The Channel: A New DayZ Island Map You Can Playtest Now

The Channel: A New DayZ Island Map You Can Playtest Now

A brand-new modded DayZ map is sailing into view, and it’s a looker. The Channel, from creator @GoodCluck, reimagines Jersey and the surrounding Channel Islands as a post-outbreak archipelago stitched together from real GIS terrain data and tuned for classic DayZ survival. It’s early, it’s ambitious, and it’s live for playtesting.

Playtest window: Thursday, December 4, 2025 at 9:00 PM through Sunday, December 28, 2025 at 11:00 PM.

The Channel Test US: 216.245.177.48:2322

The Channel Test EU: 104.234.251.163:2342

What is The Channel?

Think a rugged chain of islands with coastal towns, battered ports, and overgrown military sites, all set across approximately 203 km² of land (with a total map frame of roughly 416–419 km²). The vibe leans authentic and grounded: windswept beaches, forested groves, causeways, and cold nights that ask you to dress smart and plan ahead.

Inspirations and sources:

• Jersey Island
• Iwo Jima
• Stuart Island (with custom-imported terrain data)

Progression and Spawns

Survival follows a south-to-north loot tier climb. Expect to spawn on the southern coast about 95% of the time; there’s a rare northwest tier-3 spawn that’s tougher right out of the gate. No group spawns. Outlying islands hide secrets, and some high-tier gear will demand proper travel—and sometimes a shovel.

Weather and Survival

The climate mirrors Chernarus but with a sharper drop at night. It’s a rain-only system paired with higher, more variable winds than vanilla, encouraging layered clothing and smart shelter choices. Water sources become less obvious as you head north: beyond wells, some water towers still hold fresh water, and springs can be found in forest groves. All fish species are catchable.

Pro tip short list:

• Carry a shovel. You’ll thank yourself later.
• Mark locked shipping crates when you find them.
• Hunt for water logically (industrial, natural, and tucked-away spots).

Central Economy and Events

Under the hood, The Channel uses Livonia’s CE for its tier backbone (three standard tiers plus special cases). The main island is largely tier 1–2, with curated hotspots for endgame. You’ll see dynamic events and items pulled from all three vanilla maps, including:

• All vanilla vehicles spawning dynamically
  • Body panels at 100% spawn rate
  • Mechanical parts at a slightly higher rate than vanilla
  • Boats are more common than wheeled vehicles
• Modified dynamic and static gas zones (final placements in flux)
• Darkness triggers not yet active for enclosed spaces
• Animals from Chernarus and Livonia included
• Items with attachment slots may spawn with attachments more often than vanilla

When stable two-wheeled vehicles arrive, expect the vehicle meta to tilt toward motorbikes and boats—a natural fit for this geography.

Theme and Worldbuilding

Picture the Channel Islands invaded and held by Chernarussian forces near the outbreak. You’ll find POX bombardment scars, artillery-blasted military and metro zones, and enough time passed for overgrowth, decay, and survivor enclaves—military and civilian—to have taken root. It’s familiar DayZ DNA in a striking new environment where every shoreline and grove can push your story forward.

Why Play It Now?

The Channel aims to preserve what makes vanilla DayZ satisfying—scarcity, travel, risk—while letting the environment do the heavy lifting. Boats matter. Coastal spawns keep the early game punchy. Island distances are swimmable or connect via causeways, so exploration never stalls. High-tier items live in specific, earned locations.

It’s an early playtest with over 30+ planned POIs on the roadmap, including larger cities, towns, and layered military sites. If you love DayZ’s core loop and want it reframed by real-world island terrain, pack light, grab a shovel, and head south—north will take care of itself.