Every year, the newCall of Dutyentry tries something new. Back in the day, this led to the creation of some beloved modes, likeCall of Duty: World at War’s Zombies, orModern Warfare 2’s Spec Ops. This year, not only isCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2trying out some new game modes, but its battle royale spinoff,Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0is doing exactly the same, with an additionalPvPvE mode called DMZ.
Inspired byEscape from Tarkov,Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0’s DMZ mode sees up to 66 players drop somewhere in Al Mazrah. From there, they have to complete missions, scavenge for loot, and successfully exfil with just one life. The mode can get a little mundane after a while, but DMZ is a surprisingly great addition toWarzone 2.0, and with some tweaking, it could be even better. Through its missions, DMZ could pave the way for some new story content inWarzone 2.0.
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Warzone 2.0’s DMZ Mode Should Add More Story Content
Before players drop into a match ofCall of Duty: Warzone 2.0’s DMZ mode, they’ll be prompted to choose a loadout, and select which missions they want to take in with them. Separated into three distinct factions, these missions give players up to three challenges. These challenge objectives range from shooting a certain number of AI enemies with a specific weapon, to exfiltrating a certain number of valuables, to activating designated contracts. These faction missions are a neat way to give players an incentive to keep playing, offering cosmetic rewards, XP boosts, and weapon blueprints, but they could also lead the way for some more story content.
Right now, the story inCall of Duty: Warzone 2.0is pretty lacking. Unlike its predecessor, which had a cinematic intro that gave a rough outline on why players were fighting in Verdansk,Warzone 2.0just throws its players into Al Mazrahwith no context, and its DMZ mode is a similar story, though its factions do get a brief lore breakdown. The Legion faction is a private military company that aims to keep control of Al Mazrah so it can sell off its land to the highest bidder. White Lotus is a faction with similar motives, selling off Al Mazrah’s natural resources for cash. The final faction, Black Mous, uses encrypted Al Mazrah data files to enact cyber warfare.
Though all factions kind of blend together, and all are fairly one-note, it’s certainly a starting point forWarzone 2.0to craft its own story. Through future missions and challenges, DMZ could weave a subtle narrative about the game’s three factions, and the player’s position of helping all three at the same time. It wouldn’t take much work to implement a story like this, with its narrative being told all through gameplay, and no need for cutscenes. The most Infinity Ward would have to do is record some quick voice lines that set up the story in-game, and the challenge objectives could do the rest.Fortnitedoes a similar thing with its story, with cutscenes book-ending a Season, and mission challenges and voice lines guiding the player in-game.
Alternatively, if Infinity Ward didn’t want to create a new story based on DMZ’s factions, then it could weaveModern Warfare 2’s narrative into the game.Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2ends quite abruptly, and leaves a lot of loose threads dangling. It’s more than possible that at least one of these story threads could be picked up inWarzone 2.0’s DMZ mode, just like the firstWarzonedid with the ending ofModern Warfare2019.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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