MW4 DMZ Traits: All Traits, Tier List & Builds
Last verified · Game build: launch
66 traits across three trees: Warfighter, Scout and Survivalist. Each Operator gets 18 points, at most 9 in one tree, and picks are permanent. Our top picks are Possum and Die Hard (S tier). Rankings are our opinion until we can test in-game.
Editor's opinion based on Activision's published descriptions; will be updated with in-game testing after launch.
warfighter
Adrenaline Burst
unknown
Each kill refreshes your Tactical Sprint.
B. Nice tempo boost in fights, but it does nothing for looting or survival.
Equipment Professional
unknown
Your Lethal and Tactical slowly refill after you use them.
B. Free grenades over a long match add up, though the recharge is slow.
Combat Resistance
unknown
Cuts damage from explosives and weakens enemy Tactical effects on you.
A. Explosives and stuns are common in squad fights and around AI compounds; this blunts both.
Viper Sense
unknown
Thermal optics and AI targeting systems can't pick you up.
A. Hiding from drones, turrets and thermal scopes is a big edge in a mode full of AI targeting.
Quick Fix
unknown
Health starts regenerating sooner after you kill an enemy Operator or hostile.
B. Helps chain fights, but plates and medkits matter more.
Possum
unknown
Once per match, you can self-revive from death into Last Stand with full health.
S. A free second life every deployment protects your gear and your Operator from going MIA.
Adaptive Restock
unknown
Hostile AI drop one extra item when killed.
B. Steady extra supplies on long free-roam runs.
LT Hunter
minor
Lieutenant Hunt towers give you more intel.
Killing Spree
minor
Kills extend the time your active effects last.
Popcorn Lethals
minor
Hitting enemies with Lethals can drop more Lethals.
Quick Knife
minor
Your weapon bash becomes a knife attack.
Combat Scavenger
minor
Kills can drop printer ingredients or valuables.
scout
Investor
unknown
Slightly raises the cash you bring out on exfil.
B. Small, permanent value; better once you exfil often.
Hostile Looter
unknown
Hostile AI sometimes drop an Uncommon printer ingredient, with a very small chance at a Rare one.
B. Good for crafting goals, but the drop chances are low.
Container Looter
unknown
Containers have a chance to give one extra piece of loot.
A. Looting is a core XP source, so more loot per container pays off every run.
Thermal Padding
unknown
UAVs can't see you, and Advanced UAVs only show you like a normal UAV.
A. Staying off rival scans is one of the best ways to avoid third parties at exfil.
UAV Upgrade
unknown
Your UAVs last longer, reach further and become Advanced UAVs.
B. Strong for squads that hunt players; less useful solo.
Overwatch
unknown
UAV towers you activate stay on for the rest of the match.
C. Niche: only matters if you keep using towers.
Field Crafting
unknown
Lets you craft items in the field straight from Common printer resources.
B. Handy flexibility mid-match; value depends on your recipes.
Field Medic
minor
Revive teammates faster.
Mini Tracker
minor
Opening a fresh container sends out a short radar pulse.
Resource Hoarder
minor
Raises your printer resource cap by about 20% (reported).
Pack Rat
minor
Reported with the same effect as Resource Hoarder (about +20% resource cap); we will check the difference after launch.
survivalist
Air Superiority
unknown
UAV towers and SAM sites you capture stay active longer.
C. Situational; most runs never hold a SAM site long.
Faster Revive
unknown
You revive teammates faster.
B. Saves lives in squad fights; no value solo.
Consumable Duration
unknown
Consumables last longer after you use them.
B. Steady value for painkiller and radiation-heavy routes.
Impact Smokes
unknown
You drop a smoke cloud automatically when you go down.
C. Can buy a revive, but smoke also hides you from your own squad.
Free Revive
unknown
Your first Wound repairs itself automatically.
A. Saves a medkit and a risky heal in the middle of a fight.
Numb the Pain
unknown
When you get revived, you also get the effects of Painkillers and Smelling Salts.
B. Good squad pick; makes revives safer to take.
Die Hard
unknown
While in Last Stand, getting close to an exfil calls it for you, and you don't bleed out in Last Stand.
