MW4 DMZ Guide: How DMZ Works in Modern Warfare 4
Drop into Hajin, loot, fight AI and rival squads, then get out before the radiation storm closes in. What every system does, what it costs and what you lose when a run goes wrong.
- Developer
- Infinity Ward / Activision
- Released
- Oct 23, 2026
- Mode
- Extraction shooter, PvPvE
- Platforms
- PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Switch 2
- Price
- $69.99 (part of MW4)
- Squad
- Solo or up to 3
What is MW4 DMZ?
DMZ is the extraction mode inside Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. You deploy into Hajin, a war-torn exclusion zone on the border of North and South Korea, alone or with up to two squadmates. You loot, take on operations, fight North Korean forces and other players, and then exfil. Whatever you carry out goes to your Stash; if you die before you exfil, you lose everything outside your Secure Slots.
Between runs you live in the Forward Operating Base (FOB), where you craft, buy weapons, manage up to three Active Duty Operators and spend Trait Points. DMZ has its own level track from 1 to 70. Early access opened on October 20, 2026 for digital pre-orders, and the full game launched on October 23. DMZ is not free: unlike Warzone, it needs a copy of Modern Warfare 4.
This guide is built from Activision's own DMZ guides on the Call of Duty blog, Xbox Wire and the PlayStation Blog, cross-checked with players' guides and videos. Browser Game Hub is not affiliated with Activision.
MW4 DMZ Screenshots
Operators in gas masks and helmets in a pine forest as a military helicopter passes overhead 
A helmeted squad advancing through a red-leaved forest with rifles raised 
Two operators in helmets and sunglasses advancing past an overturned bus and stacked tyres
Official Modern Warfare 4 screenshots from the game's Steam store page (Activision), checked October 23, 2026. They show MW4 as a whole, not only DMZ.
How to Play MW4 DMZ
- 1At the FOB, pick an Active Duty Operator and check your Loadout. With no money yet, use the Free Loadout: if you exfil, you keep it.
- 2Choose a deployment: a Story Mission, a Dynamic Operation, or Free Roam. Turn Squad Fill on if you're alone and want two random teammates.
- 3Pick an infil. Ground infil is free; vehicles, a helicopter or the Cargo Plane cost DMZ Cash and only the Cargo Plane lets you choose where you land.
- 4Loot containers, complete your DMZ Orders and Ops, and watch the Threat Level under your compass. Fill the Hostiles Kill Count meter and a Hunt Squad comes for you.
- 5Watch Time Remaining: when it runs low the radiation storm intensifies. Head for a green-smoke exfil, call the helicopter, hold the area and board.
- 6Back at the FOB, move loot from your Backpack to the Stash, spend Trait Points and craft at the 3D Printer from DMZ level 2.
MW4 DMZ Infil Options and Costs
| Infil | Cost (DMZ Cash) | Where you land | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground | Free | Random | Nothing extra |
| Polaris Dagor A1 | 5,000 | Random | A lightly armored vehicle air-dropped to your squad |
| LTV | 25,000 | Random | A heavily armored vehicle air-dropped to your squad |
| Helicopter | 50,000 | Random, from the air | One squadmate pilots a helicopter; the others ride as passengers |
| Cargo Plane | 100,000 | Anywhere you pick | The squad drops from a cargo plane onto a chosen spot |
Infil options and prices from Activision's FOB guide (callofduty.com, October 9, 2026). Paid infils are for Dynamic Operations and Free Roam.
FOB Stations and When They Unlock
| Station | Unlocks | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Operators (Active Duty) | Start | Pick, recover or dismiss operators and spend Trait Points |
| Stash / Loadout | Start | Store loot (40 items and 12 weapons to start) and set your gear |
| DMZ Orders | Start | Guided mission directives that teach the mode and tell the story |
| Firing Range | Start | Test weapons on targets from under 10 m to over 100 m |
| Survival Kits | Start | Open kits of supplies earned from levels, Orders and events |
| Bounty Leaderboard | Start | Top 50 Most Wanted players and Top 50 Bounty Hunters, updated weekly |
| 3D Printer | DMZ level 2 | Craft gear from Resources and ingredients; upgrade FOB stations |
| Vendor | DMZ level 5 | Buy weapons and items for DMZ Cash; stock rotates daily |
| Gunsmith | DMZ level 10 | Build weapons you've unlocked with Weapon Manuals; up to 5 attachments |
| Dog Tag Case | DMZ level 20 | Show off Dog Tags taken from other players |
| Boss Board | After your 2nd DMZ Order | Buy intel on Lieutenants for the next deployment |
FOB stations and unlock levels from Activision's DMZ guides (October 5 and 9, 2026). DMZ levels run from 1 to 70 and are separate from the regular 1–55 levels, though DMZ XP also counts toward those.
