Warzone 2 fans on Reddit lament the rise of toxic behavior among players in DMZ

Rise of toxic behavior in Warzone 2
Rise of toxic behavior in Warzone 2's DMZ mode have fans worried (Image via Activision)

Call of Duty: Warzone 2's DMZ mode is unique to this generation of the franchise. It is an Escape from Tarkov-inspired mode where players drop into Al Mazrah (Exclusion Zone), complete various missions, loot, and exfiltrate while fighting real and AI combatants. One of the most intriguing aspects of this mode is Squad Assimilation, which allows players to team up with enemy players.

While this feature has been applauded by many, it has caused a lot of ruckus in the community. A fan by the username u/jonnyvue on Reddit recently posted one such instance and expressed their thoughts on the issue. The post attracted a lot of attention and players were quick to join the thread to share their opinions and stories.

This article takes a closer look at the various experiences shared by users in u/jonnyvue's Reddit post that discusses the rise of toxicity in Warzone 2's DMZ.


Warzone 2 fans are disappointed with toxic players in DMZ mode

Reddit user u/jonnyvue said that an enemy player asked for their help. Believing him, u/jonnyvue added the enemy player to their party. As soon as he joined, he started leaking u/jonnyvue's position to the enemy team. u/jonnyvue recognized his strategy and outsmarted him by not making sudden movements. When the enemy team realized that their efforts were futile, they wanted their teammate back. However, this time around u/jonnyvue also joined the enemy team.

The enemy team wasn't thrilled about u/jonnyvue outsmarting them. But they moved on and continued to fight AI combatants before exfiltration. Being a sniper, u/jonnyvue managed to survive the fight but the enemy teammates were doomed. The player looted the enemy teammates and managed to escape the Exclusion Zone.

They then state that this "dirty" tactic isn't uncommon and have faced this several times. They finally plead to the rest of the community to never offer a helping hand to unknown players in DMZ and that the assimilation feature is broken which allows users to exploit other players.


The post quickly garnered a lot of attention and other community members were quick to add to the thread.

u/Ancient_Branch79 thinks no dead player should be able to use the communication features and that the camera shouldn't change perspective when a user pleas in Warzone 2's DMZ.

Replying to u/Ancient_Branch79, u/ErdnussEnte agreed with the prior user. However, they mentioned that even if VOIP issues are addressed, it won't solve the issue as players can always use third-party alternatives such as Discord or TeamSpeak. But firmly believes that the camera change should be fixed immediately in Warzone 2's DMZ.


u/Bagged_Milk states that instances like these are like breaking a truce. They believe that proximity chat is a game changer and improves things in numerous instances. However, in situations like these, they act as a hurdle.

They further added that Call of Duty was always known for its toxicity and believes that it’s time for the community to behave in a mature manner. They think that players should choose to be better human beings instead.


Another Reddit user u/Ragonkowski added that although players are appropriate most of the time, there have been rising instances of them being shady. They shared an experience of their time in Warzone 2's DMZ, where they were exfiltrating with 8 players and everyone agreed to be friendlies.

However, two players started killing everyone in the exfiltrating helicopter, including u/Ragonkowski. As a result, they lost all the loot they had collected during their time in the Exclusion Zone.


u/scottygras also stated that they were exfiltrating with some random players who kept asking about their loot. However, as soon as the helicopter took off, someone on the chopper eliminated his teammate. As u/scottygras was on the ramp, they noticed it and immediately took down all the players in the helicopter. They then finally proceeded to revive his teammates.

They finally stated that exfiltrating is a gruesome process and exfil campers can ruin the entire Warzone 2's DMZ experience.


u/Dr_Pandaa agrees that the squad switch feature can be used for various malicious acts. They claim that they often queue with 6 of their friends and together they eliminate all the enemy squads.


Finally, Reddit user u/Rettz77, believes that the only way the squad switching option can be fixed in Warzone 2's DMZ is by adding a certain amount of cooldown period before users can successfully change teams.


Toxicity and inappropriate communication have long been a problem for Call of Duty games. Developers are ensuring that all necessary measures are implemented to avoid such issues in the long run. Call of Duty's tech team is also working on an artificial intelligence-based system with Caltech that can identify unruly behavior online.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 Season 1 Reloaded are now live on PC (via Battle.net and Steam), Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5.