Call of Duty: DMZ promises to be one of the most intriguing extraction shooters in a hot minute. It’s set to drop alongside Modern Warfare 4 this October, building on the beta that landed with Modern Warfare II in 2022 and evolving to become the ‘definitive Call of Duty extraction experience’ in the form of a living sandbox.
In COD DMZ, players are forced into the war-torn landscape of Hajin, a map disfigured by a nuclear reactor meltdown. It’s a polluted, harsh environment that players can approach in several ways, leaning on mechanics like a Forward Operating Base, crafting, and a bounty system.
In Hajin, players will explore fragments of both Russia and North Korea, as well as a core represented by a portion of South Korea.
Call of Duty: DMZ is Shaping Up
Activision has spent a huge amount of time trying to perfect DMZ, which builds on the four years of beta access opened up in 2022. This new iteration has fresh healing mechanics, more ways to collaborate, a bounty system linked to PvP, tough lieutenants, an improved stash system, and a massive, sprawling, and living map.
It’s a full-fledged game within Modern Warfare 4’s universe, offering a dedicated progression track that allows players to level up and grind based on everything they’re doing in the game.
This year’s DMZ release sees the return of the operator system, again with an evolution. Players can build operators based on styles and approaches, of which there are plenty. There are three core ways to approach DMZ:
- Story Missions
- Dynamic Operations
- Free Roam
In Story Missions, players work through a structured narrative and uncover the mysteries of Hajin. In Dynamic Operations, multi-step objectives that get harder as you go along are the order of the day. Finally, in Free Roam, players can explore Hajin at will, all while digging through a shared world that facilitates both PvP and PvE combat.
This time around, there’s a Forward Operating Base mechanic, a customizable, upgradeable staging ground and social hub that players use to stash their gear, craft new items, and track missions. As Activision has explained, it’s all about exploration and high-risk operations, with players being confronted by unpredictable, emergent enemy forces, some of which are armed to the teeth.
Talking of enemies, DMZ almost has a wanted system that means the more AI combatants you kill, the more you get chased down, especially if you go very loud. But, at the same time, DMZ now has an intuitive stealth system that allows you to capitalize on being sneaky to eliminate enemies without triggering alarms and summoning reinforcements.
All this takes place while the living, breathing world undergoes ongoing transformations. For instance, there’s a graduating weather system that ebbs and flows as you explore the game.
Like before, it’s expected to be a live service game that exists at the very heart of the extraction space.
Call of Duty: DMZ will launch alongside Modern Warfare 4 on October 23rd, 2026. Are you looking forward to the game? Let us know your thoughts on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that Marvel 1943 has been delayed
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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