Operators, Traits and Prestige
Operators, MIA and recovery
You start with two Active Duty Operator slots and unlock a third through DMZ levels; the Vault Edition starts you with three. Each operator keeps its own Backpack, Loadout and Trait Tree, while DMZ Cash, Resources and the Stash are shared by all of them.
If an operator dies in a deployment, they go MIA and can't deploy until you pay DMZ Cash to recover them. The price rises with the operator's Trait Points, and a recovered operator comes back without gear. You can also dismiss them and start a fresh operator. You keep the DMZ XP you earned either way: Activision says there is no XP penalty for dying.
Traits and Prestige
Each successful exfil earns DMZ XP toward the operator's Dog Tag; every Dog Tag level gives one Trait Point. There are 66 Traits across three trees of 22, and an operator can hold at most 18 points, so you can max out two trees or spread across all three. Xbox Wire names the trees Warfighter, Scout and Survivalist.
At 18 points (Onyx III) you can Prestige the operator for a permanent Prestige Trait, up to three. The first Prestige costs two weapons with three attachment slots, a Rare Plate Carrier, a Rare Backpack, four Rare 3D Printer ingredients and 200,000 DMZ Cash. The second needs Epic gear and 300,000; later ones cost 500,000.
MW4 DMZ Guides
- MW4 DMZ Exfil: How to Extract From HajinEvery way out of Hajin, what you keep or lose, and how to beat the radiation storm.
- MW4 DMZ Missions: Orders, Story Missions, Ops and BossesDMZ Orders, Story Missions, Dynamic Ops, Side Ops, Lieutenants, Commanders and bounties, and why there are no MW2-style factions.
- MW4 DMZ Hajin Map: Every POI and Threat LevelAll 13 major Hajin POIs with official threat levels, the minor spots, where to find radiation gear and how keys work.
Watch MW4 DMZ Gameplay
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 - DMZ Beginner's Guide by IGN on YouTube. Not affiliated with this site or the developer.
Why Is MW4 DMZ So Popular?
It is DMZ's return. The mode first appeared as a beta alongside Modern Warfare II, and Modern Warfare 4 rebuilds it as a full mode with its own map, base, level track and story.
Hajin is big and dense: Activision describes more than 60 named locations, from a political prison and an underground air base bunker to a radioactive reactor and a fortified city district.
It works solo. Activision says the Stealth Meter helps lone players control fights, and Squad Fill finds two teammates when you want them.
Quick Start Tips for Beginners
- Use the Free Loadout for your first runs. You keep it if you exfil, so it is free practice.
- Put your most valuable find in a Secure Slot. Everything else in your Backpack is lost if you don't exfil.
- Exfil with every Recipe and Weapon Manual you find: each pays a flat 5,000 DMZ Cash and unlocks a print or a weapon permanently.
- Don't loot everything. The end-of-run rating (F to S++) weighs Objectives, Combat and Looting together.
- Picking up a Lieutenant's Dog Tag Case broadcasts your position to every squad. Exfil straight away.
- Avoid green-smoke exfils that look too quiet. Activision warns that squads camp them.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is MW4 DMZ free?
No. DMZ is part of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, which costs $69.99 for the Standard edition. Warzone stays free, but it does not include DMZ. MW4 is also not on Game Pass at launch.
When did MW4 DMZ come out?
Early access started on October 20, 2026 for players who pre-ordered the digital Standard or Vault Edition. The full game, including DMZ, launched on October 23, 2026.
Can you play MW4 DMZ solo?
Yes. You can deploy alone; Activision says a Stealth Meter helps solo players. Squads hold up to three, and Squad Fill adds two random teammates if you want them.
What do you lose when you die in DMZ?
Everything in your Backpack and Loadout that isn't in a Secure Slot, and the operator goes MIA until you pay to recover them. You keep the DMZ XP from the run.
What platforms is MW4 DMZ on?
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam, Battle.net and the Xbox app) and Nintendo Switch 2. It is not on PS4, Xbox One or the original Switch.
What is the max level in MW4 DMZ?
DMZ has its own level track from 1 to 70, separate from the regular 1–55 levels. Separately, each operator can earn up to 18 Trait Points before Prestige.
When does MW4 Season 1 start?
Insider Gaming and Gfinity both report November 6, 2026. Activision hasn't announced what Season 1 adds to DMZ.
Sources
- Call of Duty: DMZ Deep Dive Part 1, Hajin (Oct 5, 2026)
- Call of Duty: DMZ Part 2, FOB guide (Oct 9, 2026)
- Call of Duty: DMZ Deep Dive (Jun 6, 2026)
- Xbox Wire: How to get started in DMZ (Oct 20, 2026)
- PlayStation Blog: Everything you need to know about DMZ (Oct 5, 2026)
- Steam: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4
- PocketTactics: MW4 DMZ
- Gfinity: MW4 DMZ, how to extract
- codmunity.gg: DMZ missions
- allthings.how: How DMZ works in MW4
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