Dark Zone Explained in The Division 2
The Dark Zone is back in The Division 2, and it’s even more robust than ever. If you’re confused about how it works, we’ve got you covered. Here’s what you need to know about the different Dark Zone areas, the level caps, and more in The Division 2.
Unlocking the Dark Zone in The Division 2
Before you can jump into the PvP action, you’ll need to progress through the main story first. After the first couple of main missions, you’ll eventually unlock the Theater settlement, where you can recruit Senait Ezera.
After completing three missions and upgrading the Theater settlement, head back there and locate her easily with the orange icon onscreen. Talking to her will unlock the Dark Zone recon missions, starting with the East, then South, and West.
Do the tutorial missions in order, and you’ll unlock all three Dark Zones in The Division 2. You’ll then be free to explore them whenever you wish.
Occupied Dark Zones will only be available after you’ve reached level 30.
Normalization
New to The Division 2 is the introduction of the Normalization mechanic. In the three regular Dark Zones, it doesn’t matter how high level your character is. All players should be scaled to each other, so you don’t have to worry about getting one-shot by another player who has a really strong weapon.
However, Normalization isn’t a thing in Occupied Dark Zones. This means that you’ll really need to invest in good gear before you think about heading in there, as your equipment will make all the difference.
Extracting Loot from the Dark Zone
Just like in the first game, extracting loot from the Dark Zone in The Division 2 isn’t easy. Your loot will be contaminated, which means you’ll need to airlift it out of the area via a chopper.
Simply bring up your map in The Division 2 and look for the orange arrow icons to identify an extraction point. Head there and call in the chopper, and you’ll have to wait for it to arrive. As always, be on the lookout for other players who might be out to steal your loot.
Once the chopper arrives, put the loot on the rope, and it’ll be secured once the chopper leaves the area. When you leave the Dark Zone, check any Stash box in The Division 2 to find your gear.
Going Rogue in The Division 2
And just like in the first game, you can go rogue in The Division 2. This time around, there are three rogue levels.
The regular grey icon gets attached to your username when you hoard DZ drops for yourself, or when you break open locked chests to get loot.
You get the red icon when you kill another agent.
Lastly, you get the Manhunt icon when you continuously kill other players, and the bounty on your head will increase even further.
However, it is possible to get rid of your bounty by unlocking the Thieves’ Den. As you commit more roguish crimes, you’ll be able to access Manhunt terminals around the Dark Zone to find this secret location.
At the time of writing, we’ve yet to find the Thieves’ Den ourselves, but it is said to contain a vendor that sells extremely valuable gear.
Dark Zone Level Cap in The Division 2
At this point, we’ve only hit level 10 in the Dark Zone, so we can’t definitively say for sure what the DZ level cap is. However, we’ll update this article as soon as there’s more information.
That’s all you need to know about the Dark Zone in The Division 2. Be sure to check our Division 2 guide wiki for more tips and information on the game.
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