Despite initially launching as one of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II‘s key game modes, DMZ has fallen into obscurity. Support for the mode will continue following Modern Warfare III’s (MW3) launch. However, it will not be playable in the new Urzikstan map. As we get closer to MW3‘s release, it is becoming increasingly apparent that DMZ has effectively been replaced with Zombies. That leaves Call of Duty fans asking just how similar Modern Warfare 3 Zombies will be to DMZ.
For the uninitiated, DMZ is Call of Duty‘s extraction-based looter shooter. The aim of the game is to deploy into the ‘Exclusion Zone’, get as much valuable loot as you can, and exfil. While the mode attracted a significant player base (ourselves included), it failed to replicate the popularity of Warzone. As a result, notable updates for DMZ have become less frequent.
When Activision announced Modern Warfare 3 and confirmed the first ever MWZ mode (Modern Warfare Zombies), the absence of any information concerning DMZ was immediately obvious. Now, Activision has revealed all the essential details about the new Zombies game mode. And it bears a striking resemblance to DMZ.
Is Modern Warfare 3 Zombies like DMZ?
In short, yes. MW3‘s Zombies mode will be very similar to DMZ. In fact, its core mechanics and menus are almost identical.
With that being said, let’s go through each feature of MWZ that it shares with DMZ.
Strike Team Operators
Previously known as Active Duty Operators in DMZ, Strike Team Operators work almost exactly the same. Choose from all your MW2 and MW3 operators and equip them with on-solider gear including killstreaks, armor, gas masks, and Medical items, just like in DMZ.
Rucksacks
Called “Backpacks” in DMZ, Rucksacks allow you to bring valuable items into MWZ’s exclusion zone. This includes Acquisitions or Schematics and Perk-a-Colas. Acquisitions are described by Activision as “single-use items that can give you an advantage on the battlefield.” Meanwhile, Schematics “are highly sought-after plans that permanently allow you to craft Acquisitions that you can add to your Rucksack.”
In DMZ, Backpacks came in different sizes with additional slots for more items. MWZ’s Rucksacks will also be available in different sizes, so essentially function in the same way.
Loadouts, Insured Slots and Contraband
Loadouts, Insured Slots and Contraband return in MWZ. As one of the core tenets of DMZ, players could customise their in-game loadouts using Insured Slots and Contraband weapons.
Insured Slots allowed players to equip and use primary and secondary weapons complete with attachments. Players would have access to insured weapons immediately following deployment. However, failure to exfil with an insured weapon would place it in a cooldown period. Insured Slots will work in the same way in MWZ.
Contraband weapons were weapons you found and extracted in DMZ. When you returned to the DMZ lobby, they would be available in your stash. You could use them when deploying into the exclusion zone in place of an insured weapon, but they would be permanently lost if you left them behind. An identical Contraband system is included in MWZ.
Missions and Tiers
Missions and Tiers are back in MWZ, building on their popularity in DMZ. Just like in DMZ, players must complete Missions to further the Zombies storyline. Missions are again split into Tiers, which are further separated across three “Acts”, and rewards are given for completing them
Here’s Activision’s official description of how Missions, Tiers, and Acts will work in MWZ:
- Complete tasks within a mission and receive unlocked missions and rewards.
- Complete missions within a Tier and receive unlocked missions and rewards.
- Complete all Tiers to finish an Act and receive unlocked missions and rewards.
- Complete all three Acts to receive a [REDACTED] and continue to uncover the mysteries plaguing the Exclusion Zone, prior the storyline continuation at Season 1.
Exfil in Modern Warfare 3 Zombies
Capping off MWZ’s like-for-like DMZ features is exfiltration. In DMZ, it was great fun pushing for an exfil (or, better yet, the final exfil) in the hope of securing your valuable loot. This returns in MWZ, but players must contend with hordes of the undead while trying to escape.
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Overall, it seems this new take on Zombies will be well-suited to established DMZ systems. As opposed to the beloved round-based Zombies mode, MWZ looks set to provide an experience akin to an open-world survival game. And, given the lacklustre reaction to MW3‘s campaign, a fresh version of Zombies may be exactly what the long-running series needs.
Are you excited to play Modern Warfare 3 Zombies if it’s like DMZ? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other gaming articles…
