Deadside Strategy Guide · Cosmo Strategy Guides

01 · The Survival Loop

Loot. Build. Fight. Repeat.

Open-world survival shooter Spawn into a post-apocalyptic world; loot AI-held compounds; build a base; engage AI and other players. Persistent character progression across sessions.
Faster progression than peers Deadside is intentionally faster than DayZ and Rust. Geared loadouts come within an hour for new players; the design favors gameplay over chore loops.
32 customizable firearms Pistols, SMGs, rifles, DMRs, shotguns, snipers. Each modifiable with scopes, suppressors, expanded magazines, flashlights, and grips.
Bad Pixel (Belgrade, Serbia) The development studio. Small team, four-year early access, regular updates through 1.9 and beyond.
1.0 launched December 5, 2024 Full release brought vehicles (cars and motorbikes), overhauled base building, expanded map, and console parity.
Body persists when offline On all server types, your character body remains in the world when offline with all loot. Disconnect in safe zones; do not log off in contested areas.
Active 2026 roadmap Bad Pixel committed to monthly or bimonthly updates in 2026. Mirny map expansion in March; ongoing balance and content drops through the year.

02 · The Three Server Types

PvP, PvE, PvP scheduled raids.

PvP Servers Hardcore full-conflict survival

Open PvP everywhere
Base raiding allowed at any time
No restrictions on player conflict

Bring: Combat readiness, mental fortitude for repeated losses, and the willingness to take risks for gear.
Take: The full Deadside experience; the most intense engagement-per-hour ratio in the survival shooter genre.

PvP servers are the default Deadside experience. Most active players are here; the most volatile playerbase but the most rewarding wins.

PvE Servers AI-only enemies; players cannot fight each other

No player-vs-player damage
Bases cannot be raided by other players
AI threats remain active

Bring: A learning mindset; PvE is the recommended entry point for new players.
Take: Mastery of the game’s systems without the stress of PvP conflict. Loot, mission completion, base building.

PvE is the learning environment. Most veterans recommend new players spend 10-20 hours here before transitioning to PvP servers.

PvP Scheduled Raids PvP combat any time; base raids only during scheduled windows

Raid windows posted by server (typically evenings, weekends)
Outside raid windows, bases are safe
PvP outside bases is always live

Bring: Time-zone awareness for raid windows and the willingness to defend bases during scheduled hours.
Take: Balanced experience between full PvP and safe PvE. Defends against off-hours base loss.

Scheduled raid servers are popular with players who cannot defend bases around the clock. Check the raid schedule before committing to a server.

03 · Survival Fundamentals

Health, hunger, thirst, equipment.

Health bar with regenerative recovery Health regenerates slowly when above the food and water thresholds. Bandages stop bleeding; medkits restore HP; food and water sustain regeneration.
Hunger and thirst meters Food and water meters deplete over time. Find canned goods, water bottles, and other consumables in loot containers. Low hunger or thirst blocks health regeneration.
Bleeding from gunshots Most gunshot wounds cause bleeding. Bandage immediately; ignoring bleeds drains health rapidly. Carry bandages always.
Stamina for sprinting Stamina drains during sprint and recovers walking. Carrying weight reduces stamina pool; trim the loadout for long traversals.
Inventory weight Carry weight is finite. Pick essentials over volume; backpacks expand carrying capacity. Backpacks-in-backpacks (added 2025) significantly increase capacity for organized loot runs.
Armor and helmets Heavy Assault Helmet (face and head), Heavy Assault Vest (50 percent damage reduction). Armor protects all bones for consistent damage mitigation; critical for sustained engagements.
Reduced sway when stationary Standing still or crouched dramatically reduces weapon sway. Settle before firing at range; do not snap-shoot from sprint.

04 · Maps

Mirny is the main map; Potny is the PvP-focused arena.

