DMZ Season 2 update early patch notes: Progression wipe, enemy tuning & new map

Warzone 2’s DMZ has become a cult classic, and Activision announced a fresh batch of content coming to the fan-favorite mode in Season 2.

Activision promised wide-sweeping changes coming to Warzone 2 in Season 2 but made sure not to forget about DMZ. The Tarkov-inspired game mode boasts a passionate player base, and we claimed it “stole the show” in our Warzone 2 review.

DMZ provides a much different experience than Warzone 2, offering a hardcore extraction shooter with mission-based gameplay. Season 1 Reloaded introduced a new location for the game mode and added a plethora of new content and bug fixes.

Season 2 builds off that momentum, adjusting the mode’s difficulty and spawn points, and brings the game closer even in line with Escape from Tarkov. Here’s everything you need to know about DMZ before the new season kicks off on February 15.

Activision

Building 21 was added as a new DMZ location in Season 1 Reloaded.

Seasonal refreshes coming in Season 2

A feature that sets apart Escape from Tarkov from other FPS titles is server wipes. A wipe is an event that usually occurs after a major update, in which a player’s progress is reset to zero. Players have their stash and gear deleted, giving users a fresh experience and a reason to hop back into the game.

On January 25, Activision announced seasonal refreshes are coming to DMZ in Season 2.

Players’ Faction mission progress and inventory of contraband items and keys will be reset. The developers said they would provide more information in a future blog ahead of Season 2.

The developers also announced changes coming to enemy and mission difficulty. AI enemies will no longer overwhelm squads with their spawn patterns, and the accuracy of AI enemies in long-range adjustments is being adjusted.

Mission difficulty is also being scaled, making it easier to unlock the second insured weapon slot and subsequent slots as well.

On top of Al Mazrah and Building 21, Activision announced a third Exclusion Zone coming to Season 2.

DMZ early Season 2 patch notes

Here’s everything we know so far, coming to DMZ in Season 2.

Enemy Tuning

In Season 01 the AI in DMZ were challenging, but the ramp up of difficulty was often steep with some players getting overwhelmed. With Season 02, we’ve introduced a number of balance changes to adjust the types of AI spawning, the number of AI spawning, and the accuracy of AI at range and much more. All of this should provide a challenging but manageable play-space that still requires player respect of enemy combatants in the DMZ.

Spawn Points

We are tuning some of the infil points across Al Mazrah for improved early match experience based on gameplay data. Starting at a point at which your squad feels isolated or without loot and contract opportunities is not the best experience. These tweaks should improve spawn points across the mode.

Mission Difficulty Tuning

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.

Crashes

We know crashes are especially impactful in DMZ if you lose your items and Contraband Weapons as a result. Addressing these crashes is a priority for Season 02, and we are committed to increased stability.  Stay tuned for more specifics on this.

Seasonal Refresh

All-new missions are coming to Season 02 including a refresh of your current Faction mission progress and an inventory (Contraband and Keys) reset. We will be detailing all the need-to-know intel for DMZ ahead of Season 02 in an upcoming blog.

Locations

With a new Exclusion Zone coming to Season 02, players will have a third option to choose from when deploying in DMZ. The Faction Mission refresh will provide new missions that send you across these destinations, including Building 21. We suggest you and your squad gear up for infiltration first!