Summary
The upcomingCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3is tasked with carrying over the large-scale content of its predecessor, as well as everything involved with the popularWarzonefranchise. Fans were recently given tons of information surrounding the release thanks to the Call of Duty Next presentation, which outlined its single-player, multiplayer, Zombies, andWarzoneplans in great detail.
With this news creating a range of talking points aroundCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, it may be easy to forget about certain multiplayer experiences that have seemingly escaped Activision’s plans for the future. DMZ in particular is a mode that once showed a lot of ambition and potential longevity, but Call of Duty Next may have served as a silent announcement that the mode is dead in the water.
RELATED:Why Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Zombies Skipping a Main Quest Easter Egg Makes Sense
Call of Duty Next: A Lack of Updates For Modern Warfare 3’s DMZ
DMZ was introduced as a brand-new experience alongside the release ofWarzone 2in 2022, aiming to provide a twist to the large-scale gameplay of the battle royale title. Inspired by the growing popularity ofextraction shooters likeEscape From Tarkov, DMZ allows players to dictate their own playstyle and objectives across a variety ofWarzonemaps. By completing objectives and extracting from a map with certain loot, players can then purchase things like upgrades, making for an addictive and replayable experience.
With that being said, the recentplans forModern Warfare 3that were outlined at the Call of Duty Next presentationdo not bode well for the future of DMZ. During CoD Next, the core multiplayer ofMW3and its Zombies mode were the center of attention, as well as changes that will be coming to the mainWarzoneexperience like a brand-new map. Worryingly for fans of DMZ, the presentation confirmed that no changes or updates are planned for it, with the game mode being firmly chained toModern Warfare 2going forward.
This is even more concerning when considering howModern Warfare 3is being billed as a direct continuation ofMW2, with the upcoming game carrying forward a lot of the progression of its predecessor. With DMZ not being brought up to speed withMW3, it is hard to see the mode receiving any solid support as all eyes inevitably turn to the franchise’s next title in November.
Interestingly, it seems that thebold Zombies mode ofModern Warfare 3will be taking the mantle for DMZ’s extraction gameplay. WithMW3’s Zombies being its own open-world experience, it was confirmed that players can choose to extract from the map with any perks and weapons they have, being able to save them for later use. As this is essentially the core appeal of DMZ, it seems that the mode is firmly out of Activision’s frame of attention going forward.
All signs currently indicate that DMZ will not be getting an update forWarzone’s upcoming Urzikstan map, and the mode will likely fade into obscurity over the coming months as a result. While this is of course frustrating for dedicated fans of the mode, this may be a natural result ofCall of Duty’s annual content being stretched too thin across its growing number of game modes. With DMZ not being carried forward intoWarzone’s new experiences, and with Zombies adopting its core game mechanic, the mode faced a silent but serious blow during Call of Duty Next.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3launches on November 10 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
MORE:Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Reveals Open World Zombies With Massive Map, Vehicles, and More
