The Division’s Dark Zone is home to tons of powerful gear and powerful enemies. While success is ultimately a matter of skill, here are a few tips to best succeed at mastering the PvP area.

Extraction

Extracting your gear is the only way you’ll be able to use it. To do so, get to an extraction point in the Dark Zone and call for a helicopter. You’ll then have a minute and a half to hold your position until the chopper arrives. Once it does, make your way to the rope that falls from the helicopter and attach your loot. It will be waiting for you at your Base of Operations when you get back.

Calling down an extraction does paint a target on your back from Rogue agents and other NPC enemies. If you want to get through an extraction with strangers, don’t point your gun at them or do anything else to appear hostile. You may be in for a few tense moments of keeping your finger on your trigger, but keep a cool head and you should be OK.

Don’t be tempted to throw a grenade when extracting unless you want to turn Rogue. Grenades will hit other agents, causing them damage.

Gear

Having the best equipment will help you with whatever you want to do in the Dark Zone. The general gear you have doesn’t much matter, as long as it’s the best fit for your character. What does matter is your weapon loadout.

Firefights are common when walking around the Dark Zone, and it isn’t rare to turn a corner and find yourself in the middle of somebody else’s fight as well. That’s why you should always have a gun that can to massive amounts of damage as quickly as possible, such as a shotgun. Make your weapon even faster by adding mods to improve hip accuracy.

As a secondary weapon, something with a little more range is great. The marksman rifle or assault rifle will be your friend here. Make sure to apply a scope to ensure you have the highest range possible. This will make planning ambush attacks much easier.

Skills

Skills can make or break your Dark Zone run, especially if you are playing with friends or going solo. It’s always helpful to have a first aid skill to give you an extra boost of health right when you need it. This also saves on valuable MedKits.

As for other skills, it’s all your personal preference. Using the Ballistic Shield may help out when defending your extraction point, while the Smart Cover would be more helpful if you have a group of allies at your side.

If you prefer a more offensive approach, the Turret helps out as an extra ally if you’re short on friends. The Sticky Bomb can also come in handy, especially if you have the Proximity Bomb skill mod. Both of these could be set up prior to an extraction to gain extra coverage while you wait for your helicopter to arrive.

Going Rogue

Going Rogue is unique to the Dark Zone in The Division. This is what happens when Division agents stop playing nicely with each other, and instead fill each other with bullets. Doing this is incredibly dangerous, but can lead to some easy loot gains.

If you choose to go Rogue, first make sure you have the level 4 filter to get into the Subway. Then, make sure you are fully stocked and ready for a fight. Next, pick a target or two and get a jump on them. Once you make it out of your first encounter, you will have everyone around you looking to take you down.

From here, fight to the Subway. You may encounter NPC enemies, so take them out as fast as possible. Rogue agents have a timer count down until they stop being Rogue, so hold off down here until you have the green light.

So what do you think? Will you be trying out any of these tips on your next run in The Division? Have you found any good Dark Zone strategies that work for you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.