At least 4 maps could be in development for Modern Warfare II’s DMZ mode

A sequel to 2019’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is in the works, and with it a new game mode called the DMZ. This new mode in development is said to be a tactical open world mode inspired by Escape From Tarkov. 

Escape from Tarkov is an FPS with survival and MMO mechanics. Players collect loot and attempt to extract from the map. Tarkov and similar games focus on objective squad based combat.

The DMZ will be Activison’s take on the tactical survival genre. 

According to Call of Duty leaker @theGhostOfHope at least 4 different maps are in development for the mode. 

DMZ has at least 4 maps in development. The Warzone 2 map is entirely separate and is not in any way connected to DMZ. All of these maps differ considerably in design; some are catered for open-world, others more concentrated and dense. pic.twitter.com/0f98LiLoPi

— Hope (@TheGhostOfHope) April 4, 2022

TheGhostOfHope suggests that there will be a wide variety of maps, including large open world spaces and possibly smaller, dense urban areas. 

Call of Duty is not the only franchise to implement a mode inspired by Tarkov. Battlefield 2042’s open world Hazard Zone mode draws inspiration from the tactical shooter as well. A similar mode is rumored to be in development for Halo Infinite. 

The new mode is said to have been in development since 2018, according to leaker Tom Henderson. With 4 years of development, Activision Blizzard will have had a long time to polish and perfect the DMZ. 

The DMZ will not be implemented into Warzone 2, which is expected to release in the spring of 2023. It will be a mode solely within MW II similar to Black Ops: Cold War’s Fireteam playlist. 

Modern Warfare II is expected to release later this year along with the DMZ. MWII will be the first COD title in years to be developed in the traditional 3 year cycle as 2021’s Vanguard and 2020’s Black Ops: Cold War were rushed. No Call of Duty title is planned for release in 2023, Activision is stepping back from yearly releases so that their games can have more time to be developed.