DayZ Update 1.28: Overview

Greetings, Survivors!

The DayZ development team is pleased to announce that DayZ Update 1.28 is now live across all platforms. A big thank you goes out to everyone who shared their feedback and actively participated during the experimental phase.

Since the launch of DayZ: Frostline, it was clear that the island of Sakhal could benefit from more dynamic content—and with this update, several new elements have been introduced. Survivors spawning along the coastline may now come across grounded fishing boats and military patrol vessels, sparking curiosity about what loot might be found aboard. Traveling along Sakhal’s main roads might lead to the wreckage of ambulances, stocked with basic medical gear—though players will first need to contend with the infected lurking nearby.

Those venturing to Shantar Island or the Burukan peninsula may notice the unmistakable sounds—or even the smoke—of downed helicopters. These crash sites provide loot that differs from the usual surroundings and may temporarily transform nearby routes into high-risk zones.

The development team strongly encourages players to revisit Sakhal and experience these new additions firsthand. But be warned—before stepping into a hot spring for a relaxing soak, consider what might be bubbling beneath the surface…

Firearms have always held a special place in the world of DayZ, and with update 1.28, it’s time to give them some well-deserved attention. It had been a while, so the developers took the opportunity to revisit a few long-standing ideas from their backlog and bring them into the game.

At the forefront of this update are two brand-new weapons. First, the R12 — a powerful semi-automatic shotgun that claims the title of the new king of shotguns. It comes with support for a wide array of attachments, giving survivors the freedom to customize it to their needs.

Also making a return is a fan favorite from the past: the RAK 37. This compact submachine gun, chambered in .380, accepts both 15-round and 25-round magazines, making it perfect for high-intensity close-quarters combat.

This update also brings a fresh layer to the long-range combat experience with the addition of three new scopes. At the top of the list is the powerful Leupold Marksman scope, now considered the new king of optics. It’s closely followed by the PSO-6, a refined variant of the classic PSO scope, offering improved performance for mid-to-long range encounters.

As part of this shift in balance, traditional hunting scopes have become much rarer, making room for the newly added Sportpoint sights—low-magnification optics designed for early-game flexibility and accessibility.

Beyond just new gear, this update includes several enhancements to scope functionality. Visual damage states now affect scope overlays, and illuminated reticles have been introduced for better targeting in low-light conditions. The rangefinder overlay also received a visual upgrade for improved clarity.

On the audio side, a significant batch of sound design updates has been rolled out, focusing specifically on non-automatic rifles. These changes enhance immersion and weapon feedback. Finally, the long-awaited rework of the firearm lifting mechanic is complete. Weapons now feature a new pullback state, preventing them from snapping upward the moment they make contact with an obstacle—creating a smoother and more realistic interaction.

Another major highlight of update 1.28 focuses on vehicles. This time, the team introduced a core improvement to how cars are synchronized between the client and server. The goal was simple: deliver a smoother, more responsive driving experience, even under high latency conditions. Thanks to these changes, the notorious issues of vehicle bouncing and the previously floaty handling should now be a thing of the past.

The feedback gathered from the experimental car servers played a crucial role in validating these improvements under live conditions. Watching all the community-generated content from these tests was both insightful and entertaining. The overall reception has been positive, and the developers are confident players will appreciate the difference once they get behind the wheel.

On the topic of vehicles, the audio team also made key adjustments to engine sound audibility—whether you’re inside the car, nearby, or at a distance. The goal was to make in-vehicle communication easier while ensuring that vehicles remain audible to others from afar, enhancing both immersion and tactical awareness.

Of course, this article doesn’t cover every new feature, change, or fix included in update 1.28. For a complete overview, feel free to visit out the full patch notes for both PC and Console.

The team truly hopes you’ll enjoy everything this update has to offer, and we’re excited to see what kinds of new adventures await you out there in the wild. Development isn’t slowing down any time soon—so expect more news and updates coming your way soon.