Ahead of the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, Infinity Ward shared new details about the DMZ mode, which will be their latest attempt to establish themselves in the extraction shooter genre. According to the developers, the team has been carefully studying the genre's evolution and analyzing the success of competitors, including the popular project ARC Raiders.
In an interview with Xbox Wire, Multiplayer Creative Director Joe Cecot said that Infinity Ward strives not just to follow existing trends, but to anticipate the further development of the genre. According to him, a similar approach was used when creating the Call of Duty: Warzone battle royale, where the studio aimed to offer its own vision of the formula, rather than copying established standards.
Cecot noted that developers test almost every new extraction shooter to understand which mechanics resonate with players. One element that the team wanted to implement in the original DMZ but couldn't finalize was a full-fledged long-term character progression system.
Compared to the beta version of the mode, the new DMZ will be much closer to classic representatives of the genre. Players can expect a persistent inventory, base development, various stations for upgrading equipment and weapons, and a deeper progression system. According to Cecot, it is long-term progression that distinguishes extraction shooters from battle royales, where progress is limited to a single match.
The developer also spoke about key features that should set DMZ apart from competitors. These include the Dynamic Ops and Side Ops system, which offers a more flexible and dynamic development of story events. In addition, Infinity Ward is banking on the traditionally strong points of the Call of Duty series: high-quality gunplay, responsive controls, and a military theme.