Infinity Ward is set to revolutionize the Extraction shooter genre: at the May Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 multiplayer presentation, creative director Jeff Smith announced the full return of the DMZ mode. The new iteration is being built from the ground up, taking into account the mistakes of previous years, and will take place in the massive Haijin Exclusion Zone on the Korean Peninsula. According to the developers, the mode has outgrown its status as a simple add-on and has become a standalone game within MW4.
What is known about the new DMZ in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4?
Infinity Ward’s first attempt at Escape From Tarkov territory came with Modern Warfare 2 in 2022. That experiment proved controversial—the mode was criticized for its casualness and lack of depth, and by 2023 the project was effectively shelved. The studio is currently undertaking extensive debugging. According to Jeff Smith, all the accumulated experience and fan feedback formed the basis for the reboot, which this time will bypass the beta testing stage.
Key gameplay details:
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Setting and location: Operations will take place on the map of Haijin, a nuclear-damaged border between North and South Korea, filled with dilapidated cities.
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Plot: Players will assume the role of underground CIA agents. There is no government support—they will have to finance operations and acquire advanced military technology themselves.
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Economy and FOB: All loot found in raids is put to use. They can be sold or used for crafting, and the resources earned are spent on upgrading your own FOB, where new workbenches are unlocked.
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Mission structure: In addition to classic free exploration, dynamic contracts with random stages are announced, as well as full-fledged story missions that develop the story directly during raids. Weapon System: You can transfer completed blueprints from multiplayer via Gunsmith, but all modifications and attachments will have to be purchased separately using in-game currency.
The gameplay promises to be intense. In addition to skirmishes with other players, players will face dangerous bosses, advanced artificial intelligence, environmental puzzles, and challenging raid operations. The release date for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 has not yet been announced, but the project is already shaping up to be one of the most ambitious shooters of this decade.
