Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 DMZ, Progression & Prestige Officially Explained

Published Oct 19, 2026, 2:57 PM EDT Chris is a Gaming Editor at ScreenRant. He has been a professional writer since 2009, and has written for top TV, comics, movie, and video game outlets like Engadget, Polygon, Destructoid, and more. He brings with him an expertise in every game genre, no matter how niche or mainstream. You may know him as the former Managing/Reviews Editor of Destructoid, where he published hundreds of game reviews across every genre, including MMOs, sports games, and Metroidvanias. Find Chris on Twitter @_SRChris. Call of Duty is as inevitable as taxes. You can't run or hide from it; it'll always arrive. For the foreseeable future, we'll still be getting Call of Duty entries, especially if they manage to surprise fans with any given iteration.Some Call of Duty games wow through their campaign, while others deliver via their strong multiplayer. Others skate by on the strength of their Zombies mode, which has become a staple by now.While the last Call of Duty titleleft a bad taste in some fans' mouths, Modern Warfare 4 is overdelivering in many ways, especially in the campaign. Multiplayer and DMZ are just around the corner, and thanks to a new Call of Duty blog entry, we know exactly how progression will work in Modern Warfare 4. Like other versions of Call of Duty, you'll start at the lowly rank of level one, with the aim of rising from private to commander. This XP is spread across multiplayer, DMZ, and Call of Duty: Warzone (after Season 1 begins). You'll earn XP in the usual way (defeating enemies, playing matches, finishing challenges), while playing the objective will score you more XP. Here are all the rewards you can earn by leveling: Unlocks: Expect one or more unlocks every time you level up, from Level 1-55 Loadouts: Default and Custom Weapons: Primary and Secondary Weapons Equipment: Lethals and Tacticals Field Upgrades Perks Killstreaks Naturally, there's a prestige component, which has two forms: Classic (resetting level unlocks the traditional way), or Regular Prestige (restart from level 1 while keeping all level unlocks). The former will grant you the bonus of a 20% XP boost, one permanent unlock token, and bonus cosmetic rewards. While it seems more punishing, the unlock token still allows players to permanently unlock say, a key late-level weapon or perk, so you can still start off on the right foot by going Classic Prestige and resetting to level 1. Every time you Prestige and hit rank 55, you can choose between Classic or Regular. "A majority" of the rewards are on both paths, but if you go Classic, you'll earn more bonuses. There are tons of rewards this time around, all the way up to Prestige Master Level 90 at launch. After hitting Prestige Master level 56, you'll unlock a Level Color Customization mode, letting you change how your level color looks for extra flair. Weapon Prestige returns too, if you plan to spend a lot of time in the game. Activision is pushing DMZ this year, and in Modern Warfare 4, it'll have its own set of unlocks: Unlocks: Expect one or more unlocks every time you level up, from Level 1-70 Station Unlocks: Access new Stations within the FOB Station Upgrades: Unlock additional capabilities across various Stations within the FOB. Further Station upgrades can be accessed via the 3D Printer. Recipes: Craft new items at the 3D Printer Operator Skins Items: Unlock the following Items: Consumables Survival Kits Fire Support (Killstreaks) 3D Printer Materials Gear As a note, it's important to understand that DMZ will work differently: "In Modern Warfare 4, DMZ features its own distinct Level Unlock progression track that is separate from the Level 1-55 Multiplayer progression system. As players earn DMZ XP by completing Story Missions, Dynamic Operations, Side Ops, and other activities, they will progress through 70 levels, unlocking DMZ-specific rewards along the way including new Gear and Stations, Station Upgrades, 3D Printer Recipes, Operator Skins, Consumables, Fire Support (Killstreaks), Survival Kits, and more. XP earned while playing DMZ also contributes to your overall 1-55 Player Progression, but XP earned in Multiplayer or Call of Duty: Warzone does not contribute to your DMZ Level." Other than that, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 has a linked progression system, so it'll be easy to earn rewards across various modes. Systems Released October 23, 2026 Developer(s) Infinity Ward Publisher(s) Activision Multiplayer Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op Prequel(s) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare III Franchise Call of Duty Number of Players 1-60 players