The Division 2 Guide And Tips To Projects, Settlements, Junk Loot, More

Washington DC is in trouble in Tom Clancy's The Division 2. A civil war has broken out between the multiple factions of cutthroat marauders that rule the city's streets, threatening the safety of those left alive following the pandemic crisis from the first game. As a Division agent, your mission is to take the city back, which you do through a loot-based third-person shooter. As such, if you aren't well equipped with the tactical and mechanical know-how to quell the numerous threats, you won't get far.

After a stagger release, The Division 2 is now available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC for all players. To help you be the best you can be, we've compiled essential tips you should know as well as important details about the game's myriad systems, including crafting, settlements, junk, projects, and much more. There's a lot to this game, as is to be expected given that Ubisoft wants you to be playing it for a long time. It boasts an expansive endgame on top of an expanded Dark Zone, among other things.

For more about Ubisoft's online multiplayer shooter, check out our feature detailing how it feels to play the game solo. We also have a roundup feature compiling our latest news, features, and videos of the The Division 2. Though, be on the looking in the coming days as we'll be posting guides about the best guns and most effective ways to power level--though you'll find one tip regarding XP bonuses below.

GameSpot gave The Division 2 a 9/10 with Senior Editor and Producer Edmond Tran saying in his review in progress: "After spending 30 hours completing the campaign and beginning to dabble in the endgame, I'm still enamored with The Division 2. The range of enemy types continues to keep combat encounters challenging, the equipment I earn and pick up continues to feel different and valuable. The ravaged environments continue to intrigue, and sometimes they're so stunning I find myself needing to take a screenshot before I move on. There is still so much to see in The Division 2, but I want to take the time to see it. I have absolutely no clue why I'm here or what anyone's motivations are, and I wish I had a narrative purpose to my endless hunger for progression. But I'm glad to be here right now."

Got any more handy tips that we didn't highlight here? Let us know in the comments below!

It’s easy to want to go from mission to mission without a break but it's important to return to both your Base of Operations and settlements from time to time to unlock new bonuses.

Upgrading settlements unlocks new resources like officers who grant you access to things like the crafting bench, Clans, and the Dark Zone. If you're unsure whether or not anyone new can be recruited, look at a settlement on the map and it'll tell you if there's a new officer available to join the cause.

Another benefit is you’ll see the settlements grow overtime; this includes new rooms and areas for NPCs to hang out, and a cleaner, tidier space that looks more active. This is more of a visual upgrade rather than a practical one but it's pretty cool to see a community thriving thanks to your help.

As you explore the world and complete missions, you’ll naturally get the materials required to complete Projects. Make sure to offload everything you get towards them, either by accessing the Projects tab in your menu or visiting the proper NPC at any of the Settlements. This is a great way to gain tons of XP, ensuring you're ready for late game play sooner than later. In addition, you're rewarded crafting blueprints, which is a nice perk to help upgrade and customize your gear loadout.

When you pick up loot, if you're just going to junk it later, remember to “pick up as junk” with the RT/R2. Some of your junk can be donated towards Settlement Projects if they call for it, so check your projects first. The rest can be sold and deconstructed. Speaking of deconstructing, it's generally better to break down junk for materials rather than sell it early on, at least until you have a healthy supply for crafting.

It's worth holding onto low level Legendary weapons, chests, backpacks, knee pads, and any high end stuff because you can use them for recalibration later on. That is, sacrificing the item for the talent perk it gives, and then putting it on something you want.

There's a plethora of side quests in The Division 2 that you can typically just find while exploring. But don't forget there's also several sidequests you can accept from folks at the settlements. Make it a habit to check back often so you don’t miss out on cool missions, like a plot to steal back the Declaration of Independence.

Choosing Skills can be daunting since you're not able to test them out before spending skill points (or SHD Tech) on them. It's especially disappointing when you choose something you thought would be cool but isn't exactly what you thought it was. So to help out, we have a few good ones that are safe bets early on. The chem launcher offers several variants, but the Firestarter and Oxidizer are great for melting away the armor of tougher enemies--note that the chem launcher does take a few moments to equip, aim, and shoot. The shield variants are all good in certain situations, but the Bulwark was particularly great for getting out of sticky situations, especially if you have a good sidearm to pair with it. And team players will definitely want the Reviver variant of the Hive skill, since you can revive teammates from a distance with it.

You'll likely acquire enough skill points and SHD Tech in the late game so you can acquire a majority of the available skills, but the aforementioned skills will certainly help in the early game.

Once you gain access to the crafting station, you can use all the blueprints you’ve been collecting to craft new gear. The thing is, as you play the game your gonna be constantly collecting new and better loot. So when it comes to weapons and armor pieces, spending your resources to craft new ones won’t really be worth it until you hit max level, when you can then start crafting specific gear for the build you want.

What you should do instead is craft mods. They are level-agnostic making them always useful, and it's easy to swap mods from gear to gear.

Another thing to keep in mind that while you can’t craft exotic gear, you can use the crafting station to upgrade them. For example, if you pre-order the ultimate edition you get the Ruthless, an exotic level 1 rifle. It may quickly become useless early on, but if you save it and then upgrading it after max level, you’ll have a dope level 30 exotic.

If assault rifles aren't your thing, semi-auto rifles are a great alternative--particularly the M1A and ACR SS. Don't let their high recoil turn you away, rifles are actually effective at taking down enemies in a few shots at close-range and perfect for mid-long range firefights.

Safe Houses aren't just refuges for you to restock on supplies and sell loot. They actually have computers containing locations of nearby SHD Tech. In addition, checking a Safe House computer informs you of the three objectives you need to complete to liberate the area from enemy control.

Focus on spending your SHD Tech on every XP bonus Perk early on. It may not seem like much first, but with perks like Headshot Accolade and Multi-Kill Accolade active, you'll be gaining levels faster than players without them. This is yet another handy way to fast track your way to endgame activities.

One of the nifty bonuses you get from upgrading the Theater Settlement to level 4 is the firing range. Located in the basement of the White House, the firing range lets you try out all your weapons. From simple target practice that tests your accuracy, to finding out how much DPS you can dish out, the firing range is a great way to compare and contrast weapons and will no doubt be very usual for figuring out end-game weapon builds. Another cool bonus is that your exotics will be displayed on the wall for you to appreciate.

Brand Sets give you extra bonuses on your gear. Equipping three of the same branded pieces can unlock the stat boosts/perks attributed to that overall set. For example, the Providence Defense brand grants you +10% skill power, +8% health, and +5% weapon damage if you equip any three of their gear pieces. Brands are easily identifiable with their transparent logo next to the pictured gear. You wouldn't think brand loyalty would be so important during a post-viral outbreak, but hey, whatever you gotta do to stay stylish.

The Division 2 encourages playing alongside other players. If you're having trouble surviving, don’t hesitate to call for help or respond to calls for help from others. If you get a backup request, press the map button on the controller and then use RB/R1 to enter the matchmaking menu. Then choose “answer the call.”

Don't let your character level get in the way of playing with higher level friends. The game autoscales your level one level under the highest level in your party, making it easy to do later missions with your buddies who have more time on their hands. And once you start the matchmaking process, you can even play while you wait for folks to party up. You don’t have to sit on the menu, it’s great!

If you find the list view of your inventory cumbersome, you can change it to display as a grid instead by opening the options menu while viewing your loot. Simply toggle the Grid option in the menu and enjoy the benefits of tidy organization!