DayZ standalone delayed for 'groundbreaking' changes

You may have noticed that the standalone version of smash-hit ArmA 2 mod DayZ missed its planned December launch, but there's a very good reason for that. Creator Dean Hall explains in a new blog post, "Put simply, DayZ Standalone isn't here because we had the chance to go from making a game that was just the mod improved slightly, packaged simply, and sold--to actually redeveloping the engine and making the game the way we all dreamed it could be."

The inventory and item management system has been "completely removed and rewritten from the ground," Hall explained yesterday, which lets DayZ do far fancier things. "The new system opens the door for durability of items, disease tracking (cholera lingering on clothes a player wears…), batteries, addon components, and much more," he wrote. "If you shoot a player in the head to take his night vision, you will damage the night vision."

Your inventory will be less horrible to manage too, with drag-and-drop 3D models. The UI is being reworked in general, inspired by the simplicity of Minecraft's rather than hacking up a military sim.

Hall also shared new screenshots of the revamped environments, noting that the DayZ team at Bohemia now includes a texture artist working on post-apocalypse-ing up interiors. Work on the Chernarus map is still affected by lead architect Ivan Buchta's imprisonment, though Hall says he is providing advice in letters.

As for when DayZ will actually come out, that's not yet clear. The team plans a private beta test for 500-1000 people to test the new architecture, then will decide upon a date once it's fixed any problems which crop up. For now, enjoy these new screens:

Here is a joke for you: What food do zombies like to order at this bar? The answer is ghoulash!!