The Division Dark Zone Tips

From the start The Division is a PvE game, until you enter the Dark Zone. The Dark Zone is the most dangerous place in The Division, switching the game from PvE to PvP. Why it’s the most dangerous place the Dark Zone is where the most intense action and thrilling stories will be made.

The Dark Zone is simply a PvP environment where players can locate the best loot. You’ll only meet other players through hubs or the Dark Zone, with the exception being partying up with other players. Any player within the Dark Zone is a threat, unless you party up. There are no safeguards, if a player kills you then your loot is free for them to take.

Before you start you’ll need to prepare. Spend time in PvE environments and build up your arsenal. The AI within the Dark Zone show no mercy and will prove to be much more of a challenge than anyone outside these areas.

The easiest way to enter the Dark Zone is through a marked door, appearing purple on the map and the Dark Zone in red, but you can also climb nearby walls and drop in. Be aware you cannot climb back out and will need to locate a ground-floor door to exit. The Dark Zone itself is split into multiple locations, some of which are inaccessible in the beta.

Every Dark Zone entrance has a safe room at the entrance with a resupply craft for ammunition, medkits and grenades. A vendor will sell you dependable gear in exchange for Dark Zone credit, currency only available within the Dark Zone.

You should not go alone. Players can invite up to three friends to come with them and it’s encourage you bring a full party. Dark Zone matchmaking is level-based, so you are your friends need to be the same level if you wish to play together. In the beta the level cap is 8, but players between the levels of 4-7 can be placed in the same group.

If you are unable to find a party and decide to enter the Dark Zone alone don’t fret, you can speak to other players using a headset. Local voice-chat is available and a default star-jump emote, triggered when hitting down on the D-pad, can indicate a friendly.

Of course the reason for going into the Dark Zone isn’t to make friends, it’s to loot valuable items. Dark Zone loot drops are all high-level and a color coded loot system determines the rarity of the item. There are three ways to get loot from the Dark Zone; kill AI and pick up drops, loot from chests and kill other players.

Loot obtained from the Dark Zone is contaminated and cannot be used until it’s extracted. Once you pick up a drop you’ll see that Agent wearing a roll marker with a contaminated symbol underneath their backpack. When killed you drop your gear and must receive it before another player can.

To secure your loot you must call in an extraction helicopter. A gold mark on your map marks an extraction area. To call in a helicopter simply shoot a flare, but this will attract AI hostiles. To successfully extract your gear you must fend these mindless avatars off, but be weary of other players. They may seem friendly, offering help against the AI but when the helicopter comes they’re just as likely to shoot you in the back and extract the gear for themselves.

Be on the look out for chest in the Dark Zone. One of three types chest spawn when players clear a large group of enemies in Dark Zone encounters.

The first one has no requirements and can be easily opened. The second is level-locked and can only be opened by players of a specific level. The third king requires keys. Dark Zone keys can only be collected in a Dark Zone and you’ll find them as random loot from high level enemies or killing other players who happen to be carrying a key.

Remember that the Dark Zone is dangerous with not only powerful AI characters but other players. Killing another player yields consequences and could mark you as rouge, with the exception being a warning for friendly fire.

When marked you’ll appear red on the map, and other Agents will get good XP for taking you out. Some players will purposely go rogue in an attempt to survive the rogue rank 5, the highest rank, by killing other players and surviving the manhunt to gan more credits. Unless you’re in a large group, run the other way when you see rogue agents.

If you do decide to go rogue dying has harsher consequences. You’ll not only lose your loot but more cash, Dark Zone rank and keys.

If you need more help check out our beginners guide here.

The Division is set to release on Xbox One, PS4 and PC on March 8.

Adam Siddiqui, NoobFeed
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