VORTEX-1: The DayZ Update

Been quite a while since I've done one of these but I think enough has been happening lately to justify it. As the "DayZ" standalone creeps ever closer to a point where we can all lay our grubby little hands on it, there's been a lot of new information released by the development team– as well as interesting community-driven improvements to the mod and some wicked-good "DayZ"-inspired media.

So, without further delay, let's get into it!

DayZ Development Updates

As many of you are probably already aware, the "DayZ" development team has started posting semi-regular updates on the progress of standalone to its tumblr page.

What you may not be aware of is that Fridays are the day these are most-likely to appear, including this week's update, which focuses on a recent zombie motion capture session.

If you missed the last update, which talked about improvements to the map and character customization– as well as answering a bunch of questions tweeted to #AskDayZ, or the prior update, which showed the first video of standalone in action– you'll want to check those out as well.

DayZ Mod Hits Version 1.7.5.1 Thanks to Community

One of the interesting things about "DayZ" is how the community that's built up around the mod has taken an active role in continuing to support and evolve it even as the "DayZ" development team focuses on standalone.

There have been a few community-driven updates to the mod over the past several months and while the architectural limitations of what can be done in the context of a mod prevent some of "DayZ's" biggest issues from being addressed, it is impressive to see the determination and creativity being displayed by the community.

For the latest on the state of the mod, check out this official forum thread. As you'd expect, third party tools like "DayZ Commander" have already implemented support for 1.7.5.1.

DayZ Mod Now Available via Steam

From the "Why wasn't this done a lot sooner?" file, it's now possible to install and launch DayZ from directly within Steam. Of course, seasoned DayZ players will no-doubt prefer to stick with third party tools like "DayZ Commander," which provide a vast array of functions beyond just getting it up and running but this seems like a good option for those interested in checking out the mod without having to fiddle with manual configuration or additional software.

DayZ Super Fun Adventures

There's a lot of really great content out there inspired by "DayZ." With that in mind, I want to start featuring a different creator each time I do one of these updates.

To kick things off, here are some of the funniest "DayZ" animations I've seen yet by Engan: