MW4 DMZ: How to Get Possum

TL;DR

• Possum is a Major Warfighter Trait that lets your Operator self-revive into Last Stand from a full death — once per match.
• To unlock it, you need to spend 9 Trait Points in the Warfighter tree.
• Trait Points come from levelling your Operator’s Dog Tags by earning DMZ XP — one point per Dog Tag level.
• It works even after your entire squad is wiped — you can wait, then get back up alone.
• You keep your Operator and Dog Tag progression but lose the gear enemies looted.
• It is one of the most controversial Traits in DMZ — players widely consider it borderline overpowered in PvP.

What Is Possum in MW4 DMZ?

Possum is a Major Trait in the Warfighter tree in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 DMZ. It does something no other Trait in the game pulls off: it lets your Operator come back from a full death.

When you die in DMZ normally — not just downed, but fully killed — your match is over unless a teammate revives you or you have a Self-Revive Kit. With Possum active, you get a one-time chance to revive yourself into Last Stand per deployment, restoring your health to maximum. From Last Stand, you can use a tourniquet or wait for a teammate to get back on your feet.

This is not a standard downed-state revive. Possum triggers after a complete kill. It is the equivalent of getting a second life in an extraction shooter — which is why it is one of the most talked-about Traits since DMZ launched.

The ability has one important limitation: it is once per match only. If you use it and die again, it does not come back. One deployment, one activation.

MW4 DMZ How to Get Possum 1

How to Unlock Possum in MW4 DMZ

Possum sits at the top of the Warfighter trait tree and requires a total of 9 Trait Points invested in the Warfighter tree before you can select it. You cannot skip straight to Possum — you have to climb through the tree to reach it.

Step 1 — Earn Trait Points Through Dog Tag Progression

Trait Points come from levelling your Operator’s Dog Tags. Every time your Operator’s Dog Tag advances one level, you receive one Trait Point. Dog Tags level up by earning DMZ XP — primarily through successful exfils.

There are 18 Dog Tag levels per Operator, spread across six tiers:

• Steel I, II, III — 3 Trait Points total
• Bronze I, II, III — 6 Trait Points total
• Silver I, II, III — 9 Trait Points total
• Gold I, II, III — 12 Trait Points total
• Damascus I, II, III — 15 Trait Points total
• Onyx I, II, III — 18 Trait Points total (maximum)

To unlock Possum, you need to reach at least Silver III — the point at which you have accumulated your 9th Trait Point — and spend all 9 of them in the Warfighter tree.

This is important to understand: Dog Tag progression is tied to each individual Operator. A new Operator starts from scratch at Steel I, no matter how high your overall DMZ player level is. So if you want Possum on a specific Operator, you need to invest playing time specifically with that Operator.

Step 2 — Spend Your Points at the FOB Operators Station

Once you have earned enough Trait Points, here is how to unlock Possum:

1. Return to the Forward Operating Base (FOB) after a deployment.
2. Find the Operators Station — it is located opposite the 3D Printer.
3. Interact with the station and select your Operator.
4. Choose Manage, then open the Traits menu.
5. Navigate to the Warfighter tree and spend your points working up to the 9-point threshold.
6. Once 9 points are invested in Warfighter, select Possum instead of its paired alternative, Adaptive Restock.

Warning: Trait Points cannot be refunded or respecced. Every point you spend is locked in permanently. The only way to reset a build is to select a new Operator or Prestige your existing one. Plan your full Warfighter build before committing. If you sink 9 points into Warfighter for Possum and later decide you wanted a different tree, there is no undo button.

How Many Points Do You Have Total?

Each Operator earns a maximum of 18 Trait Points before hitting Onyx III. With 18 points and three trees available, you have two practical options:

• Max two trees — spend 9 points in Warfighter (for Possum) and 9 points in another tree like Scout or Survivalist.
• Spread across all three trees — you get some benefits from each tree but will not reach the Major Traits at the top of every one.

Since Possum requires all 9 Warfighter points, taking it means your second 9 points go entirely to one other tree. Think about whether that is the build you want before committing.

For a full breakdown of all Traits and how to build your Operator efficiently, check out our guide on all MW4 DMZ Operator Traits and how to unlock them and our best Traits in MW4 DMZ guide.

How Does Possum Work In-Game?

Once you have Possum equipped and you are out in the DMZ, here is exactly what happens when you die:

1. You are fully killed — not just downed. The death screen appears as normal.
2. A prompt appears giving you the option to activate Possum (hold Square on PlayStation / hold X on Xbox / interact key on PC).
3. Your Operator revives straight into Last Stand with health restored to maximum.
4. From Last Stand, you use a tourniquet to get fully back up. If you have no tourniquets, you can wait for a teammate to assist.
5. Possum works even if your entire squad has been wiped — you can wait as long as you need before activating it.

Once you are back up, you keep your Operator and Dog Tag progression intact — no MIA penalty, no recovery cost. However, any gear that enemies looted from your body while you were dead is gone. You will likely get up with empty armor slots, no backpack contents, and whatever weapon was still on your body that enemies chose not to take.

Possum is completely silent when activated — there is no sound cue, no visual effect visible to enemies. This is a large part of why it has generated controversy. Enemies who killed you will not know you are getting back up unless they are still standing over the body watching.

