and checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managed-host panel | Stop the server, open the server’s Mission or Startup settings, select the Nasdara mission supplied by the host, save, then start. | Backups, file permissions and mission paths may be handled by the panel. | The panel may not expose the new mission until the 1.30 update finishes. Confirm the selected value and inspect the startup log. |
| Direct file editing | Stop the process, locate the mission directory, edit serverDZ.cfg, save, then restart. |
Full control over the exact template and custom files. | A spelling, case or path error can prevent booting. Keep a pristine copy of the original configuration. |
Hosting guides from GameServerKings and LOW.MS describe both workflows. Regardless of host, the server must be stopped before editing because DayZ reads the configuration at startup.
Step-by-step: switch a dedicated server to Nasdara
1. Stop players from joining and take the backup
- Announce a maintenance window and stop the DayZ server cleanly from the host panel or service manager.
- Copy the existing
serverDZ.cfg,mpmissionsdirectory and persistence data to a dated backup location. - Keep the Chernarus backup separate from the new Nasdara files; do not overwrite it while testing.
2. Install or allow the 1.30-compatible build
Apply the server update through your host’s automatic update control or your normal manual update process. Do not proceed while the installation still reports 1.29. A client that has updated to 1.30 also needs a server running the matching build; otherwise players commonly receive a version-rejection message.
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3. Locate the mission delivered by the update
Open the server’s mpmissions/ directory and list the folders installed by the 1.30 update. Select the folder containing the Nasdara mission files. Pre-launch guides did not establish a final universal folder name, and installations can differ, so the directory that actually exists on your server is authoritative.
Do not rename the folder, remove its files or substitute a name copied from an unofficial guide. Preserve capitalization exactly; the value in the configuration must match the directory name character for character.
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4. Edit the mission template
Open serverDZ.cfg in a plain-text editor. Under class Missions, replace the Chernarus template with the exact Nasdara folder name:
class Missions
{
class DayZ
{
template = "<exact Nasdara folder name from mpmissions>";
// mission-specific settings remain here
};
};The angle-bracket text above is an instruction, not a literal value. Replace it with the real folder name and retain the quotation marks and semicolon. If your file uses a different indentation style, change only the template value.
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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 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
5. Review mission-specific files before first launch
Nasdara is not a Chernarus coordinate overlay. Open the new mission’s XML and configuration files and compare them with your customizations:
types.xmlcontrols item classes and nominal quantities.events.xmlcontrols dynamic events and their spawn behavior.globals.xmlcontains economy and world-wide limits.- Spawn-point and territory files contain coordinates that are valid only for their map.
- Trader, safe-zone, custom-building and other coordinate-based mod settings may point to locations that do not exist in Nasdara.
Merge deliberate changes into the Nasdara defaults instead of replacing those defaults with Chernarus files. Item classes, buildings and spawn positions differ, and a wholesale copy can produce missing loot, invalid coordinates or startup errors.
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- Save the configuration and start the server.
- Watch the console or server log for the mission-loaded entry and any XML or mod errors.
- Join with an administrator account and confirm the desert terrain, Nasdara settlements and expected weather or landmarks.
- Stop and correct the configuration immediately if the log still names Chernarus, reports a missing mission, or exits before loading the world.
Do not announce the new map to players until both the log and an in-game connection confirm that Nasdara is active.
What happens to Chernarus progress?
The old world is normally retained
Mission persistence is separated by mission folder. Switching the template to Nasdara does not, by itself, delete the Chernarus database or files. If the update has not reset or migrated that data, changing the template back to dayzOffline.chernarusplus can bring the previous Chernarus world back.
Nasdara starts separately
Characters, bases, vehicles and loot from Chernarus do not automatically transfer to Nasdara. Treat the new map as a new world unless you have a tested, map-aware migration tool. Copying persistence files between missions can corrupt the economy or place objects at invalid coordinates.
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One DayZ server process runs one mission at a time. To offer Chernarus and Nasdara simultaneously, provision two server instances, each with its own mission template, persistence data, configuration and player-facing address. A single instance can switch between them, but it cannot host both worlds concurrently.
