How DMZ works in Warzone 2.0: Release date, launch time, PvPvE experience, and more

This is the launch week for Warzone 2.0 and DMZ, and players are keen to try out both. Warzone 2.0 arrives more than two years after its dominant predecessor. However, the battle royale isn't grabbing all the headlines, as the latest game mode is stealing its thunder.

DMZ, short for Demilitarized Zone, is also being released simultaneously with Season 1 of Modern Warfare 2. The new game mode is set in Al Mazrah, the same map as Warzone 2.0, with slower-paced gameplay and multiple new mechanics.

DMZ is an intense game mode with higher stakes which is loot-oriented

Official artwork of the game mode (Image via Activision)

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Overview

The fundamentals of a DMZ game mode are simple: players have to squad up, land in the zone, explore the area, loot resources, and try to get out alive. There will be multiple hurdles along the way such as AI enemies, other players, objectives, and more. According to Infinity Ward:

"We’ve built a massive living world in Al Mazrah with challenging enemies, a deep mission system, side quests, secrets, and more. As we look to the future, we hope to reward players for exfiltration in new ways as we work towards new uses for cash and items."

The game mode doesn't require killing opponents or being the last squad standing. Instead, players must survive, complete objectives, and extract to save the loot. If they die in the field, all the loot is lost forever.

Inventory

The new M13B AR can be earned in DMZ (Image via Activision)

Players will have an Inventory to manage, which will consist of valuable items and weapons that have been extracted. At the start, they will have a small inventory of free contraband weapons that are usable only in DMZ. This can be expanded after looting other players' contraband from the field.

Players will also be allowed to insure their weapons, which means that guns used in the field won't be lost, unlike contraband. With personal modifications and high-level attachments, the best weapons can be insured.

However, if players lose an insured weapon on the field, they must either pay cash or trade valuables to speed up the cooldown.

"The goal is to loot up and get out alive; it’s about exploring an active world of AQ Forces and enemy Operators, completing missions and objectives, and exfiltrating with loot, cash, valuables, and rewards to build out your inventory for the next infiltration."

Various items in the inventory can be taken to the next infiltration to access special locations and get rare loot. However, it is a high-risk, high-reward move as the items can also be lost forever.

Objectives

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Faction Missions are one of the primary objectives of the game mode, which requires the player to go against PMCs (Private Military Contractors) such as Legion, White Lotus, and Black Mous. Notably, the latter two are locked until Legion's missions are completed.

Players must climb Faction Mission Tiers. These can be done by completing a certain number of missions that will reward them with unique items.

While they can infiltrate the zone in a three-person squad, going Solo or Duo by disabling squad-fill is also an option.

Loadout and extraction

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Players can either enter the infiltration zone with a chosen loadout or go in without anything other than their fists. Going empty-handed will make the job harder, but will ensure that nothing is lost. Meanwhile, going in fully kitted will increase survival chances, but could jeopardize the inventory.

"DMZ is a dangerous, diverse and deep open world experience where players can choose their level of intensity."

To secure the loot, players will have to reach the extraction point and be safe from the demilitarized zone's dangers. If they fail, all the loot up to that point in the game is lost. The extraction point is always random and can be spawned at any location in Al Mazrah, making sure that no two DMZ matches are similar.

Dead players during the game can also be revived at any point, but it will take longer than a downed revive. That said, if the whole squad perishes, everything is lost except insured weapons.

Demilitarized Zone

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Apart from Faction Missions, there are optional assignments that players can take on such as Contracts, rescuing a hostage, taking down a high-value target, and participating in a World Event. The lattermost might involve activating a SAM Turret or a UAV Tower, which will be every squad's objective.

There will also be locked spaces in DMZ, as well as Strongholds, guarded by armored AI forces. The key to the locked spaces will also be on the map.

The rewards for completing objectives and looting high-value places will be Double XP tokens, Calling Cards, Weapons Charms, Blueprints, and other cosmetics.

Unlike Warzone, there won't be a collapsing circle in Al Mazrah. Players will have to stay away from radiation, as well as sandstorms in various places on the map.