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Modern Warfare 4's DMZ is free to try until 2 a.m. MYT on November 12
The trial covers the whole extraction mode, X01 and Story Missions included, on PC, PS5 and Xbox. UAV Towers were just made 40% rarer, which helps solo players.
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's extraction mode, DMZ, is free to play on PC, PS5 and Xbox until November 11 at 10 a.m. PT, which is 2:00 a.m. MYT on Thursday, November 12. The trial opened on November 6 at noon PT (4:00 a.m. MYT on November 7) and covers DMZ only, not the campaign or regular multiplayer.
If you are in Indonesia or Thailand, the cut-off is 1:00 a.m. WIB/ICT on November 12.
What's confirmed
Dates. Xbox Wire lists the trial from Friday, November 6 at 12 p.m. PT to Wednesday, November 11 at 10 a.m. PT. The Xbox and PlayStation store listings both carry a November 6 release date for the trial.
Platforms and what you need. Eurogamer lists PC through Steam and Battle.net, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. On PlayStation, the store page says PS Plus is required for online play. On Xbox, the trial is part of Free Play Days and needs a Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate membership. The Xbox store page adds that a mobile phone number may need to be linked to your Activision account.
What is in it. Eurogamer says the trial does not appear to have limits: you can rank up, take on Orders and play Story Missions. Xbox Wire also lists X01, which it describes as a former North Korean weapons facility seized by Russian forces and which Eurogamer calls DMZ's endgame area for experienced, fully equipped squads, plus Threat Assessments for rewards.
Shared map with Warzone. The trial lines up with the launch of Modern Warfare 4's version of Warzone and Season 1. Eurogamer points out that DMZ and the new Warzone both use the Hajin map, so time spent in the trial also teaches you the battle royale map.
Recent DMZ changes. A hotfix covered by Eurogamer made UAV Tower spawns random and cut their spawn rate by 40%, so towers are no longer guaranteed at every point of interest. The Sedative Inhaler, which hides you from UAV scans, now lasts 120 seconds instead of 60. Players have also found that a solo player's first attempt at a Story Mission appears to run in a private instance, which Infinity Ward has not officially announced.
Price and PC specs. Steam lists the full game at $69.99. The minimum PC spec is a Ryzen 5 1400 or Core i5-6600, 8GB of RAM, a Radeon RX 470, GeForce GTX 970 or 1060, or Arc A580, and 115GB of SSD space.
Background
DMZ first appeared in 2022 alongside Warzone 2.0, as Notebookcheck notes, and returns in Modern Warfare 4 as a PvPvE mode: squads drop into a map with AI enemies and other players, complete missions, grab loot and try to extract alive. Modern Warfare 4 launched in late October, and Eurogamer says DMZ went live a few days before the full release. That makes this trial unusually early. Black Ops 7's Endgame mode did not get its first free trial until that game's third season.
My take: what it means for players
I think this is the best time Activision could have picked. In my view the UAV Tower change is the most important balance fix DMZ has had so far. At launch, the meta was to spawn, sprint to every tower and light up the whole lobby, and extraction camping did the rest. With towers random and 40% rarer, solo and duo players finally get room to play quietly, and new players arriving through a free trial won't get flattened in their first five minutes.
The comparison I keep coming back to is 2022, when DMZ first arrived next to Warzone 2.0 as the slower, looting-focused way to play. Activision is pairing them again this time, and more deliberately than before: one Hajin map, two modes, and a free trial on the same week. If you only play Warzone, the trial is still worth a few hours just to learn the routes and the extract points.
Who loses? The players who built their whole loadout around UAV-heavy traits and tower camping. Who gains? Solo players, PvE-leaning squads and anyone who wants to test the mode before paying $69.99. My advice: run your first Story Missions solo while that private instance quirk lasts, and don't spend real money on the trial account until you know you'll keep playing.
What we don't know yet
- Progress after the trial. None of the official listings we read says whether DMZ ranks and unlocks carry over if you buy the full game. Xbox Wire only confirms that achievements and Gamerscore carry over on Xbox.
- Another trial. Activision has not said whether DMZ will get more free weekends this season.
- PvE-only playlist. Infinity Ward has described DMZ as PvPvE and has not announced a PvE-only mode.
- Local discounts. We have not checked regional prices or sale prices in Southeast Asia.
Quick facts
| Key | Value |
|---|---|
| Trial ends | November 11, 10 a.m. PT (2:00 a.m. MYT, November 12) |
| Trial started | November 6, 12 p.m. PT (4:00 a.m. MYT, November 7) |
| Platforms | PC (Steam, Battle.net), PS5, Xbox |
| Online requirement | PS Plus on PS5; Game Pass Essential or higher on Xbox |
| Included | DMZ only: ranks, Orders, Story Missions, X01 |
| Map | Hajin, shared with the new Warzone |
| Full game price | $69.99 on Steam |
FAQ
When does the free DMZ trial end?
On November 11 at 10 a.m. PT, which is 2:00 a.m. MYT/SGT/PHT and 1:00 a.m. WIB on November 12.
Do I need PS Plus or Game Pass to play the DMZ trial?
On PS5, PS Plus is required for online play. On Xbox, the trial is a Free Play Days event for Game Pass members. On PC it is free through Steam or Battle.net.
Does the DMZ trial include multiplayer or the campaign?
No. The trial covers DMZ only. Campaign and standard multiplayer need the full game.
What changed in DMZ's latest patch?
UAV Towers now spawn at random and 40% less often, and the Sedative Inhaler lasts 120 seconds instead of 60.
More: Modern Warfare 4 and how to unlock every Season 1 weapon.
Sources: Xbox Wire; PlayStation Store; Steam store page; Eurogamer; Notebookcheck.
