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Godlike.Host offers hosted DayZ servers with its own game panel, SFTP access and free DDoS protection, if you would rather not host it yourself.
DayZ server time is controlled in serverDZ.cfg. Set serverTimeAcceleration to speed or slow the daytime clock, use serverNightTimeAcceleration for the additional night multiplier, and set serverTimePersistent to 1 if the clock should continue across restarts. As a rule of thumb, daytime length is about 24 ÷ serverTimeAcceleration real-world hours.
Which settings control the DayZ cycle?
For the core DayZ server clock, edit serverDZ.cfg (or the equivalent controls in your hosting panel). The relevant entries are:
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors| Setting | What it controls | Typical value or effect |
|---|---|---|
serverTimeAcceleration |
Base speed of the in-game clock, including the normal daytime rate. | 12 is commonly reported as the default; higher values make a full in-game day pass faster. |
serverNightTimeAcceleration |
Additional multiplier applied during the night period. | 1 is commonly reported as the default; values above 1 shorten night relative to the base rate. |
serverTimePersistent |
Whether the server saves its current in-game time when it shuts down. | 1 resumes the saved clock after a restart; 0 starts from the configured starting time again. |
These values belong in the server configuration, not normally in init.c. Editing init.c is relevant when a mod deliberately overrides time behavior, such as an “eternal day” style mod; it is not required for ordinary DayZ day/night timing.
How long is a DayZ day at each acceleration?
A useful planning formula is:
Approximate real-time length of the daytime cycle = 24 hours ÷ serverTimeAcceleration
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This is a practical conversion for the commonly reported presets. It describes the base daytime rate; the exact boundary between day and night and the night multiplier can change how long each visible phase feels in play.
serverTimeAcceleration |
Approximate real-time duration of 24 in-game hours | Practical interpretation |
|---|---|---|
1 |
24 hours | Real-time clock. |
6 |
About 4 hours | Long sessions with a substantial daylight window. |
12 |
About 2 hours | Common reported default-style pacing. |
24 |
About 1 hour | Fast full cycles suitable for servers that want frequent daylight changes. |
48 |
About 30 minutes | A very fast cycle; the 30-minute result should be checked in-game because the source reporting it flags it for verification. |
For example, changing the day multiplier from 12 to 6 approximately doubles the real-world length of the cycle from two hours to four. Changing it from 12 to 24 approximately halves it to one hour.
How the night multiplier changes the result
serverNightTimeAcceleration is described by community configuration guides as an additional multiplier on top of the daytime multiplier. Under that model, the approximate night speed is:
Night speed ≈ serverTimeAcceleration × serverNightTimeAcceleration
Thus, a configuration of serverTimeAcceleration = 8 and serverNightTimeAcceleration = 4 would make the night pass at roughly 32 times real-time speed. This stacking behavior is reported by community documentation rather than a located official Bohemia Interactive reference, so treat it as a field-tested rule and verify it on your particular server build.
- A night value of
1adds no extra acceleration, so night runs at the base multiplier. - A value greater than
1makes night pass faster than the base rate. - Values below
1, where accepted by the server, make the night slower than the base rate.
Do not calculate a separate “night length” by dividing 24 by the night value alone. If stacking is enabled, the base day multiplier is part of the calculation. The game’s sunrise and sunset timetable also determines how many in-game hours are actually classified as night, so the formula gives a speed, not a guaranteed number of visible darkness minutes.
How to change day and night length on your server
1. Stop the server and make a backup
Stop the DayZ instance before editing its configuration. Keep a copy of the current serverDZ.cfg so you can restore working values if the server fails to start or a host panel overwrites the file.
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2. Open the correct configuration
Open the serverDZ.cfg used by the instance you are changing. On self-managed servers this is the server’s configuration file; on managed hosting, the control panel may expose the same keys in a settings form or regenerate the file during startup.
3. Set the base daytime multiplier
Find the existing serverTimeAcceleration entry and replace only its value. For a roughly four-hour full cycle, use 6; for roughly two hours, use 12; for roughly one hour, use 24.
serverTimeAcceleration = 12;Preserve the syntax already used by your file, including the semicolon. Do not create a second entry with the same key: duplicate definitions can make it unclear which value the server reads.
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4. Set the night multiplier
Set serverNightTimeAcceleration independently. Use 1 when you want night to use the base rate, or a higher value when you want darkness to pass more quickly.
serverNightTimeAcceleration = 4;Changing only the night value does not alter the daytime multiplier. Conversely, changing the daytime value also changes the base speed used during night before any additional night multiplier is applied.
5. Choose whether time persists
Set serverTimePersistent to 1 if a restart should resume the saved in-game clock:
serverTimePersistent = 1;Set it to 0 if each restart should return the clock to the server’s configured starting time:
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serverTimePersistent = 0;Persistence changes what happens at shutdown; it does not itself speed up or slow down the cycle.
6. Save, start, and verify
- Save the file without changing its encoding or unrelated settings.
- Start or restart the server.
- Join with a character and note the in-game time.
- Check again after a measured real-world interval. Compare the observed change with the expected multiplier rather than judging from a single sunrise or sunset.
Test unusual values on a non-live or private instance first. This avoids changing the schedule for players while you establish how your server version and mods interpret the values.
Working configuration examples
Balanced two-hour cycle
This uses the commonly reported default daytime multiplier and leaves night at the base rate:
serverTimeAcceleration = 12;
serverNightTimeAcceleration = 1;
serverTimePersistent = 1;The complete in-game day is approximately two real-world hours, subject to the game’s day/night phase boundaries.
