Following the series’ hugely successful adoption of the battle royale genre through Warzone in March 2019, it looks like Modern Warfare 2 is going to see the Call of Duty series attempt to adopt the extraction shooter genre in the same way with its’ reportedly free-to-play DMZ mode. Officially, we don’t actually know too much about this new game mode. However, a recent spate of leaks appears to suggest that Modern Warfare 2’s DMZ mode is going to borrow more than we first thought from Escape From Tarkov – arguably the most successful extraction shooter out there.
Originally shared on Twitter by the now-suspended Call of Duty data miner ‘RealiityUK’, a list of in-game items players can expect to see in Modern Warfare 2’s DMZ mode reveals that the extraction shooter is going to learn from Escape From Tarkov when it comes to keys, looting, and (quite possibly) the game’s economy as a whole.
In Battlestate Games’ Escape From Tarkov, players are able to find some of the best loot in the game behind locked doors. Utility items like keys and maps are classified as Intel in Escape From Tarkov and, with the right Intel available, it can lead to a lot of success.
Why is this important? Well, it looks like Modern Warfare 2’s DMZ mode is drawing inspiration from this mechanic and there will be quite a few keys for players to get their hands on in-game.
The leak, which you will be able to see below courtesy of reposter ‘VexeraTV’, reveals that useful items like ‘Night Vision Goggles’ and a ‘Hindia Chopper’ will be available in-game alongside items like ‘Resort Entrance Key’, ‘Foreman’s Office Key’, and ‘Safe Room 19 Key’.
Here's some random DMZ items found by RealityUK
-Night Vision Goggles
-Intel
-Hard Drive
-USB Drive
-Resort Entrance Key
-Drilling Safe
-Fortress Entrance Key
-Smith apt Key
-Resort Office Key
-Foreman's Office Key
-Produce Market Storage Key
-Hindia Chopper
-Control Room Key
1/2— Vexera (@VexeraTV) July 3, 2022
This leaked list of items players will be able to find in Modern Warfare 2’s DMZ mode is far from complete and should be taken with a pinch of salt until we see something a little more official. However, to a degree, it does suggest that this new game mode might be a little bit more like Escape From Tarkov than we first thought it would be. We don’t think DMZ is going to offer quite as many ammo types as the PC-based extraction shooter, but it certainly could contain a dynamic economy and permanent loot system that gives meaning to the exciting risk-reward gameplay that make extraction shooters tick.
Battlefield 2042 is halting development on Hazard Zone, EA’s attempt at capturing the extraction shooter genre within its flagship FPS series, so there’s no saying that Escape From Tarkov’s success will be easy to replicate with Modern Warfare 2’s DMZ mode. However, if the explosive popularity of Warzone is anything to go by, we could be looking at a surprise hit from Call of Duty as it once again ventures away from its small-scale, team-based multiplayer roots.
If you’re looking for more Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 DMZ mode details, you can find them here. However, we also have information on the Modern Warfare 2 beta dates and Modern Warfare 2’s advanced AI system right here.