Mods and economy files
Update mods before enabling them
Wait for each mod author to publish a 1.30-compatible release. The 1.30 changes include animation-related changes that can break older mods even when their files appear present. A reliable rollout is to launch a clean, vanilla Nasdara mission first, then add updated mods back one at a time.
Test the economy separately
Start with the Nasdara versions of the economy XML. Reapply your intended quantity, event and global-limit changes in small groups, restarting after each group. This isolates a malformed XML file or an item class that is unavailable on the new map.
Recheck coordinates
Audit every mod that stores a position: traders, teleporters, safe zones, custom buildings, spawn points, markers and administrative tools. A coordinate that worked on Chernarus can place an object underground, in the sea or outside the playable area on Nasdara. Obtain a Nasdara-specific configuration from the mod author when one is available.
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| Symptom | Likely cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Server refuses to boot after the edit | Template spelling, capitalization, quotation or semicolon is wrong; the folder is missing; or an XML merge introduced a syntax error. | Compare the template and directory names character by character. Restore the clean Nasdara mission, start once, then merge custom XML changes one file at a time. |
| Log says the mission cannot be found | The value does not match a folder under mpmissions, or the update did not install the mission. |
Stop the server, inspect the actual directory names, finish the 1.30 update and enter the existing folder name exactly. |
| Players receive a version-rejection message | Server and client builds differ. | Bring the server and clients to the same 1.30-compatible release before testing mods. |
| Players are kicked for a signature or key error | Server and client mod files do not match, or the server lacks the required signing keys. | Compare mod versions and load order, install the matching keys, and have clients remove stale copies before reconnecting. |
| Server loads but loot, traders or bases are wrong | Chernarus economy or coordinate files were copied into Nasdara. | Restore Nasdara defaults and reapply only map-appropriate changes; inspect types.xml, events.xml, globals.xml and coordinate files. |
| Server appears to start in Chernarus | The panel overwrote the file, the wrong configuration was edited, or the old process was not fully stopped. | Stop all server processes, verify the active configuration path and mission value, then restart and check the mission name in the log. |
Rollback procedure
- Stop the Nasdara server and preserve its new persistence directory as a separate backup.
- Restore the pre-switch
serverDZ.cfgor change the template back todayzOffline.chernarusplus. - Restore the matching Chernarus mod list and keys if you changed them during testing.
- Start the server and verify the Chernarus mission and player data before reopening it.
Do not delete Nasdara persistence while troubleshooting. Keeping both mission backups lets you return to either world without turning a configuration error into permanent data loss.
Do players need to own the Badlands DLC?
The pre-launch guidance available for Nasdara did not confirm the final entitlement rule. GameServerKings discussed the Sakhal/Frostline precedent but described the Nasdara requirement as an expectation, not a confirmed policy; LOW.MS likewise treated the question as pending. Until Bohemia’s launch notes state the rule, do not promise that every account can join or that ownership is required. Publish the confirmed requirement from the official launch documentation when it is available and tell players which game and DLC versions your server expects.
Administrator launch checklist
- Server reports the 1.30-compatible build.
- Original Chernarus configuration and persistence are backed up.
- The Nasdara mission folder exists under
mpmissions. class Missionspoints to that exact folder name, including case.- Server starts with the clean Nasdara mission before custom mods are enabled.
- Each mod has a 1.30-compatible release, matching keys and a tested load order.
- Economy XML and every coordinate-based customization have been reviewed for Nasdara.
- Logs show the expected mission, and an administrator has joined the desert world.
- Players have been told the separate-world behavior and the confirmed access requirement.
Bottom line
Updating to 1.30, selecting the mission folder actually installed under mpmissions, and changing serverDZ.cfg under class Missions is the complete map switch. Your Chernarus world normally remains available as separate persistence, while Nasdara requires fresh progress and map-specific economy and mod configuration. Test vanilla first, add compatible mods gradually, and use the startup log—not a guessed folder name—as the final confirmation.
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