Warzone 2.0’s DMZ mode can be a bit difficult to wrap your head around, but here’s our full beginner’s guide to help get you started.
With the release of Warzone 2.0 came DMZ, a new and refreshing extraction game mode that sees players drop into Al Mazrah with some difficult tasks.
For those who haven’t played DMZ yet, or have no experience in extraction shooters, this can be a daunting mode to play. Fortunately, we have everything you need to know and help you get started!
Complete Beginners Guide for Warzone 2.0 DMZ
There are a few things you need to be aware of before you drop into Al Mazrah in the DMZ mode for the first time:
- Understanding Your Stash
- Insured Slots
- Faction Missions
We’re going to go through all of these, so you are prepared for your first game of DMZ. Take your time to learn these, as they’re strikingly different from Warzone 2.0 and Modern Warfare 2’s multiplayer.
Understanding Your Stash
Every player has a stash, which is basically your inventory for the DMZ game mode. Your stash is split into four compartments: On-Soldier, Key Stash, Loadout, and Weapon Stash.
Firstly, your On-Soldier Stash will be anything equipped for your Operator. Things like Self-Revives, Gas Masks, Armor Carriers, or Kill Streaks. You’ll usually extract with these equipped.
Next up is the Key Stash. This is for any Stronghold Keycards that you don’t use but bring back with you upon extraction. You can then take them on future matches where you’ll attempt the Strongholds.
Then we have your loadout. This is what you’ll be taking into Al Mazrah. Guns, equipment, and a Field Upgrade.
Finally, we have the Weapon Stash. At the start of your DMZ journey, you’ll have four Contraband guns. These are weapons you can’t customize, and you’ll lose them if you die in DMZ.
Insured Slots
While you can’t customize Contraband, you can customize your own guns. Any weapons you’ve unlocked in Warzone 2.0 or MW2’s multiplayer can be used here, including blueprints.
This is done in an Insured Slot. To start, you’ll only have one available slot, but here’s how you can unlock more Insured Slots in DMZ.
Unlike with Contraband, you won’t lose these guns if you die in DMZ. However, you won’t be able to use them for a period of time. You can bring down the timer by performing well in future DMZ matches though. Some say this was 10 hours, however, we’ve had three hours as the maximum for our first slot.
Faction Missions
We have a great guide on all of the Faction Missions for DMZ already, but we’ll do a brief overview here too.
Faction Missions are a great opportunity to help you understand DMZ as well as give you a reason to play further. They are usually mediocre tasks that reward you with Contraband, XP Tokens, XP, and more. There are three factions within DMZ you can complete missions for.
You can have three active missions at any one time by selecting the Faction Missions option in the main DMZ lobby. If you’re finding one too difficult, you can always deselect it and choose another.
Once again, progressing through the tiers of Faction Missions will get you more Insured Slots, so they’re certainly worth doing!
What to Do First in Warzone 2.0 DMZ
For the sake of clarity, we’re going to split this section of our DMZ beginner’s guide into two parts, those being:
- Before Your First Matches
- During Your First Matches
Before Your First Matches
Before you start playing DMZ, you’ll need to prep your loadout and gear.
For starters, we recommend taking in at least one mid or long-range weapon into a match of DMZ. Due to the map’s size, being able to take out AI or real enemies without getting too close can change your odds.
Your Lethal, Tactical, and Field Upgrade are all infinite resources. You’ll never run out of them, so feel free to choose your favorites. For the Field Upgrade, we recommend the Munitions Box so you don’t run out of ammunition.
You don’t need to take in a second weapon, as you’ll be able to find plenty during a match.
Don’t forget to select up to 3 Faction Missions to complete. You won’t be able to progress tasks without having them selected!
Finally, you can choose to play with friends, a random squad, or solo. While you will play against teams if you drop in by yourself, you won’t constantly run into enemy squadmates, so solo is perfectly viable.
Whichever you prefer, here’s how to turn on or off Squad Fill for DMZ.
During Your First Match
When you spawn into DMZ, you’ll find yourself close to one of Al Mazrah’s POIs. While you may explore the whole map, we recommend sticking close to any POIs that are in your vicinity.
Each match lasts roughly 30 minutes, but you can leave at any time. We recommend leaving a while before the end of the match so you can escape with your new gear.
While you don’t have any set objectives in DMZ, it never hurts to earn some cash. You can do this in a few ways, either by picking up loot and selling it at Shops or by completing Contracts.
This way, you can purchase gear and weapons that will help you survive DMZ. You can also purchase Stronghold Keycards at some Shops too.
Once you’ve geared up better, you can then open the Map (M on PC, Touchpad on PlayStation, View Button on Xbox) to see your current Faction Missions. Start completing them to progress through the tiers.
As radiation spreads, you’ll need to keep your wits about you to survive. Stay away from areas of radiation as much as possible, but if you find any Gas Masks or Radiation Meds, you’ll be able to survive within these areas.
They’ll slowly tick at your health, which isn’t great if you end up getting into a gunfight within one of these areas.
How to Extract
When you’re ready, you can head to an Exfil location. These are marked on the map and there will be three early on in the game. As the timer counts down, some locations will be removed due to radiation.
If you wait until the end, there will be only one Exfil location remaining. You’ll need to fight enemies and get your spot on the Helicopter in hopes of extracting your loot. If you don’t reach the Exfil, you’ll be killed and will lose your loot.
To get there, you can use cars or other vehicles. These do require refueling, however, the tank seems to hold quite a bit of fuel.
Once you get to the Exfil site, follow our extraction guide for DMZ to help survive the final moments of your first DMZ match.
After this, play a few more matches in a similar fashion until you feel ready to move onto DMZ’s Strongholds for a tougher challenge! Here’s where to find Stronghold Keycards in DMZ.
That’s all for our beginner’s guide to DMZ! Now that you know how to handle yourself in DMZ, you’ll be ready to beat the boss and unlock the new M13B assault rifle for free.
