Modern Warfare 4 players declare 'broken' on DMZ perk that lets you self-revive after full death

Deniable Operator

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's big extraction mode DMZ has been out for one day, so it's a bit early to make sweeping declarations about balance, but even I'm raising an eyebrow at an operator trait that the internet is already calling broken.

That's "broken" in the "so overpowered it shouldn't exist" way, not the "literally doesn't work way," though when you see Possum in action, it does give the impression of a bug.

As someone who's been around the extraction shooter block, it's a very powerful trump card. It doesn't take that long to get, either: If you beeline straight to it on the Warfighter skill tree, you can do it in a handful of matches.

To be clear, this is not the same as reviving yourself during the DBNO (down but not out) state, which anyone can do from level 1: Possum means you can be a cold, dead, lootable body, and then suddenly spring back to life.

I'm not surprised folks are panicky about the prospect of playing around lobbies full of Possum players. There's already one clip circulating (per xFleXy_ on X) of someone fully killing a player, turning their back to fight other nearby enemies, then getting shot in the back by the guy they just killed.

That's the nightmare scenario, though the perk has drawbacks that xFleXy could've exploited if they'd known Possum existed. The self-revive isn't quick, and once it's done they still have to pick themselves up from DBNO with a tourniquet. If the killer is paying attention when that first step happens, they can easily end them for good before they stand back up.

I reckon Infinity Ward didn't envision folks using the perk to instantly turn the table on a lost fight. Per the name, you're likely meant to sit still, play dead, then self-revive after your corpse has been picked clean and the killers have moved on. You lose some stuff, but you escape with your operator (which can be expensive to replace). Call of Duty YouTuber JGOD demonstrated this use case in his own video.

In those terms, a trait like Possum is a great fit for DMZ, which is designed not to be as punishing as other extraction shooters. The problem is its execution: Players who just won a fight should not always have to worry that their victim is going to stand back up and kill them. Maybe using Possum should make more noise in the moment, or require a long wait (like 5 to 10 minutes) to use. Infinity Ward needs to underline how bad of an idea it is to use while enemies are around, or in lieu of that, players need a way to burn bodies.

"Burn bodies," in this context, refers to Hunt: Showdown, the other extraction shooter with this exact ability. That game's Possum, called Necromancer, works the same way, except that others have the option to set your corpse on fire and wait for a sound cue that confirms "this guy ain't getting up." It's a great bit of balance, because it puts the onus on the killer to already have a molotov cocktail on-hand, look for another way to start a fire, or leave your corpse and accept you may come back. Sometimes Necromancer saves your bacon, sometimes not.

Whatever the eventual solution is, I expect Infinity Ward to react soon.