At the beginning of every DMZ game, multiple Strongholds will become accessible using a Stronghold keycard.
Players who enter the Stronghold will need to fend off AI soldiers or enemy operators. The first team to enter a Stronghold will also need to defuse a bomb.
Completing the objective will let you loot a ton of rare and valuable items but first, you will need to obtain a keycard.

How to Get Stronghold Keycards in DMZ
To get Stronghold Keycards in Warzone 2’s DMZ mode, you must purchase them from the Buy Station (Shop). The Stronghold Keycards will cost you $5000 so you will first need to make some money.
These are the best ways to earn cash early in DMZ:
- Collecting and selling loot at The Shop
- Killing AI enemies
- Completing contracts

Another way to obtain Stronghold Keycards is by killing other players who have purchased them. If you are lucky enough to kill another player who has a Keycard, you will save yourself a lot of cash.
To do this, you will need to press □ on PS / X on XBOX / E on PC to view the players’ backpacks.
You will only be able to view the backpacks of actual players and not AI-generated soldiers.
Where to Find Stronghold Locations in DMZ
Once you have your Keycard, you can head to a Stronghold. To find the Strongholds in DMZ, here is what you need to do:
- Open up your mini-map by pressing the Touchpad on PlayStation / View button on Xbox / Tab on PC
- Zoom in on the map using R1 / RB / using the mouse scroll wheel
- Look for a white icon that looks like a castle, this is where the Stronghold will be.
Stronghold keys can be used at any nearby Stronghold, so it may best to try to locate the nearest one.

Once you have decided which Stronghold to head over to, you will need to take down a load of AI-generated soldiers.
We recommend having a full squad for this, as the AI can be quite strong!
Strongholds are also in Warzone 2 Battle Royale modes and can be extremely beneficial if you can take them down early.