Tips for Using Possum Effectively

Possum is powerful, but it is easy to waste if you use it badly. Here is how to get the most out of it:

• Wait before activating. The biggest mistake is activating Possum immediately after death while enemies are still on top of you. They will finish you again instantly. Wait until enemies have moved away, looted your body, and left the area before you trigger the revive.
• Use it as emergency protection, not a risk license. Possum does not mean you can play recklessly. You only get one activation per match. Save it for genuine emergencies — being caught in a bad engagement, a full squad wipe — not for taking unnecessary fights.
• Have a tourniquet ready. Possum puts you in Last Stand, not fully upright. You still need a tourniquet to get back up. If you used all your tourniquets before dying, you will need to wait for a teammate. Keep at least one in a Secure Slot before taking a high-risk fight.
• Wait at least two to three minutes. Experienced DMZ players know about Possum. Some will wait around specifically to see if you get up. Patience is the key — the longer you wait, the more likely they have moved on.
• Use Possum to exfil, not to revenge. The best outcome after Possum activates is getting up with nothing, moving quietly, and making it to an extraction point. Going back for revenge with no gear against a full squad is how you guarantee the second death.
• It works in solo deployments. Even if you are running solo and no teammates exist to revive you, Possum still triggers. This makes it especially strong for solo players who have no squad safety net.

How to Counter Possum Players in MW4 DMZ

Knowing that Possum exists changes how you should behave after killing an enemy Operator. A body you just looted can get back up. Here is how to handle it:

Signs Someone Has Possum

• No vultures or birds circling over the body. In DMZ, dead Operators attract circling birds. A body with no birds above it is a sign the game does not yet consider that player truly dead — a strong indicator of Possum.
• You cannot loot their armor plates. A Possum player’s plates cannot be taken from their body. If you try to loot armor and it is unavailable, assume Possum.
• No MIA confirmation sound or prompt. When an Operator is fully dead and goes MIA, there is typically a confirmation moment. If things feel off after the kill, stay alert.

How to Stop Them Getting Back Up

• Place a trap on the body. A Claymore Mine, Tripwire, or Proximity Mine placed on or near the body will kill them the moment they activate Possum and get back up. This is the most reliable counter.
• Strip the body and drop everything far away. Take every item off the body and throw it as far as possible. When they get up with nothing — no weapons, no plates, no gear — they are in an extremely weak position.
• Wait nearby out of sight. Hide for two to three minutes after the kill and watch. If they get up, finish them immediately while they are still getting to their feet from Last Stand.
• Ping the body. A body the game still considers alive may respond differently to a ping than a confirmed dead player. Use this as a soft check before moving on.
• Do not assume it is safe to exfil immediately. In high-stakes situations — if the enemy had a good loadout and you took their gear — give it a few minutes before you head to extraction. The last thing you want is a Possum player catching you at the exfil helicopter.

Is Possum Worth Getting in MW4 DMZ?

Yes — but it comes at a cost. Possum is ranked among the top three most valuable Traits in MW4 DMZ by most community guides. A one-per-match full self-revive is a genuinely powerful survival tool, especially for solo players or in high-risk runs where you are carrying significant loot.

The cost is the investment. Spending all 9 Warfighter points on Possum means you are fully committed to that tree and your second 9 points must go to one other tree. You are giving up the flexibility of spreading across all three trees for one elite survival ability.

For solo DMZ players, Possum is arguably the single most useful Trait in the game. You have no teammates to revive you — Possum is the only backup you get. The case for solo players is strong.

For squad players, the value depends on your playstyle. If your squad is aggressive and frequently takes PvP fights, Possum can save a deployment. If your squad is primarily mission-focused and avoids player contact, the points might serve you better in Scout or Survivalist.

The community debate around Possum is ongoing. Notable CoD content creators including JGOD and ModernWarzone have called it overpowered in PvP, arguing it should require a longer activation window or produce a sound cue so enemies know it is being used. Whether Infinity Ward adjusts or removes it in a future update remains to be seen — but for now, it is legal, it is powerful, and it is worth having on at least one Operator.

Possum and Operator MIA — What You Need to Know

One important detail: Possum prevents your Operator from going MIA after the activation. If Possum fires and you successfully get back up and exfil, your Operator’s progression is fully intact with no recovery cost.

However, if Possum fires and you die again before exfilling — or you activate it but fail to exfil — your Operator still goes MIA as normal. Possum is not a blanket MIA shield. It gives you a second chance, but you still need to make it out.

For more on the MIA system and how Operator recovery works, check out our guide on DMZ Prestige requirements and rewards and the full FOB Stations guide so you understand what is at stake when an Operator is on the line.

Possum Quick Reference

• Trait Name: Possum
• Tree: Warfighter
• Type: Major Trait
• Cost to Unlock: 9 Trait Points (all in Warfighter tree)
• Effect: Self-revive into Last Stand from full death, health restored to maximum
• Uses Per Match: Once only
• Works After Squad Wipe: Yes
• Keeps Operator Progression: Yes
• Keeps Gear: No — looted items are gone
• Activation: Hold interact button when death screen appears
• Sound Cue for Enemies: None — silent activation
• Paired Alternative: Adaptive Restock
• Best For: Solo players, aggressive squads, high-value loot runs

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are building out your DMZ Operator, do not miss our guides on the Wanted Hunter system, DMZ XP and all level unlocks, all DMZ boss locations, and all Apex Attachments in MW4.

MW4 is available on Steam, PlayStation Store, and Xbox.