7 best DayZ mods you should try in 2025

DayZ has had a rough launch, but Bohemia Interactive developers didn't let that stop them from giving the player base the ultimate zombie apocalypse game. The game has seen some improvements; however, the greatest improvements came from the talented modding community.

Mods can improve the gaming experience for the better with new content, features, and other things that should have been available on day one. Here are a few interesting mods that new and returning players should try as they survive a world full of the undead.

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7 best DayZ mods you should try in 2025

1) A furry companion

Surviving in the apocalypse isn't so bad or lonely with a furry companion by your side (Image via Bohemia Interactive || HennySea)

In most franchises that feature the undead, only a handful show how useful pets can be and how they managed to survive. In The Walking Dead, Daryl adopted a dog, and he was helpful in retrieving bolts. Created by HennySea, dogs can now follow a DayZ survivor and help them fight off the undead and aggressive survivors.

These companions are extremely loyal and will follow a survivor anywhere they go. They can also distract zombies by barking at them from a safe distance, which is useful for exploring and scavenging without leading to a firefight.

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2) Slow walkers

Survivors can run laps around the zombies with this mod (Image via Bohemia Interactive || Staiff)

Among the few areas most fans complained about in the early days of DayZ is that the undead are insanely fast and aggressive. Even in death, these maneaters are athletes with increased speed and stamina, which can be extremely annoying to evade. Fortunately, Staiff came in clutch and introduced a mod where sprinting is removed.

Taking away the zombies' speed is a massive sigh of relief for survivors. They can now easily outrun the infected and use their stamina. This does not mean that they can't catch up and tear players to pieces, which is why it is advised for survivors to avoid underestimating the zombies and proceed with caution.

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3) Radioactive predators

Being chased by zombies and evil survivors is not enough (Image via Bohemia Interactive || SneakyPig)

While it is common for survivors to step out of their bases to hunt for food, they can also be hunted, thanks to this mod, where predators are much more aggressive and prevalent. Bears and wolves are thrown into the mix of the undead and fellow survivors trying to take everything that is not theirs; however, they, too, can be attacked by these new hostile variants.

SneakyPig wanted to give the survivors another challenge and reward them with loot and other resources for defeating radioactive animals. Each variant has a corresponding loot drop, like better meat and pelts that can be used for crafting.

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4) Flipping rides like burger patties

DayZ players can flip their vehicles after a wrong turn without much hassle (Image via Bohemia Interactive || Wardog)

Vehicles are hard to come by in the zombie apocalypse and once it is flipped over, it is totaled beyond recognition and repair. Fortunately, a new mod allows players to flip their cars with a trust wrench designed by Wardog.

Having a set of wheels to explore the barren wastelands is crucial to a player's survival. Wardog wanted to end the suffering of others with this unrealistic but helpful mod to keep players from being stranded in one spot for too long.

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5) Working radios

It is time to face the end of the world with music (Image via Bohemia Interactive || Yuki)

The world may have turned upside down, but that doesn't mean things can't be lively anymore. In DayZ, the game is eerily quiet to avoid being tailed by the undead or spotted by hostile survivors; however, it can be quite boring on road trips or even hanging out in a fortified base. This is where Yuki's working radio mod comes in to save the day.

Survivors can explore abandoned buildings and find old cassette tapes, which are as scarce as other essential resources. Music may not mean much to the average survivor, but it can offer solace to a player's unfortunate situation and give them some peace that gunfire couldn't.

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6) Improved base building mechanics

This DayZ mod can encourage players to invest a few more hours building the right base (Image via Bohemia Interactive || Dean Hall)

Base building is one of the best parts of DayZ and can get stressful, especially with the risk of being raided by bandits and hostile players. A group of modders came together and improved upon this mechanic even further. Players can now build helipads on their roofs and fortify their defenses to prevent raiders from setting foot inside the base.

Survivors can permanently establish their bases at remote locations and sway potential raiders to test their defense. It is the ultimate dream for doomsday preppers to simulate their ideal home defense.

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7) Improved nature and foliage

The world comes for you in DayZ (Image via Bohemia Interactive || Kaffeina)

While the world in DayZ is quite endearing, it doesn't look aesthetically appealing compared to other zombie games. Kaffeina saw this as a challenge to develop a mod that increases the foliage, tree count, and roadblocks for an immersive and realistic gaming experience.

The environment of the vanilla game isn't as detailed and polished. Fortunately, the modding community filled in a few gaps to make DayZ a much more enjoyable experience. With the improved environment, players will feel as if they are thrown into the world rather than playing in it.