Possible release date, maps, and more

DMZ was one of the most fun game modes in Modern Warfare 2 that has been missing since the release of Modern Warfare 3 in 2023. However, if leaks are to be believed, DMZ 2.0 might be paving the way for the mode’s return in the 2026 iteration of Call of Duty.

So far, we’ve seen numerous leaks that show various details of this potential new DMZ version, so here’s everything we know.

When does DMZ 2.0 come out?

According to credible CoD leaker Ghost of Hope, DMZ 2.0 is set to launch alongside CoD 2026 (rumored to be Modern Warfare 4). Given that Activision tends to launch their shooters in the Fall of each year, we can probably expect DMZ 2.0 somewhere around November this year. However, DMZ might prove to be a very separate mode altogether that might launch a couple months after the game drops, which could very well put the DMZ 2.0 release date within early 2027.

This is unlikely, but still a possibility, as Warzone and other modes had similar post-launch releases ranging from a few weeks to a few months after their respective CoD.

Potential DMZ 2.0 maps: What the leaks say

As stated by both Ghost of Hope and CoD Warfare Forum, DMZ 2.0 is set to receive unique and new maps that are going to be decoupled from the Warzone map pool unlike the original DMZ. DMZ 2.0 “will share a map set with Ground War,” Ghost of Hope stated, while CoD Warfare Forum compiled some data-mined files that might indicate potential DMZ 2.0 maps.

There appears to be a map called Tumen in the files, which might bear a connection to the Tumen River in China, but may also be just a codename for something else entirely. Fresh variants of the maps Vondel and Fortune’s Keep are also claimed to be on the way for 2.0, but their precise scope is as yet unknown.

What’s more, per Ghost of Hope, DMZ 2.0 should have its own maps built on a “dedicated forked version of Warzone‘s engine,” implying Activision is going full steam ahead with DMZ 2.0’s production, likely resulting in a wider variety of unique DMZ-oriented maps.

Will DMZ 2.0 be free to play?

The leakers state that DMZ 2.0 is planned to be a separate mode, decoupled from Warzone. This might mean that the potential Modern Warfare 4 DMZ won’t be a free-to-play experience as it was in Modern Warfare 2. While it’s potentially bad news for free-to-play players, there’s also a positive side: DMZ’s development, which seems to be on a much grander scale this time around, won’t impact Warzone and vice-versa. DMZ should continue to receive development more frequently and with more depth than before as its production is its own and not tied to any other mode.