We're going to assume that since your viewing this page there's a good chance the DayZ servers are currently offline. That's no surprise since Bohemia Interactive does have a habit of taking DayZ and the many game servers offline when they need to apply a new update or very occasionally wipe the servers.
Scheduled maintenance is common with DayZ since - like so many other titles these days - it's an online-only game. That ultimately means when DayZ servers go down for maintenance, the whole game is unplayable.
Yes, it's a pain, we know, but how else can the developers help improve the game for your continued enjoyment. Plus, they normally supply you with the latest DayZ Patch Notes to read over whilst you're waiting for the game to come back online.
As we noted, people normally want to know how long the servers will be down and when the game will be back online.
Keep reading and we'll try and give you all the information you need to know. You might not appreciate the answer, but at least you'll know for future reference when the game goes down again.
How long will DayZ servers be down?
Unlike some games, DayZ is pretty good at getting an update out and getting the servers back up in a speedy fashion.
Some games (we won't mention names) have maintenance periods that can last hours upon hours. But Bohemia Interactive are fairly quick with their server maintenance regardless of whether it's a small update or one of the more major updates.
It's also dependant on the platform.
DayZ will typically bring PC servers offline first, do what needs doing, and then bring console servers offline for their maintenance downtime. Based on past experience we've normally come to expect that any maintenance period to last between 1-2 hours for each platform.
When will DayZ be back online?
As we mention, it takes as long as it takes. Servers for each platform as normally brought back online as soon as the devs have successfully rolled out the next update to the game.
Only then will maintenance be concluded and the game can be, for lack of a better phrase, 'turned back on' for players to enjoy.
We would also advise you check in with the games social media accounts, such as https://twitter.com/DayZ, which are normally very good at keeping players up to date on the comings and goings.
You may also find that even when servers are switched back on, that there is a queue to get back into the game.