Caution for Dog Enthusiasts: Modern Warfare 4’s Extraction Mode Starts Off Tough

Yesterday, the new extraction mode, DMZ, for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launched a few days ahead of schedule for those who pre-ordered the game digitally. For dog lovers planning to dive into DMZ, brace yourselves—the intro mission is quite the emotional rollercoaster.

DMZ is essentially a full-fledged extraction shooter, reminiscent of titles like Arc Raiders or Marathon, but integrated into the latest Call of Duty experience. Players are dropped into a vast open-world map teeming with enemy NPCs and other players, where the goal is to eliminate foes, complete missions, loot valuable items, and successfully extract without losing everything. This is pretty standard fare for anyone familiar with extraction shooters in recent years. However, DMZ’s introduction takes a different approach. It’s a narrative-driven, scripted sequence that begins with a soldier and his loyal dog, Rex, parachuting into the DMZ. Unfortunately, things take a dark turn just moments after they land.

After giving Rex a quick pat upon arrival, you both head towards a downed drone to retrieve its black box and data. Suddenly, two North Korean soldiers ambush you. Rex leaps into action, taking down both enemies, but not without sustaining a gunshot wound himself, yelping in pain. You rush to check on him and drag his injured body to a hiding spot for later extraction. However, that plan quickly unravels as the soldier you control gets captured and shot in the head just minutes later.

This sets a grim tone for DMZ. It feels somewhat pointless and harsh, leaving Rex to suffer alone under a bush, waiting for a master who will never return. It’s a peculiar way to kick off a new online multiplayer mode.

Initially, I thought this was a tutorial to help players learn how to manage a dog companion in DMZ, but I haven’t unlocked my own dog yet, nor have I seen any other players with one. A quick search online shows that others are in the same boat. Since DMZ just launched, perhaps we all need to play more before we can unlock a dog. This raises the question of why Rex and his fate were included in the opening tutorial at all.

Some players are already hoping for a mission to rescue Rex, which would be a nice touch. In the meantime, if you want to skip the heart-wrenching scene of a dog getting shot and left behind, here’s a tip: start the intro and exit once you gain control of the soldier. According to others, this bypasses the entire sequence, and since you don’t earn any loot from the intro, it’s not a significant loss.

Good luck, Rex. Here’s hoping we get a chance to save you someday. If not, it’s hard to understand why you were included in the first place.