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How to exfil in Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 DMZ

The new DMZ mode that launched alongside Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 has captivated an audience, offering a bit more of a laid-back experience. It plays much more like Escape from Tarkov rather than Warzone 2.0, with an emphasis on extracting valuable loot. One of the key mechanics requires players to exfil via chopper, which is the only way to secure the loot you’ve collected during a run.

But with only three Exfil zones available and so many enemies out to get you, extracting is much harder than it looks. In this guide, we’ll show you how to exfil, with tips on making it as easy as possible in Warzone 2.0 DMZ.

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How to exfil

Extracting in Warzone 2.0 DMZ.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The process of extracting in Warzone 2.0 DMZ is straightforward, but a lot could go wrong as you attempt to exfil via the chopper. Around the map are three Exfil zones indicated by an icon of a blue character escaping through a door. These appear in different locations each game and are typically spread out around the map. Oftentimes, they appear far from where you spawn, but not always. Once you’re ready to extract, head to one of these locations and call the chopper. Then, you have to wait for it to come, and once it arrives, you have a certain amount of time to get inside the helicopter and escape.

In the process, you could get taken out, especially if an enemy team is camping the Exfil zone, waiting for you to leave the map. Or you might even get eliminated on your way to the Exfil zone, as the Al Mazrah map is filled with enemy players and AI.

Exfil tips

Extracting in Warzone 2.0 DMZ.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’re struggling to extract safely, there are a few things you can do to make your life easier. For starters, you should scope out an Exfil zone before actually calling the chopper. Depending on where the zone is, you’re likely to have company as you attempt to escape. That’s why it’s a good idea to check the immediate area to make sure there are no other players around beforehand. And even after you’ve called the chopper, keep your eyes peeled for enemy players who might be attempting to escape as well.

If things go wrong, you should consider going to another Exfil zone or even waiting for the next one to come — which could come in handy if an enemy team comes to the Exfil zone while you wait. This happened to us during a run, but patience paid off. As we waited for the chopper to come, an enemy team showed up. Rather than trying to battle the team and maybe survive, we instead hid nearby, waited for the enemies to exfil, and then called the chopper again. If not for waiting, we likely wouldn’t have survived, so don’t be afraid to catch the next one!

Another tip is to complete Rescue Hostage missions to exfil. These contracts are nifty because they actually spawn a separate chopper from the rest of the ones that appear on the map, meaning they’re unlikely to be contested. Though it’s worth noting, these contracts don’t appear frequently, so you shouldn’t necessarily rely on them to extract, especially since these missions aren’t a cakewalk.

We also recommend bringing Smoke Grenades with you as you try to extract, as you typically won’t have much cover leading to the chopper. It’s worth noting that if you get downed while inside the chopper, you shouldn’t give up because you’ll still get credit for completing a successful extraction as long as you don’t fully get eliminated.

One thing that newcomers tend to forget is that you have limited time to complete each DMZ run. Once the timer counts down to zero, the radiation will begin expanding, eventually overtaking the entire map. This means that you won’t be able to extract after the radiation overtakes an Exfil zone, so you should plan your runs accordingly. There’s nothing worse than completing numerous missions only to get stuck in the gas with no way to escape.

With that in mind, we also advise taking it slowly and not getting greedy while playing DMZ. If your resources are low and you aren’t confident in your skills, we recommend extracting as soon as you can. One mistake newcomers make is that they think they can blast their way through tough contracts, but oftentimes, this is a recipe for disaster. When you first start DMZ, aim to complete a simple mission before extracting — that way, you’ll slowly ramp up your collection of gear to aid you on your next mission. Remember, if you die in the DMZ, you lose all the gear you have on you, so it doesn’t pay to get ahead of yourself.

Joseph Yaden
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Joseph Yaden is a freelance journalist who covers Nintendo, shooters, and horror games. He mostly covers game guides for…
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Prepper - Level 45
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