One of DayZ's biggest new features of late is Toxic Zones, or rather 'Contaminated Zones'. Players can find good loot in these Toxic Zones, however, entering these zones requires some preparation to survive the toxic air. Unsurprisingly, it can quickly kill ill-prepared players without the right equipment.
It's worth reiterating though, these new Toxic Zones are only available in 1.14 on experimental servers for the time being, but will hopefully release with the 1.14 update on live servers. That said, Bohemia Interactive might make some tweaks between the Experimental server and live servers. So be prepared for a few changes when the new feature rolls out properly.
Keep reading and we'll give you the full overview of how they work, what to expect, how to prepare, and what they bring to the game.
Here's how players can enter the area and look for good loot in DayZ Toxic Zones.
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Toxic Zone Locations
First up, Toxic Zone are only available on Chernarus and Livonia maps.
In the case of both maps, there are two different types of contaminated zones. There's static contaminated zones and dynamic contaminated zones.
Static zones are always found in the exact same place on the maps, but dynamic zones can and will appear (or disappear) at any time on the map.
Three to six dynamic toxic zones will appear on the map at the same time, lasting for around 30 minutes each time.
Players will recognize these Toxic Zones as areas as you'll see green smoke surrounding the area. It's also worth noting that artillery strikes will normally precede these dynamic toxic appearing across the map.
If you want to see the specific DayZ Toxic Zome Locations, follow the link for more info.
Toxic Zone Poisoning & Contamination Disease
When you find a Toxic Zone on contact, the poisonous smoke will not immediately kill players. However, exposure to the green smoke will fully deplete a character's health within a matter of minutes. Because of the poisoning effects it's important players are equipped with the right protective gear (more on that in a bit) to avoid death.
If you are poisoned from a Toxic Zone you'll need to cure yourself from this "Contamination disease".
How to Cure Toxic Zone Infection
Played infected from the contaminated area will need to get a cure or remedy known as a "PO-X Antidote" another new feature added in Update 1.14.
The big issue for players is that PO-X injectors ae quite rare. Again, another reason why you should have the right protective gear before going anywhere near these contaminated areas.
It's worth noting that this PO-X Antidote doesn't make you immune but will cure you if you're currently poisoned.
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How To Find PO-X Antidote
The label is worn. The only readable parts are the letters "PO-X" and a drawing that displays how to use the injector. Remove the cap and push hard against the skin. - PO-X Antidote In-game description
A PO-X antidote is a 'Rare' item in DayZ and incredibly hard to find across the game.
How To Find NBC Suit
As we sure is apparent by now, to enter a toxic zone you'll need the right equipment, which comes in the form of the newly added NBC Suit.
The full NBC suit includes:
- NBC suit hood
- NBC suit jacket
- NBC suit pants
- NBC suit shoes
- NBC gloves
- Gas mask
- Combat gas mask
- NBC breathing apparatus
- Eastern Gas mask
- Gas Mask Filters
A complete NBC suit has five parts, namely the hood, jacket, pants, shoes, and gloves. The suit can be found in medical areas such as hospitals, blue doctor clinics, and yellow medical camps scattered throughout the game's map.
Meanwhile, the gas masks and filters can be found in military camps. If the equipment is broken, you'll need to use tire patches to repair the gear, otherwise you'll run the risk of getting infected, despite the fact you're wearing protective gear.
Lastly, gas mask filters only last for about 60 minutes per filter. Players will need to refill it in a safe area if they want to look around inside the Toxic Zone without getting the fatal plague from the toxic smoke.
Toxic Zone Loot Guide
Once you've got your equipment and you feel confident of heading into a Toxic Zone, think again. Toxic Zones are packed with tough enemies so making sure you've got a good weapon to protect yourself.
Of course, if you feel you're ready then there's plenty of high-tier loot on offer, from better guns, attachments, and other goodies that players will not get quite so easily across the map. Just remember, as per the devs:
"Static areas are meant to lock away high tier loot, while dynamic areas make the world more unpredictable, which spices up random encounters and forces survivors to reconsider their loot routes".
So you're more likely to find your top-tier loot in the two static toxic zones on each map.