MW4 DMZ Explained: Hajin, the FOB and Levels 1 – 70

DMZ in Modern Warfare 4 is Call of Duty’s extraction mode, set in Hajin, and it is scheduled to launch alongside Campaign and Multiplayer on 23 October 2026 on PS5, Xbox and PC. Activision laid out the Forward Operating Base, a dedicated progression track and three ways to deploy in a 5 October 2026 PlayStation Blog post, and this explainer covers those announcements, with secondary reporting labelled separately. The game is not out yet, so everything below is announcement-stage and has not been checked in play.

Activision describes DMZ as Call of Duty’s definitive extraction shooter experience, launching alongside Campaign and Multiplayer on 23 October 2026. It is played in Hajin, which the callofduty.com FOB hub describes as a sprawling Exclusion Zone forged by the aftermath of the Modern Warfare 4 Campaign. DMZ originally launched alongside Modern Warfare II in 2022, as noted in Wikipedia’s overview. Between deployments you return to the FOB, where you stash extracted loot, set a loadout and pick your next drop.

Three related systems matter from day one: the FOB stations, the 1 – 70 DMZ Progression track and the deployment choice. If you also plan to play the other half of the game, our MW4 beta maps and modes breakdown covers Multiplayer. Primary reading: the PlayStation Blog DMZ post the Call of Duty FOB hub and Activision’s DMZ Deep Dive, Part 1.

The Forward Operating Base is your command center for DMZ, where you manage progression, prepare gear and plan the next deployment. As you complete Operations across Hajin it grows into a base with over a dozen different Stations; Activision gives no exact number.

The short PlayStation Blog post names five starting stations; Activision’s longer Deep Dive adds Survival Kits to that list and treats Deploy separately, as the station that is always available. The table merges both lists.

DMZ Progression is a dedicated track from level 1 to 70. Every deployment adds to it, and the After Action Report applies your XP with unlocks at every level, including Printer Recipes and FOB stations. A separate Dog Tag level climbs from Steel to Onyx III over 18 levels and awards an Operator Trait each time it rises.

Activision has not yet said which level unlocks which station, or whether your DMZ level is shared with your Multiplayer rank; its FOB and progression guide (Deep Dive Part 2) is due later this week.

Time cost: the length of the track is known (70 levels), but the XP needed per level is not published, so no hours figure can be given before launch.

Before each match you choose one of three deployment options. Activision’s post does not say whether the choice affects which stations or rewards you can reach beyond what is listed here.

Story Missions

Select and replay narrative objectives across Hajin for big rewards.

Dynamic Operations

Pick a Dynamic Operation before infil, or find a Dynamic Ops phone in Hajin to start one in the field. Each completed Op pays DMZ XP and DMZ Cash, and its Supply Drop gets better with every successful Op in the same deployment: Common, then Uncommon, then Rare (Activision Deep Dive). The Hunt Operators Op sends you after a full squad of rival Operators.

Free Roam

Deploy without a mission and explore Hajin City.

These are Activision’s own tips from the PlayStation Blog post, not ours, and the post gives no XP numbers for any of them.

• Story Missions, Dynamic Ops, Orders: Activision says to prioritize these for valuable gear and big DMZ XP payouts.
• Boss Hunt: Lieutenants and Commanders roam different locations around Hajin and, when defeated, award plenty of XP along with their weapons and high-value loot.
• Loot Up: loot consistently to get new items, use them at the 3D Printer and improve your match rating.
• After Action Report: fight, loot and complete objectives to improve your deployment rating; Activision says to strive for S Tier or better for the best rewards.
• Vehicles: use the vehicles in Hajin to travel across land, water and air, and repair and refuel them at the Gas Station.

Threat Levels are the related warning: each area of Hajin has one, and if you are too loud, Activision says to expect a violent enemy response specific to that area. The post adds that it may be wise to be stealthy.

Activision’s Deep Dive describes the loop of a single deployment in more detail than the launch posts. Four parts of it change how you play.

Extraction: call the helicopter, then hold the site

Exfil sites are drawn from a pool of locations and marked by green smoke. You call in the Twin Heli Exfil helicopter and hold the site until it lands while enemy pressure builds, then board to end the deployment. A Fulton balloon or a Flare are alternatives; flares are loud and visible from far away, and other squads use exfil sites for ambushes. The HUD’s Time Remaining shows when the radiation storm intensifies, which is the signal to head for an exfil. The exact length of a deployment is not published.

Dynamic Ops in the field

You do not have to choose an Op at the FOB: a Dynamic Ops phone in Hajin starts one mid-deployment. Because the Supply Drop improves with each successful Op inside the same deployment, chaining Ops pays more than one Op per run.

Lieutenants: the trophy gives you away

A Lieutenant Hunt tower’s terminal reveals the general location of an active Lieutenant. The kill drops its weapon and a Dog Tag Case, but the tag shows on the Tac Map for every Operator, and picking it up broadcasts your position, so Activision recommends a fast exfil. Leave it, and the kill still pays DMZ XP, DMZ Cash and a chance at a Key to the Lieutenant’s loot room; take it to progress the Boss Board.

Commanders and the After Action Report

Commanders roam, shrug off many standard weapons and draw nearby enemies and rival squads; a kill pays prized 3D Printer Ingredients, DMZ XP and DMZ Cash. After every deployment, extracted or not, the After Action Report rates you from F to S++ on Objectives, Combat and Looting and places a DMZ Cash total in your Bank. It does not say what you keep of the gear and cash you carried if you die before exfil.

Not stated in the PlayStation Blog post, the callofduty.com FOB hub or the Deep Dive Part 1, as of 6 October 2026:

• Squad size and players per match.
• What you lose on death, and whether there is any insurance.
• The exact deployment timer; the exfil procedure itself is described above.
• Whether carried DMZ Cash survives a death before exfil; the After Action Report banks a total, but the loss rules are not spelled out, so do not count on keeping everything after a failed extraction.
• Which DMZ level unlocks which station, and whether DMZ level is shared with Multiplayer rank (due in Deep Dive Part 2).