Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's DMZ mode returns: what you need to know

On Monday, October 5, Activision detailed DMZ, the extraction mode of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. It will be available at launch on Friday, October 23, 2026, alongside the campaign and multiplayer, on PS5, Xbox Series, PC and Switch 2.

The return of a fan-favorite mode

DMZ first appeared on November 16, 2022 with Modern Warfare II and Warzone 2.0, on the Al Mazrah map. The idea is unchanged: drop with your squad into a persistent open zone, loot gear, complete objectives, fight both AI and other players, then try to extract with your haul. Activision calls it the series' "definitive extraction shooter experience".

Hajin, an exclusion zone between the two Koreas

The new map, Hajin, mixes former North and South Korean territory. Every location has a Threat Level, shown under the compass, from "Low" to "Extreme": it tells you how violent the response will be if you get spotted. A few examples:

• the 14th Political Prison (northwest), High threat, and its central fortress, the Citadel, Critical;
• Chang-san Air Base (west), Critical on the surface and Extreme in its huge underground bunker;
• the Haneul Nuclear Reactor (northeast), High threat, with radiation;
• Cheongun Village's Heavenly Luck Casino, High threat, best explored with night vision as the power is out;
• the Imjin Farmland (southwest), Low threat, overlooked by a strategic rice mill.

You will face North Korean soldiers in four equipment tiers, drone swarms, robotic quadrupeds, helicopters, convoys, and bosses: Lieutenants and Commanders (Colossus, Deathstalker, a main battle tank). Activision recommends stealth: the less noise you make, the more measured the response.

A Forward Operating Base to grow

Between deployments, you prepare your gear at the Forward Operating Base (FOB). It starts with Operator management, your stash and loadout, mission orders and a firing range. More stations unlock as you go: a 3D printer to craft gear, a Gunsmith, a vendor whose stock rotates daily, bounty and boss boards, and a dog tag case. DMZ has its own progression track, from level 1 to 70.

Three ways to deploy

When you deploy, you can replay story missions, join dynamic operations that pay out cash and XP, or roam freely. To cross Hajin, you can use cars, military vehicles, boats and helicopters. Unlike in Warzone, they need repairs and fuel. An automated train and tram also run across the map, and extraction is by transport helicopter.

A second part of the official guide, covering the Forward Operating Base, is due later this week.