With Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 already out in the wild, Infinity Ward's focus now turns to kick off Call of Duty: Warzone 2 and its new narrative-driven DMZ mode that includes three factions. Infinity Ward is making some big changes to Warzone alongside the addition of DMZ, such as leaving the city of Verdansk behind for Al Mazrah and the new factions fighting for control inside of DMZ. The changes highlight how Infinity Ward is not resting on its laurels and wants to shake up the formula which has driven Warzone since the release of 2019's Modern Warfare reboot.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2 is set to continue the battle royale chaos players have become accustomed to since they first got their hands on it in March 2020, though with some fresh twists. The first twist, as mentioned above, is trading the primarily urban setting of Verdansk for the more varied landscape of Al Mazrah's ports, villages, and more arid terrain. It is this new battleground where players will be able to drop in and fight as part of the typical battle royale experience or risk it all inside of the new DMZ mode.
As opposed to the PvP-focused battle royale, the new DMZ mode serves as Call of Duty's twist on PvPvE and offers "the ultimate reward for ultimate risk" inside of Al Mazrah. The single-elimination mode will task players with infiltrating Al Mazrah from several possible locations across the map, complete faction missions for bigger and better rewards, and exfil before time runs out. Players will also need to survive the numerous ads protecting objectives, dangerous weather shifts, and other operators keen on taking other players' rewards for themselves.
The aforementioned missions will be available from the three factions battling for control of Al Mazrah inside of DMZ - Legion, White Lotus, and Black Mous. Within the mode's narrative, Legion is a PMC and the newest presence in the region trying to gain a foothold in the contested grounds. White Lotus, by contrast, is an older group trying to regain its strength after years of fighting for resources in Al Mazrah. Black Mous is the most mysterious group in Al Mazrah, focusing on espionage while keeping the identities of its leadership and operators anonymous.
DMZ's inclusion in Warzone 2, as mentioned above, highlights how Infinity Ward was looking to refresh the player experience after nearly three successful years built on Warzone's battle royale. That said, the studio has made it clear it isn't forgetting about what brought it to the proverbial dance and has ensured the original battle royale mode will see some notable changes to its own formula including a streamlined gear system and a refreshed Gulag experience. It reflects the value Warzone has to both Infinity Ward and the Call of Duty franchise, and it would not be surprising to see more changes like these come as time goes on.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2 is scheduled to launch on November 16, 2022, on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Call of Duty Blog