Mirny (main map) The original Deadside map. Expanded in March 2026; now significantly larger. Mix of forests, military bases, towns, ports, and isolated structures.
Potny (PvP-focused) Added in 2025. Smaller, more concentrated map with closer engagement distances. Designed for high-intensity PvP rounds.
Procedural map generation (on hold) Bad Pixel experimented with procedural map generation in 2025; on hold for 2026. Procedural content may resurface in future updates.
Safe zones Trader hubs marked as safe zones. PvP disabled inside; sell loot to NPC traders; buy gear and ammunition. The recurring hub between runs.
Military bases High-tier loot zones. Heavy AI presence (bots with rifles and armor); other players also drawn there. Approach with intent, not curiosity.
Towns and farms Mid-tier loot. Houses, stores, gas stations. Less risky than military bases; the staple of early-to-mid game looting.
Forests and remote zones Hidden base locations. Less player traffic; useful for stash building and discrete bases.

05 · Weapons & Combat

32 firearms, hardcore ballistics.

Pistols and sidearms Glock variants, Makarov, M9, others. Close-range emergency; some models accept extended magazines and suppressors.
SMGs MP5, P90, Vector, Cross Vector, and others. Close-to-mid range. High fire rate; lower armor penetration than rifles.
Assault rifles AK variants (AK-74, AKM, AK-12), M4 variants, FAL, AUG, others. The workhorse category; mid-range; modifiable.
DMRs and sniper rifles SVD, R-12, Mosin Nagant variants, AWM. Long-range engagement; bolt-action and semi-auto variants.
Shotguns Pump-action and double-barrel models. Close-range one-shot weapons; less common than rifles but devastating indoors.
Weapon modifications Scopes (red dots, ACOG, high-power scopes), suppressors (AR and SMG variants since 1.8), expanded magazines, flashlights, grips. Match modifications to engagement range.
Ammo variety Different calibers (9mm, 5.45x39, 5.56, 7.62x39, 7.62x54R, .308). Carry ammo for your equipped weapons; mismatched ammo wastes inventory space.

06 · Base Building

Five tiers: Branch → Log → Plank → Metal → Concrete.

Branch (Tier 1) Cheap and weak. Quick to build but vulnerable to almost any explosive. Use as a temporary placeholder; upgrade quickly.
Log (Tier 2) Significantly stronger than Branch. Requires wood and rope. The first realistic defensive tier; upgrade Branch walls to Logs early.
Plank (Tier 3) Mid-tier defense. Common goal for early-base completeness. Requires more materials than Log; substantially more resistant to raids.
Metal (Tier 4) High-tier defense. Heavy material cost; significant raid resistance. Standard for established players and clans.
Concrete (Tier 5) The strongest tier. Concrete mixer module added in 2025; cement, concrete mix, and bricks as crafting materials. Reinforced Explosive Charge required for raid breaches.
Codelocks for security Codelocks on doors, vehicles, and storage. Shared with trusted teammates; not raid-proof but slows access.
Workbenches expand crafting Different workbenches unlock different recipes. Plan workbench layout; some recipes only work in specific stations.

07 · Missions, Helicrashes, Airdrops

Dynamic events drive the player economy.

Mission system Marked objectives on the map with AI defenders. Complete for loot rewards; missions rotate; clear them while other players race to the same.
Helicrashes Crashed helicopter wrecks with high-tier loot and AI defenders. Visible across the map; expect competition.
Airdrops Player-called or dynamic supply drops with random tier loot. Smoke and parachute mark the location; converge to claim.
Explosives gathering shifted in 1.9 World-spawn explosives removed. Mission completion, helicrashes, and airdrops are the primary explosive-gathering routes. Prevents farming the same locations.
Higher-tier missions = higher risk Top-tier mission rewards come with armored AI and other players racing for the prize. Bring a full kit; expect resistance.
Mission timing Some missions have respawn timers. Knowing the rotation lets you queue at mission spawn points and arrive first.
Event participation rewards Survive an event without dying for loot; die during the event and lose your kit. Risk-reward is real.