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serverTimeAcceleration = 6;
serverNightTimeAcceleration = 1;
serverTimePersistent = 1;The cycle is approximately four real-world hours, making daylight and darkness last longer than with a multiplier of 12.
Fast cycle with a short night
serverTimeAcceleration = 12;
serverNightTimeAcceleration = 4;
serverTimePersistent = 1;Daytime remains at the base 12 rate, while night receives the additional multiplier reported by community guides. Confirm the result in-game because the stacking rule is not documented in a located official reference.
Real-time clock
serverTimeAcceleration = 1;
serverNightTimeAcceleration = 1;
serverTimePersistent = 1;This is intended to approximate a 24-hour real-time cycle. It can produce very long periods of darkness or daylight for players in a particular time zone, so decide whether the schedule fits your community before applying it to a live server.
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What values are valid?
Published community references disagree about the accepted ranges, which means a single universal range should not be presented as guaranteed for every DayZ server version.
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| Setting | Ranges reported by references | How to use that information |
|---|---|---|
serverTimeAcceleration |
One reference describes 0–24 with a default of 12; another gives 0.1–64; a third describes 1–24. |
Start with established whole-number presets such as 6, 12, or 24. Test values outside those presets before using them publicly. |
serverNightTimeAcceleration |
References report either 0.1–64 or a default of 1 within that range. |
Use conservative values and verify startup and in-game behavior on the exact server build. |
The conflicting ranges are a documentation gap, not permission to assume every decimal or zero value will work. A value that is accepted by one build, host wrapper, or mod set may be rejected or normalized by another. If the server will not start after an edit, restore the backup and test a known preset.
Do you need to edit init.c?
No for the core clock. The standard day/night multipliers and persistence behavior are server configuration options in serverDZ.cfg. Community examples of init.c changes generally involve a third-party mod or custom mission code that overrides the ordinary clock.
Check init.c only when all of the following are true:
- A mod or custom mission specifically documents a time override.
- Your
serverDZ.cfgvalues are syntactically correct but have no visible effect. - The mod’s load order and configuration have been checked against its own documentation.
Removing or changing mod code without understanding its purpose can break other mission behavior. First test the unmodded configuration on a controlled server, then add overrides one at a time.
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The file changes back after reboot
Some hosting panels generate serverDZ.cfg from their own settings whenever the server boots. In that arrangement, a hand edit may work for one session and then be replaced. Set the values in the panel’s DayZ configuration controls if they exist, or follow the host’s documented method for supplying a persistent custom file.
The old time returns after every restart
Check serverTimePersistent. A value of 0 intentionally resets time to the configured start on restart. With 1, the server should save and resume its clock, although an unclean shutdown or a host’s restore process can prevent the saved state from being used.
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The server starts but the cycle looks unchanged
- Confirm that you edited the active instance, not a template or a different server profile.
- Check that the key appears only once and that the value uses the file’s existing syntax.
- Make sure the server completed a full restart; reconnecting after a configuration upload may not reload the process.
- Temporarily disable a suspected time-control mod and compare behavior on a test instance.
- Measure the clock over a known interval instead of relying on a single transition from day to night.
The server refuses to start
Restore the backup, start the server with a known working preset, and then change one value at a time. Values at the edges of the disputed ranges are the most useful to test on a private instance, not directly on a populated server.
Choosing a schedule for your community
Use the base multiplier to set the overall pace
Pick 1 when realism and a real-time schedule matter more than convenience. Pick 6 or 12 when players need a complete cycle during a normal session. Pick 24 or higher only when frequent transitions are part of the server’s design.
Use the night multiplier to manage darkness separately
Night affects navigation, visibility, base building, and the usefulness of night-vision equipment. Keeping it at 1 preserves the base pacing. Raising it shortens the period in which players must operate in darkness without changing the daytime length.
Decide whether restarts should move the clock
Persistent time gives a continuous world schedule: a restart does not send everyone back to the same morning or evening. Nonpersistent time can be useful for scheduled events or a server that deliberately begins at a predictable hour each boot. Choose one behavior and tell players what to expect.
Calculating a custom value
To target a daytime cycle in real-world hours, divide 24 by the desired duration:
serverTimeAcceleration ≈ 24 ÷ desired cycle length in hoursFor a target of three hours, the calculation is 24 ÷ 3 = 8, so a base multiplier of 8 is the logical starting point. For 90 minutes, convert the target to 1.5 hours: 24 ÷ 1.5 = 16.
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These are planning calculations, not a guarantee of the number of minutes players will see daylight. Weather, phase boundaries, persistence behavior, mods, and the server build can affect what players perceive. After applying a custom value, record the in-game time at two points and adjust from the observed result.
A dedicated DayZ time-acceleration calculator can perform the same conversion and help compare day and night settings. Treat calculator output as an estimate; it cannot resolve a server-specific mod override or an undocumented range limit.
Quick Recap
Quick checklist before going live
- Back up the active
serverDZ.cfg. - Confirm whether your host panel regenerates the file.
- Set
serverTimeAccelerationfirst, using a known preset. - Set
serverNightTimeAccelerationseparately and document the intended stacking assumption. - Choose
serverTimePersistent = 1or0deliberately. - Restart the process, not just the game client.
- Measure the result in-game over a meaningful interval.
- Test unusual or boundary values on a non-live server.
- Check mods and
init.conly if the normal configuration has no effect.
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