Infinity Ward details Modern Warfare 4’s DMZ mode, calling it the definitive Call of Duty extraction game

Infinity Ward wants you to treat Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4’s new DMZ mode as the definitive extraction shooter experience. The studio is betting big on the mode becoming another major pillar of the series, and it has a blog post and developer diary full of details to back that up.

DMZ is its own game inside the bigger package, and players take on missions, pull out gear, and battle waves of computer-controlled foes to gain levels. The combat emphasis is the whole point, according to Infinity Ward. The developer calls the mode the “action extraction shooter,” stressing engagement over menu navigation and looting.

DMZ’s Separate Progression

The game uses its own leveling system, with 70 tiers to advance through, and players can only gain access to them by participating in the mode. The economy mirrors this design. Money and crafting supplies carry over between matches, letting your personal supply grow as you keep playing.

Some elements cross over, though. Weapon progression is shared with Modern Warfare 4’s multiplayer and battle royale mode Warzone. Other systems are shared as well.

Infinity Ward calls the map Haijin, and it features the biggest population of enemy AI the studio has ever assembled. The design backs up that boast, with missions and side operations handing out XP to players who choose to search out the map and face its foes, which include other human players.

Deployment Screen and Difficulty Tiers

New to Modern Warfare 4 is the deployment screen. It lets you pick from a number of mission types before loading into a match, which saves you a bit of time. You can still start a run with no objective if you want to find missions organically as you go.

There’s more variety in how hard the AI opponents are now. The tiers of difficulty have grown, which means enemy distribution across the map has become more dynamic. Four tiers of aggression and power define the enemies you face. At the top of that scale are the Commanders, who travel the map surrounded by a band of strong enemies. You must clear through that band before reaching the Commander.

Home Base and the FOB

Since the 2022 DMZ beta, meta progression has grown larger. Each player gets a home base known as the Forward Operating Base, or FOB. Players may walk around it and look around, along with other members of their party.

This area shares traits with the Hideout found in Extraction shooters like Escape from Tarkov. It holds a number of stations meant for use after each run. At the FOB, players can handle active operators, check their stash, put together a loadout, tailor their weapons, try them out on the firing range, take Orders, and break open loot packs.

A 3D printer that crafts items from field-gathered ingredients sits inside the FOB. A vendor sells weapons and other items for in-game cash there too. A display case holds your collected dog tags. A bounty leaderboard tracks the top PvP players. And a boss board gives intel on the powerful AI enemies wandering about.

What Players Get First

The DMZ arrives on 23rd October across PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Switch 2. Infinity Ward has just announced two big updates for Modern Warfare 4 and Warzone that have drawn player excitement. One lets you switch off silly skins in Warzone. The other changes how double XP tokens work, counting down during matches rather than by real time.

The Numbers Behind the Mode

• Launch date: 23rd October
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2
• Progression levels: 70
• AI tiers: Four, including Commanders
• Home base: Forward Operating Base (FOB)

DMZ has its own distinct identity, with Infinity Ward aiming to make it stand out from the rest of the pack. A separate progression system, a much larger number of enemies, and a home base that supports crafting and trading all signal a mode built for the spotlight.

The deployment screen and the Commanders ease getting started while making battles more demanding. Players will have to decide for themselves whether the game matches the Tarkov comparison.

KEY FACTS BOX
– Launch date: 23rd October
– Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2
– Progression levels: 70
– AI tiers: Four, including Commanders
– Home base: Forward Operating Base (FOB)

Source material: “"This is Call of Duty's definitive extraction shooter experience" – Infinity Ward details the new DMZ mode in Modern Warfare 4,” Eurogamer.

Call of Duty · DMZ · extraction shooter · Infinity Ward · Modern Warfare 4