There’s a new mode coming coming to Call of Duty Warzone 2.0 and, until now, it has been shrouded in secrecy. DMZ is a new exfil mode that will set players against themselves and advanced AI - but what do we know so far, even this close to launch?

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DMZ will arrive in just a few days’ time but the information remains scarce. (Image courtesy of callofduty.com)

What Is DMZ?¶

DMZ will be a new mode added to Warzone 2.0 on release day and is set to be Call of Duty’s very own Extraction Mode. Teams of players will drop into the zone, complete objectives, and extract in their own time. If any of this sounds familiar you may have played Escape from Tarkov - the hardcore shooter that has been getting increased attention over the last 18 months or so. There are also similarities to Special Ops, which has its own cult following amongst hardcore CoD fans.

So much it seems that Call of Duty wants a piece of the action too and DMZ will instantly drop similarities to Tarkov onto its excited existing players when Warzone 2.0 arrives.

DMZ Map¶

The map is a huge sandbox based in the fictional Al Mazrah which is where Warzone 2.0 takes place and will allow up to 100 players plus NPCs to battle it out. The AI on the bots is being pushed as highly advanced, with squads holding positions and even calling in reinforcements depending on player actions in the game.

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The new Warzone 2.0 will be unlocked in its entirety for DMZ opening up huge gameplay opportunities (Image courtesy of callofduty.com)

“This massive metropolitan area plays an equally gigantic role within the Modern Warfare II universe, featured within the Campaign and a pivotal part of the events following it.” we are told, so if you have played the single-player campaign in Modern Warfare II some of the areas here should be familiar to you already.

Where things look likely to differ from other Warzone 2.0 modes however is in the sheer breadth of control players will have to customize their experiences. With a huge amount going on throughout the map, it might be that you are your squad want to hit a particular stronghold to seize the loot and then get out unscathed or virtually anything you want to do, all the while with the advanced AI reacting to your movements and providing the challenge.

Is DMZ The Future Of CoD?¶

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With the size of MW2’s sales, we expect Warzine 2.0 and DMZ in particular to be extremely popular. (Image courtesy of callofduty.com)

DMZ is being talked about in some circles like it could well be the direction future Call of Duty games head. As enemy AI improves the ability for players to set their own win conditions and even fight ongoing wars certainly sounds exciting.

Beyond steamer and dev hype though we are yet to see how this first iteration plans out. With a player base the size of Call of Duty though, and taking into account how many people bought MW2 it is definite that a lot of people are going to be trying out the new mode to see what the fuss is all about when it arrives later this month.

When Is Warzone 2.0 / DMZ Released?¶

The release date for Warzone 2.0 including the new DMZ mode is November 16th 2022 - the same day as the Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Season pass arrives. It is set to be a busy day on the Call of Duty servers for sure.