The Division 2 is a cover-based third-person shooter in which up to four players can complete missions together.[1] The game takes place in Washington, D.C., seven months after the events of its predecessor Tom Clancy's The Division, in which a civil war between survivors and villainous bands of marauders breaks out.[2] At the beginning of the game, players create their own Division agent by customizing the character's gender and appearance.[3] The agent is equipped with explosives like grenades as well as firearms, including assault rifles, sniper rifles and submachine guns; these weapons are classified into tiers and rarity. High-quality guns are difficult to obtain but have better weapon statistics and "talents" that help boost players' performance.[4] Weapons can be further customized with attachments like firearm optics, iron sights and barrel attachments.[5] The game also features a variety of gear and armor; wearing gear from the same brand gives players a small performance boost.[6]
As players complete missions, they gain loot and experience points (XP). With sufficient XP, they level up and gain SHD Tech, a currency that is used to unlock new skills,[7] including the deployment of gun turrets, shields and combat drones, or gaining access to weapons like seeker mines and chemical launchers. Each skill has unique mods that change its functionality.[8] The game introduces new types of enemy, including healers and characters who shoot foam at players.[9] During missions, players can request backup, which allows other players to join their sessions.[10] Players can join a clan that can accommodate up to 50 players. The actions of individual clan members contribute to clan XP, which can be used to upgrade the clan for additional gameplay benefits.[11]
Washington, D.C., is an open world for players to explore. Players can recruit non-playable characters (NPCs) by completing missions and providing supplies to settlements. Recruiting NPCs unlocks projects that reward players with gear, XP and blueprints for crafting. Upgrading settlements enables their expansion to include more facilities and gives players benefits such as access to their gear stash or fast travel.[12][13] Discovery of a safehouse reveals the location of nearby SHD caches and additional fast travel points.[14] Players can liberate enemies' control points and call civilian reinforcements to assist in battle,[6] participate in world events,[15] such as stopping public executions and capturing resource convoys,[16] and searching for collectibles including comms, relics and Echoes.[17] Players encounter weapon vendors who buy trinkets (unusable "junk" items players collect) and unwanted gear in exchange for E-credits, the game's currency, for purchasing new weapons, crafting and appearances changes.[18]