S. Turns a downed solo run into a possible escape; one of the best survival traits in the game.
Metabolism
minor
Regenerate the health you lost from using a tourniquet.
Expedited Extraction
minor
Exfil helicopters arrive faster.
Rad Blocker
minor
Take less radiation damage.
Rescuer
minor
Drag downed teammates faster.
Builds
Loot Runner
Editor's build
container-looter, hostile-looter, investor, adaptive-restock, possum, viper-sense, die-hard
Our opinion, built only from Activision-listed traits. Scout picks squeeze more out of every container, hostile and exfil; Possum and Die Hard protect the haul when a run goes wrong. Each tree has only three Major slots and Majors come in pairs (pairings not published yet), so if two of these share a pair, keep the one listed first. Fill the Minor slots with whatever the game offers.
Squad Fighter
Editor's build
possum, quick-fix, adrenaline-burst, thermal-padding, uav-upgrade, faster-revive, numb-the-pain, impact-smokes
Our opinion for squads that take fights. Thermal Padding keeps you off enemy UAVs while UAV Upgrade lets you see them; the Survivalist picks make revives faster and safer; Possum gives one free second chance. Pairings are not published yet, so if two picks share a pair, keep the one listed first.
Lone Wolf
Editor's build
possum, viper-sense, combat-resistance, die-hard, free-revive, consumable-duration, thermal-padding
Our opinion for solo players. Solo there is nobody to pick you up, so this stacks self-sufficiency: Possum, Free Revive and Die Hard (auto-call the exfil from Last Stand) plus Viper Sense and Thermal Padding to stay hidden from AI targeting and UAVs. Will be retested after launch.
How traits work
- There are 66 traits, 22 in each tree. Each tree has 6 Major traits, which are always visible, and 16 Minor traits, which are random.
- You earn one trait point each time your Operator's Dog Tag levels up, from Steel I to Onyx III: 18 points in total.
- Your first point in a tree goes to a random Minor trait. After that the tree splits into branches: Majors come in pairs and Minors in threes. Pick one trait per branch to open the next branch. A full tree is 9 traits.
- So in each tree you can take at most 3 of the 6 Majors, one from each pair.
- Picks lock in. There is no respec.
- With 18 points you can max out two trees or spread points over all three.
- The more traits an Operator has, the more DMZ Cash it costs to recover them when they go MIA.
Operator Prestige
Once an Operator has earned all 18 points (spent or not) and is not MIA, you can Prestige them. Their traits reset, the required gear and cash are used up, and they gain a random permanent Prestige trait.
| Prestige | Weapons | Plate carrier, backpack, 4 printer ingredients | DMZ Cash |
| 1st | Two with 3 attachment slots | Rare or better | 200,000 |
| 2nd | Two with 4 attachment slots | Epic | 300,000 |
| 3rd and later | Two with 4 attachment slots | Legendary | 500,000 |
An Operator can hold up to three Prestige traits. From the fourth Prestige on, you get a new one and choose whether to swap it for one you already have.
How we rank
Our S to C tiers are an editorial opinion based on Activision's published trait descriptions, and we will update them after in-game testing. We rank only the 21 traits Activision has listed. Extra Minor traits from community lists are shown as Reported and not ranked yet. Leaked traits are not listed.
Our builds
The three builds below use only traits Activision has listed. Activision hasn't said which Majors are paired, so each build lists traits in priority order. If two picks turn out to share a pair, keep the first one.
FAQ
How many traits are in MW4 DMZ?
66, split evenly across Warfighter, Scout and Survivalist: 6 Major and 16 Minor traits per tree.
How many trait points do you get?
18 per Operator, one per Dog Tag level from Steel I to Onyx III, with at most 9 traits in any one tree.
Can you reset traits in DMZ?
No. A trait is locked in once you pick it. Prestiging an Operator resets their traits, but it costs gear and cash.
What is the best DMZ trait?
In our opinion, Possum (a free self-revive once per match) and Die Hard (auto-calls the exfil while you are in Last Stand). We will revisit this after launch.
Which traits are Major and which are Minor?
Activision listed seven traits per tree: the six Majors plus one random Minor, without saying which one is the Minor. We will label them once we can check the menu in-game.