7 vital tips for rookie agents in Division 2

We’ve recently wrapped up a weekend’s worth of play in Division 2 Closed beta, giving us our first opportunity to stomp around the new setting of Washington D.C. and see how that part of the US is handling the dystopian environment it finds itself in. With heavily-armed scavengers running amok on the streets it can be quite a harrowing place to explore, so we’ve put a few tips together for fresh-faced agents who are stepping onto the White House lawn and beyond for the first time in the Ubisoft RPG shooter.

1. Return to your base of operations regularly

In Division 2 boost, you get to take over The White House as your base of operations. Not only is this a pretty sweet place to call home, but it’s also where you’ll be able to make use of the services of various NPC allies you recruit throughout the game. It’s worth returning fairly regularly for this reason alone.

2. Learn a support skill early

The U.S. may be in the midst of a complete dystopian meltdown, but as a Division agent, you have access to a whole host of fancy high-tech gadgetry to make your job considerably easier to do. Many of these are aggressive options, such as explosive seeker mines or sniper turrets, that can help you fend off attacks from the Hyena gang and other opposing factions. When you’re starting out, though, we would absolutely recommend you take a more support-oriented skill to give you and your squadmates some survivability in gunfights.

3. Make use of backup when attacking control points

Throughout D.C. you’ll find various factions have taken hold of vital control points throughout the city. These can be important during Division 2 as a way to fast-travel or as places to hand over gathered supplies in order to earn a huge boost of experience points. You’ll also unlock a supply room full of loot when you liberate them, as well as progress towards completing certain projects in the area which will grant even further rewards such as experience and mods.

4. Don’t get too attached to your early weapons and equipment

As is the case with many RPGs, you’ll be climbing up the levels in the early game so fast that much of the gear you’re using becomes redundant before you’ve even had the chance to settle into it. This can be a bit of a problem, though, if you’ve found a particular gun you like and want to stick with it. Even if it’s massively below your current level and takes hours to take down a single basic enemy!

5. Upgrade settlements and complete projects

One of the new features in Division 2 is the ability to upgrade settlements for survivors across Washington D.C. It’s absolutely something worth doing as this is the way you’ll be able to recruit others to your base of operations at the White House.

Over at the first Theatre settlement, for example, is Inaya, who will open up crafting services for you once you’ve improved the area enough. It’ll also give you a warm and fuzzy feeling seeing the inhabitants playing with the toys or appreciating the art you liberated from a nearby location.

6. Unlock safe house in each region

Sometimes you really can’t be bothered to trudge all the way through the streets of Washington D.C. to get to your destination – especially if there’s a chance you’ll run into a roaming pack of scavengers every time you duck down an alleyway or try and cross the road.

7. Be extremely cautious in the Dark Zone

One of Division 2’s most exciting areas in the Dark Zone: a truly lawless location where other players can turn on you in an instant to steal any loot you’ve gathered. These tense standoffs usually occur at the extraction points dotted through a location where you can deposit any contaminated equipment you’ve found ready to be collected once you leave.