Best DMZ Loadouts in Warzone Season 5: Weapons, Equipment & Gear (2024)

DMZ Season 5 has dropped in Warzone and MW2, meaning there’s a lot of new content for players to work through, whether it’s completing Shadow Company missions or fighting Konni forces. Here are the best loadouts for DMZ, including the best weapons, sniper, equipment and gear.

Best DMZ Loadouts in Season 5

Season 5 of DMZ introduced plenty of new mode-specific content, alongside the weapon changes that came to Warzone and Modern Warfare 2.

It means that there’s new best weapons in the mode, as well as adjustments to be made for the weapons the bots in DMZ carry and drop when eliminated.

Best DMZ Weapons

RAPP H

We’re recommending the RAPP H LMG as one of DMZ’s best weapons in Season 5. It did receive a slight buff with the August 2 update, specifically improving its performance when fired semi-automatically.

It’s also easy to acquire, with plenty of enemies across DMZ’s exclusion zones dropping them upon elimination. It means it’ll be easy to find ammo and a spare if you’re dropping in with one weapon or a free loadout.

The range, damage and large magazines, paired with the buffs to semi-auto performance, mean it’s perfect for dropping bots from safe distances, or getting through multiple quickly. There’s no tricky spot it won’t get you out of.

KV Broadside

A shotgun? Really? Yes, really. They’ve experienced a bit of a renaissance since Season 4, with plenty of the class’s stronger options being buffed even more.

Few have benefitted more than the KV Broadside, the semi-auto shotgun that’s been pushed back towards its peak with multiple buffs. It’s not quite the ‘duff duff’ of old, but it’s very strong and perfect for DMZ.

There’s probably no better choice to clear Strongholds and rescue hostages. These locations often have 10 or 20 bots in a single house and the KV Broadside means you can enter and let rip to your heart’s content. Up close, it’s the DMZ weapon you should be using.

Kastov 545

Our third and final weapon to use in Season 5 is the Kastov 545. It’s long been a strong option in Warzone, MW2 and Ranked Play, a status that’s undoubtedly carried over to DMZ. It’s strongest at medium ranges, dropping enemies with minimal fuss and recoil.

Again, it’s carried by plenty of the bots that populate DMZ, so it’s easy to come across. We recommend picking it up, even if it’s just one to take for your Contraband Stash. There’s not really a quicker killing option in any mode, nor a simpler weapon to pick up and start shooting with.

Best DMZ Sniper Rifle

There’s plenty of valid options to choose in DMZ, with the Carrack .300 joining the fun in Season 5. We’re opting for the bulkier, heavier and more powerful semi-auto sniper, the Signal 50.

It’s maybe more recognizable as the Barrett 50 Cal of old, but it’s the same gun all the same. There’s a fair bit of kick to balance out unmatched fire-rate, high damage and middling handling. We love it in DMZ because there’s no better sniper to quickly take out multiple bots.

While others, like the MCPR or Victus XMR, do higher damage, they’re much slower in terms of handling and fire-rate. The Signal is one of – if not the best – snipers in all of Warzone.

Best DMZ Equipment

DMZ players take equipment into exclusion zones alongside their weapons, as is standard for Call of Duty. These are not subject to limits or timers, so make sure you choose these slots before every match. You can select a lethal projectile, a tactical projectile and a Field Upgrade.

Semtex

The Semtex is our favorite DMZ lethal, a status it’s held for a while and one we can’t envisage changing. It’s a timed-sticky explosive, meaning it detonates where it lands.

This increased accuracy is why we love them: it’s easy to throw a Semtex into a group of unsuspecting AI and kill a few instantly. When you’re completing a Stronghold, there’s also no better way to quickly dispose of an annoying riot shielder than by sticking them with a Semtex and waiting for it to take them out.

Smoke Grenade

Our choice of tactical is a Smoke Grenade. Used by enemy AI with annoying frequency, there’s no better gear in DMZ to get you out of a tight spot and away from pursuing enemies. In a mode that’s all about looting and extracting, there’s no reason to dive into gunfights you don’t absolutely need to.

They’re very useful when trying to escape real-life enemies too. We’ve all been ambushed by an enemy squad while minding our own business and looking for items. There’s no better way to vanish that with a Smoke Grenade and a tactical retreat.

Portable Radar

Like the sniper rifle, choosing a Field Upgrade is a close run competition. There’s a strong shout for Dead Silence, a Portable Radar and even Battle Rage.

We’re opting for the Trophy System, though. In case you don’t know, these are deployable gadgets that destroy incoming projectiles. That means that grenades and tacticals thrown your way will be obliterated before they can detonate and cause you a world of trouble.

We especially love the Trophy System when you’ve got objectives that involve close-quarters action and plenty of enemies pushing a single location. For example, if you’re drilling into a safe for the high-tier loot inside, throwing a Trophy nearby is the perfect way to minimize enemy utility, forcing them to rely on weapons alone.

There are few things more annoying in DMZ than being weakened by bots and being finished off by a randomly slung Frag that bounces to your feet. The Trophy reduces the occurrence of events just like that.

Best DMZ Gear: Vests, Items, Gas Masks and Healing

This section will be shorter and less dense – mainly because there’s less scope to customize these aspects of your operator.

It goes without saying you want a three-plate armor vest. Failing that, try and find a two-plate or a special vest of some kind. The Stealth Vest has emerged as massively powerful in Season 4 thanks to its buff, but the Medic and Comms vests are still both very powerful. In short, anything above the default one-plate vest is welcome.

We’d also recommend tailoring these aspects to whatever mission it is you’re trying to do. If you’re running into a Stronghold then you’ll want more armor. If you’re heading into the Koschei Complex, take a Durable Gas Mask or find some Radiation Blockers.

It’s also worth always looting Bathroom Cabinets, First Aid Kits and Medical Bags. These often have low-tier healing items like Stims or Toothpaste, but regularly throw up Self Revive Kits and Revive Pistols. Both are incredibly valuable, essentially giving you a second chance if you’re taken out by bots.

Finally, a word on the new Disguise Field Upgrade is worthwhile. These were added with Season 5 and are most commonly found in Duffel Bags. They’re the first item in DMZ history to hide you from enemy AI, meaning they won’t shoot you and will mistake you for one of their own. It’s perfect for navigating busy POIs and completing objectives without the worry of being downed by over-zealous bots. Pick one up if or when you find one.

Those are the best DMZ loadouts in Warzone Season 5, including the best weapons, equipment and gear. We’ve covered tonnes from DMZ Season 5, so check out the related content below!