DayZ Still Coming to PS4 and Xbox One, But 99% of Resources Focused on PC

The version of zombie game Day Z for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One has not been canceled, despite its developer not saying much about it lately.

Creative director Brian Hicks told Eurogamer recently, "No it's not dead at all. It's not dead at all."

Explaining why we haven't heard much about DayZ for consoles, Hicks said "99 percent" of developer Bohemia's development resources are focused on the PC version. PC is the game's "flagship" platform, he said.

"While there was a lot of push from Sony and Microsoft to get up on their stages and say, 'Yes, we're coming,' our focus has been exclusively (I want to say exclusively because there's about a one percent development resource trying to keep those platforms at a point at which, once we get to our beta and our bug fixing, we can start pushing forward on that) on the PC," Hicks added. "We can't really move DayZ over to these platforms, at least on a playable level for consumers, until the base engine, Enfusion, is complete. Or if not complete, feature-complete so to speak--the core tech is there."

The report goes on to say that, considering this, development on DayZ's console versions isn't likely to begin in earnest until early 2017. Hicks also stated that DayZ would be a likely candidate for Microsoft's Steam Early Access-like Game Preview program. The PS4 does not offer a similar program, which is part of the reason why dinosaur game Ark: Survival Evolved is not out yet on Sony's console.

"Once we get to a point with the PC that we're comfortable and we can start dedicating a little resources into catching up those [console] platforms then we'll look at doing some announcements and talk about the Xbox Game Preview program, which is what I would imagine is the first place we'll get to since Sony doesn't have something similar," Hicks said

But has DayZ's time come and gone? Not according to Hicks. He shared that the game recently reached a peak of around 650,000 unique monthly users, with lower peaks standing at around 250,000 or 300,000.

Also in the interview, Hicks explains that, while DayZ creator Dean Hall is no longer actively working on the game (he left Bohemia in 2014 to start a new studio), he still provides informal feedback. The full interview is a great read and touches on a number of other subjects; read it here.

DayZ launched in December 2013 as an Early Access game on Steam. Almost three years later, it's still an Early Access game. Despite being unfinished, the game has sold more than 3 million copies.