Call of Duty DMZ mode confirmed
A Call of Duty DMZ mode will drop with Warzone 2.0 this November.
Activision has finally confirmed the highly anticipated mode after months of rumors and leaks. Billed as an "all-new sandbox experience", DMZ will arrive simultaneously with Warzone 2.0's November 16 launch.
Activision revealed the "rich sandbox experience" during today's Call of Duty Next stream, confirming and adding a number of details about how it'll work. In short, you'll drop into Warzone 2's Al Mazrah map, set out to accomplish a number of set objectives, and then extract when the time is right.
"It is played across the whole map and the AI is occupying large sections of the map, and they are lethal opponents that command your respect," explained game director Jack O'Hara. "You have to watch out for them. They patrol areas, they occupy Strongholds, and they'll reinforce based on player actions."
In addition, you'll have the option to choose the mission or missions you want to complete or opt to engage in any number of activities across the vast, open map. "You can go loud or you can go quiet," O'Hara added. "You can hunt other players or avoid them entirely. Or you can just decide 'Hey, I'm gonna explore the secrets of Al Mazrah and see what's there.'"
We're still missing some big details on how DMZ works, but at least we can officially confirm it's coming to the Call of Duty franchise. When substantial leaks started popping up this past May, leakers were getting hit with DMCA takedowns faster than I die in the gulag, which was more than enough to keep the rumor mill going.
One rumor claimed DMZ was going to be in Modern Warfare 2, but it's now clear that it's launching with Warzone 2.0 in November. Both games are running on the same, new engine that will be used for all Call of Duty games going forward.
Since the DMZ mode and Warzone 2.0 share an engine with Modern Warfare 2, you might want to check out the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 beta to get a feel for the guns and gameplay changes. That water-based combat is a real game-changer.
Check out our new games 2022 guide for a complete look at all the other games launching later this year.
