With The Division 2 now upon us and those with early access able to jump right into the game’s servers, we thought it best to look at the game’s Dark Zones, including how to get there, and what to expect when you arrive.
There will be three Dark Zones available in Washington D.C., with the first one available once you reach level five (The Division 2‘s Endgame unlocks at level 30).
Once a Dark Zone is available to enter, you’ll need to complete a set tutorial mission, which will set you up with the basics and prepare you ahead of entering that specific Dark Zone.
There will be three Dark Zone areas:
- Dark Zone East (located in Capital Station)
- Dark Zone West (located in Georgetown)
- Dark Zone South (located in Waterfront)
The Dark Zone explained
When you enter a Dark Zone, it’ll be the only place on the map where you’ll come across other players in a completely PvP environment, where there are no rules, and it’s every man and woman for themselves.
Challengers will be available, landmarks to overtake, and faction bosses to battle and, eventually, steal precious loot from.
Occupied Dark Zones
Occupied Dark Zones act as a new addition to The Division 2 since its predecessor. In these Dark Zones, there are quite literally no rules, and you can expect far more lucrative rewards while within these environments.
Interestingly, unlike other Dark Zones, gear normalisation is not present in these environments, and any turrets will be completely deactivated, so you can and probably should expect to get absolutely trounced by more experienced players unless you enter well prepared.
Going Rogue
One of the new additions is that of a Rogue system, which sets to both punish and reward your actions (depending on how you look at it) when battling out on the streets of Washington D.C.
Read more about the Rogue system here.
Loot and Extraction in the Dark Zone
Dark Zones present perhaps the best loot in all of the game, but it won’t come easy, and will definitely come at a price.
Rogue agents, as detailed above, can gain access to a place called The Thieves’ Den, but it’s how you go rogue that could determine just how easy it is for you.
If you simply hack SHD terminals and steal some chests, this will ensure your rogue status is kept low, and no one interferes with you. You can then find a Thieves’ Den location fairly easily. A Disavowed or Manhunt rogue, however, will have people chasing after you given your bounty, so it won’t be so easy.
Once you do find yourself at the Den, however, there’s a merchant who sells rare and lucrative loot, so in essence there is some reward for actually playing with risk and playing bold.
Once you get your hands on some loot, you’ll need to extract it: this means either waiting for an extraction point to be marked by another player, or calling one in yourself.
This also stands to be the most vulnerable point in tyour Dark Zone existence, as rogue agents will come to your location and the extraction point to attack and steal your loot. So best be on the lookout, make sure someone has your back, and be ready for conflict.
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