MW4 DMZ not working: fixes by symptom

Run these three checks first

If all three pass, check whether Activision's services are running before you start changing settings on your machine. Service-side problems show up as queueing and handshake errors rather than as missing content.

Symptoms at a glance

DMZ still shows locked

The single most reported launch-day symptom — and almost always one of four things rather than a server problem:

• the purchase was not a qualifying digital pre-order;
• the DMZ content pack was never installed;
• the client is still on an old build;
• the start time has not reached your region yet.

If all four check out, some players reported that a full client restart refreshed the entitlement and the mode opened. Try that before you file a ticket.

The Gear Up order will not complete

The opening DMZ orders run through the Forward Operating Base, and the first is the gear step. Players reported being unable to complete it while the mode was live.Media report

1. Confirm you have finished the earlier steps of the order chain — the gear step does not stand alone.
2. Restart the client fully, not just the menu.
3. Confirm the DMZ content pack is installed and the client is on the current build.
4. Check the official support page for a live service notice before assuming a local fault.
5. If it persists, capture the error text and timestamp, then report it.

The game will not launch on PC

The reported launch failures fall into a recognisable set. Work through them in order — the later ones assume the earlier ones are already fine.

1. Check the platform security requirements. Multiple launch guides report the PC client being blocked by TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot, including a failed attestation error. Media report Verify it on your own machine.
2. Watch the launcher state. On Steam the reported symptom is the game showing asRunning and then reverting to Play with no window — that points at the launcher, not the game.
3. Rule out security software. Quarantined game files produce exactly this behaviour. Exclude the game folder, then verify the files.
4. Verify local files. A corrupted download fails silently at launch more often than it reports an error.
5. Check the disk format. The client expects an NTFS volume; exFAT or FAT32 is a classic cause of a silent launch failure.
6. Reset the local configuration before reinstalling the whole game — it is far faster and resolves most corrupted-profile cases. Collect a crash log if it still refuses to start.

Black screen or crashes after launch

Several Chinese-language launch guides describe a "fake black screen": the window is black but the game is stuck on a network verification step rather than failing to render.Media report

1. Check the network path first — a stalled authentication step will not resolve itself.
2. Test with a wired connection and confirm the router is not blocking the game ports.
3. Disable overlays and background capture software, then relaunch.
4. Update the graphics driver and confirm the game is using the dedicated GPU.
5. Check the Call of Duty HQ launcher itself — players have described it restarting repeatedly and bloating into a hub for the whole franchise.
6. If it crashes on a specific scene or map, note it — that pattern is what support asks for.

Connection errors and login queues

A reported error string for this game is "Networking Failed to Start", with codes of the HUENEME-NEGEV shape. Unconfirmed We could not open the original report, so we are not characterising the cause. What you can control:

• Use a wired connection where you can — it removes a whole class of handshaking failures.
• Follow the official network troubleshooting order rather than random port advice.
• Only open a router DMZ or port-forward for the machine running the game, never the whole network.
• Expect queues in the first hours after the start time; that is load, not a fault.

How to report a bug to Activision

Give support four things:

1. Your platform and exact client version.
2. The purchase type and store, and the date of purchase.
3. The exact error text and the time it occurred, in your local time.
4. What you had already tried from this page.

Official support

Activision's own support hub

Modern Warfare 4 support lives atsupport.activision.com/mw4, with separate sections for installation and setup, getting started, game performance and account help. If you want to send us the details as well, thecontact page explains how.

Troubleshooting FAQ

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