Modern Warfare 2 Season One
Warzone 2.0 comes with new maps, weapons and cosmetics Activision

KEY POINTS

  • DMZ mode will be free-to-play together with "Warzone" 2.0
  • The mode features PvEvP in a large, open map
  • DMZ has considerably less stakes than games like "Escape from Tarkov"

The long-teased DMZ mode for "Modern Warfare 2" is about to go live, but what exactly will it bring to the table?

To say that "Modern Warfare 2's" launch was successful would be an understatement. It now holds the record for the fastest-selling "Call of Duty" game so far, but it's not quite done yet. This week, upon the launch of the game's first season, DMZ mode will arrive together with "Warzone" 2.0.

"Modern Warfare 2" DMZ Explained

DMZ is an open-world, narrative-focused experience that'll come with the newest iteration of the "Call of Duty" free-to-play battle royale mode. It is an extraction shooter like "Escape from Tarkov" where players are tasked with completing faction-based objectives while fighting off AI combatants as well as other players.

Unlike in "Warzone," DMZ emphasizes objectives apart from just hunting down other squads and staying within a shrinking circle. The game mode will be set in "Modern Warfare 2's" massive Al-Mazrah map, which is dotted with AI patrols and strongholds that hide the important loot that needs to be acquired for missions.

Modern Warfare 2 - DMZ stronghold
Modern Warfare 2 introduces DMZ mode as an addition to Warzone Activision
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Players start each round with a set of weapons that they can insure before they drop into the warzone. If a player dies during a match, their insured weapons will go on cooldown before they can be used again for another mission. During this time, players will be forced to use Contraband weapons, which can be lost permanently upon dying.

Select Twitch streamers were given early access to DMZ mode, and so far, reception on it has been relatively positive. "Call of Duty" content creator Drift0r noted that DMZ was similar to the original "Warzone's" Plunder mode, which also had players running around the map while scrounging for valuables.

He noted that DMZ is especially good for leveling up weapons since all cash earned in the game mode gets converted into XP. However, Drift0r also said that the game mode has no real stakes. There are no rewards to chase, and players don't have any meaningful items that they can lose despite being an extraction shooter.

This may still change as DMZ and "Warzone" 2.0 continue to evolve after they go live this Wednesday.

MW2 Warzone 2.0
Modern Warfare 2's Warzone includes a third-person camera perspective Activision