Infinity Ward has kicked off a full week of DMZ news for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. The "Action-Extraction" mode was showcased, offering insights into the developers' philosophy. However, a crucial question remains unanswered: Will there be a pure PvE playlist for those who aren't keen on fighting other players?
Officially, Infinity Ward has not yet commented on this. The community is therefore scouring the trailers for clues. A look at the official Call of Duty website currently offers no answers either.
What confused players about the DMZ trailers?
It all starts with episode seven of "From the Ward," the behind-the-scenes format from the studio. The episode focuses entirely on DMZ. At minute 7:34, the deployment screen is visible with four options. Three of them are explained. Only the "Single Squad Mission" has neither a name nor a description on the screen.
The name suggests that the lobby is limited to a single squad, meaning entry would only be possible via invitation. Players inquired on Reddit and X, with some even directly tagging the official Call of Duty account.
One Reddit user wrote that it could be a pure PvE mode, stating they didn't want to spend ages collecting gear only to be wiped out by an overpowering enemy. Others see a connection to Lieutenant Hunts, where a defeated Lieutenant drops their Dog Tag, which must be safely extracted. "Single Squad" would then imply: only one tag drops, which only one squad can take. According to Eurogamer, this is the less convincing explanation.
Why is "Single Squad" missing from the Dynamic Ops trailer?
A day later, another trailer was released showcasing Dynamic Ops. On that deployment screen, "Single Squad" is missing. There are two plausible explanations for this:
- The trailers show different builds. The option might have been removed or pushed to a later season.
- The option is intended only for newcomers. The player in the "From the Ward" video is Level 5, while in the new trailer, they are Level 28.
Such beginner modes are not uncommon. Battlefield 6 offers something similar, and many Battle Royales place new players in bot matches during the initial levels, such as Fortnite.
What does this mean for DMZ players at launch?
It's confirmed: DMZ will launch alongside Modern Warfare 4 on October 23 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch 2. We have already explained how the concept is structured (more on this can also be found in Gamereactor's preview): Modern Warfare 4: DMZ returns as an Extraction Shooter.
From our perspective, the debate highlights the significant demand for PvE in extraction shooters. This topic has recently surfaced with Arc Raiders, Marathon, and earlier with Escape from Tarkov. Infinity Ward has also recently changed things that long seemed unlikely, such as a skin-off toggle in Warzone. A PvE DMZ, perhaps even post-release, would therefore not be a surprise. However, nothing is confirmed. Insider Gaming had already announced the big DMZ week in advance. Until Infinity Ward makes a statement, "Single Squad" remains pure speculation.
Related: The studio plans to combat cheaters with technology, as shown in our report on server culling against wallhacks.
Source: Eurogamer
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