To a new Division player, the Darks Zone can seem like a terrifying and especially confusing place. There are no real instructions, quests or waypoints to follow when you get into the Dark Zone. It’s up to you to explore the different sectors to find out where the NPC’s are spawning, where the extractions sites are, where the safe houses are hidden, all while avoiding rogue agents.

Entering the Dark Zone

Getting into the Dark Zone can be done via one of the many checkpoints located around the city. Each checkpoint has its own vendor with a rotating stock, so it’s worth checking out each one to see what’s for sale.

Once you’re in you’ll want to stick to a sector that’s within your level range. You can see the different sectors and their recommended levels via the map. There will also be a wall that appears when you approach a sector denoting its level range. The higher the level of a sector, the tougher the enemies and the better the loot.

Each sector will also contain one or more Safe Houses. You can think of these as mini bases, and while they only have a Dark Zone vendor and a restock case to offer, it’s a great spot to escape marauding players and form a strategy for your next move.

What do I do in the Dark Zone

The Dark Zone offers players two different playstyles. You can go in planning on farming NPC’s for Dark Zone experience and currency, or you can go rogue and hunt down other players to steal the loot they’ve farmed off of NPC’s (as well as some experience and currency).Of course there will be times where you partake in a little of both, but usually once you make the fateful decision of going rogue, you keep it going the entire play session.

Going Rogue

Speaking of going rogue, you may be wondering what that means. Essentially all it means is that you’re a player that likes to attack other players and the game marks you as such with a big skull over your head. This skull will stay over your head for a short period of time, during which you will be marked on nearby player’s maps.

The game also provides an incentive for other players to hunt you down. If you are killed while rogue, there will be a chance that you drop a piece of your regular gear along with whatever you had in your Dark Zone bag and your Dark Zone Keys.

It’s not all bad though, because luckily the rogue status does wear off after a set period of time (unless you continue attacking non rogue players) and when it does you’ll be rewarded with Dark Zone experience and currency. The higher your rogue status was prior to expiring the more Dark Zone credits you’ll receive.

The highest level of rogue is Manhunt, which has a seriously long timer and alerts all players in the sector to your location. Reaching this level pretty much guarantees death unless you’ve got a good skilled group with you, or there are not a lot of other players in that sector.

Farming NPCs

If you want to keep the stress levels a little lower and farm to some music, you’ll be wanting to look out for NPCs. You can find them scattered around the map, but the highest concentrations of them can be found in the landmarks areas on your map. The bosses of these NPCs (named characters with gold health bars) will usually drop the best loot. They can also drop Dark Zone Keys which are used to open the Dark Zone chests that you’ll find hidden in the different landmark areas.

Extracting Contaminated Loot

Now that you’ve got your loot either from killing other hapless players or taking down armies of NPCs, it’s time to extract it so that it can be equipped. That’s right, you can’t actually use that shiny new weapon you just peeled off of bluntman420’s corpse until it’s been properly cleaned. Cleaning in this case being extraction via one of the several extraction points located in each sector.

The extraction points are helicopter pads that will give you the option to call in an extraction chopper when you stand on them. After calling in the bird, you’ll have to survive 90 seconds until it gets there, wherein it will lower a rope that you can attach your Dark Zone loot to. If you manage to get it attached to the rope, congratulations the loot is all yours.

Unfortunately the extraction zones are a hot spot for betrayal and enemy ambushes looking to grab that loot from you before it leaves the ground. Be sure and either have a couple group members with you, or stay hidden before sprinting out to attach your satchel. Those 90 seconds waiting for the chopper are the most vulnerable you’ll be in the Dark Zone.

As you can see, the Dark Zone is a bit of mixed bag of mayhem. Watch your back at every turn and get that loot onto the chopper as fast as you can before you fall prey to one of the less merciful agents of the Division.