Unless you work at Activision, you don’t know the current player count in DMZ. You might have some theories based on anecdotal observations—like seeing the same players in multiple matches, overall MW2 player count stats for Steam, or the time it takes to get into a match (though, honestly, that hasn’t changed much over time, IMO). If you base your theories on streamers, you might think DMZ is still hugely popular. Almost all of the popular DMZ streamers I follow—ON1C, Phixate, Quix, Wizard, et al.—keep coming back to DMZ. The only DMZ streamers I’ve followed who have mostly stayed away are Westie and Stodeh.
So why are people still playing and streaming DMZ in 2025? Spoiler alert: it’s not to complete missions. Sure, there are some new players out there, and some of us (myself included) have created alt accounts to start over with missions. But the vast majority of players (anecdotally speaking) are here for the PvP—or, if you’re solo, maybe just the thrill of trying to survive.
There are some unique qualities to this game mode that make each round feel different. I hope Activision takes these into account as they (supposedly) work on the next iteration of the game:
- Proximity chat
- The ability to revive a teammate at any point in the game
- Lower player density, allowing for more tactical gameplay
- A sandbox environment that lets you play the game however you want
- What happens in one match affects each subsequent match. (Kochei glitching notwithstanding, the gear you accumulate—or lose—in one match carries over to the next. The effects are limited by how many operators you’ve purchased, but it still matters.)
- Warzone sucks and doesn’t offer any of the unique aspects of DMZ listed above.
For streamers, all of this makes the content more compelling, increasing engagement.
For players, it makes DMZ fun—even as just a PvP mode. If Activision ultimately decides to make DMZ PvE, as some rumors suggest, then at least give us a PvP mode with these elements. And hopefully, one with a real sense of Gear Fear—which is what the last element provides, glitches aside.