Modern Warfare 4’s DMZ Early Access Starts October 20: What to Know
GAME MODE Staff·Oct 18, 2026· 2m read
Digital preorders get all of DMZ three days before launch. Fallen Operators go MIA, and your base grows as your DMZ level climbs toward 70.
Modern Warfare 4’s DMZ opens early on Tuesday, October 20, three days before the full game launches. Activision says anyone who digitally preordered or pre-purchased the Standard Digital or Vault Edition gets access to all of DMZ.
Early Access covers Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, PlayStation 5, Battle.net, Steam and Nintendo Switch 2.
The DMZ loop, in brief
If you’re new to it, DMZ is Call of Duty’s extraction shooter, set in Hajin, an exclusion zone forged by the aftermath of the campaign. You loot, complete objectives, fight AI forces and rival Operators, and keep what you carry out.
Your first run, step by step
- Choose a deployment. Pick Story Missions, Dynamic Operations or Free Roam.
- Decide who’s coming. Go solo or with a squad. Squad Fill adds two allied players.
- Take the Free Loadout. On early runs, it gets you in quickly, and you keep its items if you extract.
- Watch the storm. A radiation storm intensifies as time runs down.
- Head for the green smoke. It marks an exfil. Hold it until the helicopter arrives.
What happens when an Operator goes MIA
You start with two Active Duty Operator slots, or three with the Vault Edition. Each Operator earns up to 18 Trait Points across the Warfighter, Scout and Survivalist trees.
If an Operator is eliminated, they go MIA. Pay DMZ Cash to recover them with their Traits intact but without their gear, or dismiss them and start fresh. The more Traits they have, the more the rescue costs.
Growing the Forward Operating Base
Your Forward Operating Base expands as your separate DMZ level climbs to 70. Along the way:
- Level 2: the 3D Printer unlocks
- Level 5: the Vendor
- Level 10: the Gunsmith
- Level 20: the Dog Tag Case
And don’t sweat a failed exfil. DMZ XP counts even if you don’t make it out.
