Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 might not be everyone’s favorite iteration of Warzone, but it did introduce CoD’s first looter shooter, DMZ. The mode is set to return with Call of Duty 2026, which is believed to be Modern Warfare 4. Based on recent leaks regarding DMZ 2.0, it’s expected to feature one of the game modes I’ve had the most fun with in WWII.
A hub where players can roam around without fighting, customize their character, buy new gear, and most importantly, chat with others and team up is what Call of Duty has and needs to have right now. Yes, the hacking issues and bugs must be solved for Call of Duty to be great again, but with Modern Warfare 4, I’m thrilled with the new leaks suggesting that we’re receiving a brand new iteration of the WWII HQ for its DMZ mode.

Call of Duty: WWII HQ –not to be mistaken with the buggy CoD HQ menu we have these days– was a place where players couldn’t shoot their weapons, but they could just have fun roaming around with their mates, opening loot boxes in front of them, and chat with randoms to find potential friends for life. Although CoD WWII wasn’t a great Multiplayer game, the HQ was certainly a step in the right direction.
Now, after 8 years, Call of Duty is reportedly going back to that style with Modern Warfare 4 in 2026, adding the HQ as part of its PvPvE mode called DMZ 2.0. Imagine being stuck on a mission and walking around the HQ to find other players who are also hard-stuck on the same assignment for a team-up. This new iteration of CoD’s looter shooter is rumored to feature a ton of new gameplay mechanics, including a 3D printer for customizing weapons. Wild. Unique maps, different weather cycles, and enhanced AI enemies are the newest among the recent leaks regarding this game mode.
Obviously, not everything’s up on the wall about Modern Warfare 4‘s DMZ right now, but it’s rumored to be a premium mode. It means that DMZ will probably no longer be a part of the Warzone experience, it won’t generally take place in 2026’s Warzone map, and it’s basically the 3rd game mode of Modern Warfare 4. What’s worrying about this is that we might not receive more co-op modes like Raid missions in return for a well-polished looter shooter section, and I’m definitely down with that.
The shooter clash in 2026 is going to be epic with the new Battlefield, Arc Raiders, and probably Marathon making a comeback after whatever’s happening to Bungie and the game’s development. Putting Modern Warfare 4 at the center here, 2026 is do or die for Call of Duty.