https://dayz.com/article/developer-update/DayZ-in-2021
One thing we’ll continue introducing to the game is new firearms. Unlike previous years, we intend to mix things up more by introducing weapons which weren’t present in the legacy version of DayZ. You can already see evidence of this with the brand new SVAL rifle, which we introduced in the last game update.
Another area of focus that’s important for us this year is balancing the damage system. For example, we intend to look at how we can improve melee (mainly against infected), including a more consistent way of landing stealth kills (rewarding players for a stealth approach). We would also like to look into differentiating more individual firearms, as well as increasing the chances of PVP encounters ending in an unconscious state (rather than instant death).
Along with our efforts to improve melee with the infected will be a larger focus on Infected AI reactions to their surroundings. This includes balancing existing noise sources and adding new ones (such as light or doors opening). We’d also like to experiment with some new capabilities for the Infected AI.
To spice up your adventures, we’ve begun looking into introducing a new type of environmental threat to both of our maps.
We intend to improve feedback to players on the state of their character. This could include various states like bleeding, hunger, thirst and more through post-process sounds, effects or particles.
Also being considered is further iteration of the in-game respawn menu.
We want to focus more on seasonal events, mainly by introducing additional events throughout the year, as well as enriching the events themselves (mostly through new in-game assets).