08 · Loot & Inventory

The Big Three: weapon, ammo, armor.

Loot tiers in containers Civilian (basic supplies), military (weapons and ammo), industrial (crafting materials), medical (bandages, medkits, antibiotics). Each container type has its own loot pool.
Backpacks in backpacks A 2025 addition. Store smaller backpacks inside larger ones for organized cargo. Significantly expands effective carry capacity.
Storage in base Lockers, chests, and locked containers store loot persistently. Organize by category; large bases benefit from labeled areas.
Vehicle trunk storage Vehicles offer trunk storage with codelocks. Useful for mobile inventory during long sessions.
Trader sales for gold NPC traders in safe zones buy loot for in-game currency. Sell excess; buy needed items; restock between sessions.
Carrying capacity vs needs Always carry: weapon + ammo, secondary or knife, bandages, food, water, medkit. Optional: extra mags, attachments, repair kits.
Death drops everything On death, all equipped gear stays on your body for whoever finds it. No safe slot; pack the kit you are willing to lose.

09 · Vehicles & Fast Travel

Cars, motorbikes, boats, and the fast-travel system.

Cars and motorbikes Added with 1.0 in December 2024. Multiple variants; civilian sedans, off-road vehicles, motorbikes. Find at spawn locations or world events.
Boats Water-based transport on Mirny. Reach coastal locations and islands; expand the effective explore area.
Fast Travel System Travel between certain map locations without driving. Reduces tedious cross-map travel; not universal (some zones require physical travel).
Fuel management Vehicles consume fuel from a finite tank. Gas stations refuel; portable gas cans extend range. An empty vehicle stalls in the field.
Codelocks for security Codelock vehicles to prevent theft. Even base-defended vehicles are vulnerable to thieves without locks; always lock everything.
Vehicle as storage Trunk storage with codelock makes vehicles mobile loot containers. Useful for raid runs where you carry materials in and loot out.
Damage and repair Vehicles take damage from gunfire and crashes. Repair kits restore vehicle health; abandoning damaged vehicles in the field is a common rookie mistake.

10 · Audio & Settings

Hardcore survival rewards tuned settings.

Headphones, not speakers Directional audio reveals enemy direction across map. Footsteps, gunfire echoes, and vehicle audio carry far. A wired headset improves survival.
Master volume around 50–60 percent Deadside peaks loud during gunfights. Lower master volume preserves headroom for distant audio and footstep detection.
Field of view 90–100 Wider FOV reveals peripheral movement. Tune to your monitor distance; 90 is the public-server consensus.
Mouse sensitivity low Survival shooters reward deliberate aim. Lower sensitivity than typical FPS; tune via target practice in safe zones.
Disable motion blur Off in the video menu. Saves clarity during fast rotations.
Performance tuning Deadside runs on modest hardware. Tune shadows and foliage for higher framerate; the visual fidelity is good but not at the cost of bad FPS in fights.
Verify after every patch Bad Pixel ships updates regularly. Five minutes of menu review after each patch prevents one bad session on changed defaults.

11 · Pro Tips

Compound habits across long-running servers.

Start on a PvE server Learn the systems without PvP stress. The first 10-20 hours go faster on PvE; transition to PvP once you understand mechanics.
Pick one server; commit to it Each server develops its own economy, communities, and base locations. Hopping servers wastes the persistence value of base building.
Log off in safe zones only Your character body persists when offline. Logging off in contested zones means waking up to a dead body and lost gear.
Carry an extraction kit Always have bandages, food, water, and a basic weapon. The minimum survival package; do not deploy without it.
Build a base early Even a small Branch hut beats no base. Upgrade tiers over time; the base is your spawn-point and stash. Without one, every session resets.
Watch the chat and map Server chat reveals raid activity, mission timers, and player coordination. Map watching reveals player concentration. Both are intelligence sources.
Take the L on bad raids Some attempts fail before reaching the loot. Accept the loss; learn from it; do not chase bad runs with three more.