Players who digitally pre-ordered Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 have gained early access to the game's new extraction mode, DMZ. However, a heads-up is in order for players who are particularly fond of dogs: the introductory mission presents a rough experience.
DMZ functions as a full-fledged extraction shooter, similar to titles like Arc Raiders or Marathon, integrated into the latest Call of Duty release. The core gameplay loop involves players dropping into a large, open-world map populated by enemy NPCs and other players. The objective is to complete missions, gather loot, and successfully extract with acquired items without succumbing to death, which results in losing everything. The opening sequence of DMZ deviates from this standard formula by offering a more narrative-driven and scripted introduction.
The mission begins with a soldier deploying into the DMZ alongside a dog named Rex. Shortly after arrival, the pair encounters a crashed drone and is tasked with retrieving its black box. This is interrupted by an ambush from two North Korean soldiers. Rex intervenes, saving the player by neutralizing the soldiers, but sustains a gunshot wound in the process. The player checks on the injured dog and attempts to move him to a hiding spot for later extraction. However, this plan is thwarted when the player character is captured and subsequently shot in the head.
This sequence sets a grim tone for DMZ and has been described as feeling both pointless and cruel. Rex is left to bleed out, presumably to die, while waiting for an owner who will not return. The inclusion of this event in the opening of a new online multiplayer mode has raised questions.
Initial assumptions suggested the dog might be a companion mechanic to be utilized later in the mode, but players have not yet unlocked dogs or encountered others with canine companions. Online discussions also indicate a lack of dogs in the mode. It's possible that further progression in DMZ will unlock this feature, but it leaves the purpose of Rex's fate in the tutorial unclear.
Some players on platforms like Reddit are already expressing hope for a future mission focused on rescuing Rex. For those wishing to avoid the distressing intro, a workaround has been shared online: players can initiate the intro mission and then exit the game once they gain control of the soldier. This action reportedly skips the entire sequence, and since no loot is obtained from the intro, it does not represent a significant loss in gameplay.