In case you’ve not been anywhere near Call of Duty’s new extraction shooter space in the last few days, allow me to clue you in. There’s currently a debate running rampant throughout social media that’s seeing PvP-focused players pitted against PvE-focused players, and it’s all centered around Modern Warfare 4’s lack of a core offering for the latter party.
Put simply, DMZ is PvPvE by nature; the PvP players are loving that, and the PvE players feel hard done by. That has spurred some into action, and beyond simply taking to social media to voice frustrations and ping Activision’s community interns, one disgruntled player has started an honest-to-god petition to bring PvE to DMZ.
Should DMZ Have PvE Enabled?
DMZ is an inherently PvPvE-focused platform, and that means you’re almost guaranteed to run into other players as you explore Hajin. The problem is, not everybody wants that, and those who are perfectly happy exploring the world, completing missions, capturing content, and farming AI-controlled enemies feel a bit cheated by Activision and Infinity Ward.
It’s the first Call of Duty game in a hot minute that doesn’t have something PvE-focused, like Spec Ops or a Zombies mode, and that portion of the COD community feels like they’re out in the cold.
Admittedly, it’s tricky. It’s an extraction mode, and one could argue that’s something that needs player-vs-player combat to thrive, but you’d be kind of wrong. In the market right now, there are more extraction games with a PvE platform or offering than there are games without one.
That includes Escape from Tarkov, Marathon, Incursion: Red River, Gray Zone Warfare (extraction adjacent), and, as we know, Embark Studios is testing adding PvE to ARC Raiders. That’s just a few off the top of my head – some aren’t even multiplayer, period.
Many out there want their extraction loop without worrying about ‘sweaty’ players, rats, exfil campers, cheaters, and all manner of malicious behavior that typically comes with a PvP-focused, more competitive platform. But that’s not happening in DMZ. It’s either fight for your life or don’t play the game at all.
PvP players, on the other hand, are calling PvE players ‘soft’ for wanting an experience free of peer-to-peer combat, despite not realizing that if the PvE players evacuate their PvPvE lobbies to head for a specific PvE mode, they’ll be left with nothing but players who want to fight other players.
Win-win, right?
Someone has kicked off a petition on Change.org asking that a PvE mode be introduced by Activision and Infinity Ward. The person who penned the petition wrote:
Activision, introducing a PvE option could bring new excitement into MW4. It could serve as a bridge for players who prefer a more narrative-focused or cooperative gameplay, potentially increasing sales, engagement, and overall satisfaction within the game’s community. Adding PvE could also provide new opportunities for narrative expansion within MW4, offering fresh content and storylines delivered through missions expertly crafted around this unique zone.
I’m of the opinion that Infinity Ward will add some PvE-focused content eventually. For now, it’s a PvPvE platform in a sea of games that offer PvE, which doesn’t look right, but it’s what we’ve got. And that’s coming from someone who loves both (at times).
Do you wish DMZ had some kind of PvE offering? Let us know your thoughts on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that FragPunk has a new extraction mode coming, and don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter
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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