Zombie-apocalypse themed open-world ARMA 2 mod DayZ is going to become a standalone game. Dean Hall, the creator of the mod, will take on the role of lead developer, and the game will be developed by ARMA 2’s studio, Bohemia Interactive.

DayZ has becomes something of a phenomenon over the past few months, with its very realistic take on a post-zombie-apocalypse survival scenario. Players are dropped into a vast world with very little, and must do all they can to survive the hordes of zombies.

Moving to a standalone model will allow the game to develop in ways that it otherwise couldn’t due to limitations of the ARMA 2 game engine. Zombie AI will be improved, as will the game’s near-unplayable night lighting.

The standalone game will have its own website, and the mod will remain available at its current link.