DMZ in Modern Warfare 4: what every level unlocks

DMZ is back in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 with a progression system of its own, spread across 70 levels. Digital pre-orders have had early access to the mode since 20 October, ahead of the game’s full launch on 23 October. Each level you reach opens a new station at your Forward Operating Base, adds room to your Stash or raises what bounties pay out. Activision has set out the key milestones on its official blog, the level-by-level detail comes from a list compiled by Destructoid, and every figure below is credited to its source.

At a glance

DMZ XP still counts when an exfil goes wrong

The Forward Operating Base guide on the official Call of Duty blog, published on 9 October, lays down the rules. DMZ progression runs across 70 levels, separate from the 55 levels of standard player progression, and you earn XP by completing Story Missions, Dynamic Operations and Side Ops in Hajin. Good news for newcomers: the XP you earn during a deployment still counts even if you never make it to exfil.

That XP only flows one way, though. Whatever you earn in the mode also feeds your overall player level, whereas XP from multiplayer and Warzone never touches your DMZ level. To get going quickly, lean on DMZ Orders, the mode’s mission directives: they walk you through its systems and reward you with resources, loot and cash.

Four FOB stations to unlock before level 20

At first, the Forward Operating Base (FOB) offers only a handful of stations, including Operators and DMZ Orders. The 3D Printer arrives at level 2 along with your first recipes, among them the 1-Plate and 2-Plate Armor Vests and a couple of backpacks. It turns the resources you scavenge in Hajin into gear and upgrades your other stations.

Next comes the Vendor at level 5, selling weapons and other items for cash earned in Hajin, with wares that rotate every day. The Gunsmith opens at level 10, where you buy attachments for looted weapons and build new ones from scratch, provided you have extracted the matching Weapon Manuals.

At level 20, the Dog Tag Case displays the tags taken from Operators you have defeated. Its upgrades then increase the cash you make from bounties. The Boss Board works differently, as it unlocks once you complete your second DMZ Order.

A third Operator at level 15 and a Stash that keeps growing to 70

You start DMZ with two Active Duty Operator slots, and progression opens a third. According to the list of every DMZ level reward compiled by Destructoid, written by Arka Sarkar, it arrives at level 15. Vault Edition owners start with three Operators. Each Operator keeps their own Backpack and Loadout, so you can build one profile for fighting and another for looting.

Shared by all your Operators, the Stash gains 18 item slots at levels 22, 45 and 70, plus 6 weapon slots at levels 35 and 60, according to the same list. The Large Backpack unlocks at level 34. Until then, the Basic Pack only has eight slots, so empty it into your Stash after every exfil.

Bounties pay out twice as much at level 70

The bounty system is aimed at players who hunt other Operators. Take down four Operators across your deployments and you become Wanted, with your status shown at the Bounty Leaderboard station. Hunters who take out these Killers earn a reward that scales with the bounty on their target.

Your DMZ level has a say in those earnings too. Destructoid puts the bounty payout bonus at 10% from level 30, then 25% at level 40, 50% at level 50 and 100% at level 70. Level 25 adds a 5% discount, and the official blog files that kind of saving under the Gunsmith, on weapon purchases.

The Self-Revive Kit arrives at level 48 with a slot of its own

Several tiers boost your survival, again according to Destructoid. The Armor Box Field Upgrade arrives at level 14, the 3-Plate Armor Vest at level 37 and the Self-Revive Kit at level 48. That kit has a dedicated slot in your Loadout, so it takes up no room in your bag. Along with Traits that expand your Armor Slot, the Armor Box is the only way to carry extra Armor Plates into a deployment, the official blog explains.

Each Operator climbs their own Dog Tag ladder

Your player level and your Operators’ levels move independently. Each Operator earns Dog Tag levels, from Steel to Onyx, and gains a Trait Point at every step, up to 18 points at Onyx III. Those points go into three Trait Trees, Warfighter, Scout and Survivalist, which hold 66 Traits between them.

With 18 points you can max out two trees or spread them across all three, then Prestige the Operator to keep permanent Traits. Losses still bite: an eliminated Operator goes MIA, and rescuing them costs DMZ Cash, more so the more Traits they carry. A rival can also grab their Dog Tag and show it off in their own case.