Call of Duty’s DMZ mode is getting a big nerf, plus more changes to Warzone 2.0

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.0 will see loads of changes on Feb. 15 when the Season 2 patch loads in. That includes the nascent DMZ mode, which has been in beta since the games launched in November. The scope and scale of these updates was made clear in an announcement by the Call of Duty studios on Wednesday.

Details on coming changes to the Call of Duty platform itself look pretty straightforward, including user interface, user experience, and audio and other bug fixes. But things start to get wild in Warzone 2.0’s Battle Royale modes. The Jailer in the Gulag is out, and Domination-style gameplay — as well as rifles and other long guns — are back. Cash drops will also be increased all across Al Mazrah. Loot boxes will also behave differently. Instead of forcing players to root around in the menus while under fire, stuff will just drop on the ground now. That should help speed up gameplay.

Perhaps the biggest change, however, is that medium and large backpacks will no longer be made available.

“Every Player will have the same Backpack throughout the entire game which will subsequently reduce the impact of stacking medical supplies, Equipment, and Killstreaks,” developers said. “We will continue to look for feedback and provide updates that streamline the looting experience for everyone.”

Additionally, everyone will now start with a three-plate vest. “This standardization will bring a more reliable feel to each engagement from the get-go,” developers said.

Finally, in DMZ, developers have made a concession to solo players and will rebalance the AI difficulty overall — including their accuracy at range. Spawn points are being tweaked of course, but by far the biggest change will be in overall mission difficulty. As someone with more than 70 exfils and a DMZ-earned prestige rank under their belt, I still haven’t managed to unlock my second insured weapon slot. Seems I’m not alone:

Data and feedback reinforced that the Faction Mission difficulty ramp was too aggressive for many Players, and that the demanding scale ultimately made it very challenging to unlock the second Insured Weapon Slot (completing all Tier 3 Missions) in Season 01. We have adjusted the overall scaling of difficulty in Missions as the Tiers progress. Later Tier Missions will still be quite challenging even for the experienced Operator, but we believe more straightforward access to an additional Insured Slot will provide a better path forward for all Players.

Plenty of other changes are teased in the post, but we expect a more full and thorough set of patch notes on or around Feb. 14.

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