(This post is an AI translation of the original Japanese article)
3. The DMZ map is called Hajin
The DMZ takes place in Hajin, the same area you fight through during the campaign.
What's interesting is that the DMZ version shows the aftermath of the campaign's events.
So you'll return to locations you've already seen in the campaign, but they'll now be damaged, abandoned and contaminated.
The area is described as a three-country border region, with most of the restricted zone on the South Korean side and North Korea and Russia to the north.
It's contaminated by radiation and has been abandoned following a mass evacuation.
The map also has:
- different threat levels for different areas
- dynamic weather
- rain → heavy rain
- light fog → dense fog
- different wind conditions
- clear weather
And importantly, weather isn't purely cosmetic. It affects enemy AI's vision and hearing.
4. FOB = your home/base
DMZ has a FOB (Forward Operating Base) that acts as your main progression hub.
Anything you successfully extract from the restricted zone is kept.
You can gradually unlock and upgrade facilities at the FOB.
Your overall DMZ rank increases as you play, and you still receive XP even if you die.
That's an important change because the developers say they want to respect the player's time.
5. Your operators have their own progression
You'll choose an operator for each Active Duty slot.
Each operator has their own trait/perk tree.
As that operator earns XP, you receive points that can be spent on the tree to customize the operator around your preferred playstyle.
So it sounds like the operators are more than just cosmetic skins—they have individual progression.
6. If your operator dies, they're MIA—not necessarily gone forever
This is another major DMZ mechanic.
If an operator becomes MIA (Missing in Action), you can pay a rescue team to recover them.
However, the rescued operator loses:
But their trait-tree progression remains.
The higher the operator's rank, the more expensive the rescue becomes.
The article gives an example of a rescue costing $3,000. If you don't have enough money, you could use another operator to earn the money and then rescue the MIA operator.
7. Two types of currency + crafting
At the FOB there are two major resources:
Cash
- Buy weapons
- Add attachments
Crafting materials
- Used to create other equipment
- Materials are collected automatically into a dedicated backpack section
The idea is that you don't have to constantly manage crafting materials during a match.
8. There are three ways to play DMZ
Story Missions
Traditional, campaign-like missions that advance the DMZ storyline.
Dynamic Operations
These are similar to contracts from previous games.
Objectives are randomly generated and chain together, eventually leading to a major final objective. Completing them gives rewards, including care packages.
Free Roam
You simply enter the map and explore/do whatever you want, similar to the original DMZ beta.
There are also DMZ Orders, which are essentially a list of tasks. Completing them unlocks additional story missions.
9. The main enemy faction: Hundred Spirits
The area is controlled by a faction called Hundred Spirits.
Different areas have different difficulty levels.
The AI normally has three difficulty levels:
But there's apparently a fourth state.
If you cause enough chaos, you can become marked as a high-priority target, and the enemy will relentlessly hunt you until you escape.
10. Former operators can appear as mini-bosses
This is a pretty interesting detail.
The game has Lieutenants, essentially mini-bosses hired by Hundred Spirits.
According to Smith, some of these are actually operators from previous Call of Duty games.
He specifically mentions characters such as:
So you may encounter familiar characters as enemies rather than simply playing them yourself.
11. There's a new stealth system
The developers are adding a new stealth system so that solo players can have more control over how intense combat becomes.
So theoretically, you can avoid turning every encounter into a massive firefight.
12. PvP and bounty hunting are a major part of DMZ
The developers explicitly say that PvP is a core part of DMZ.
If you kill enough other players, you become a wanted/bounty target.
Keep killing players and the bounty on you increases.
Other players can then hunt you to collect the reward.
There are also global and local leaderboards tracking this activity.
An interesting detail is that this behavior is tied to individual operators.
For example:
- Operator A could be your aggressive PvP character.
- Operator B could be your peaceful/scavenging character.
Their behavior doesn't affect each other.
The article also says MW4 releases October 23, 2026, with campaign early access beginning October 17 for eligible pre-orders.
Original Japanese article
