D.C. Dark Zones

The Decontamination Zones of the District of Columbia, colloquially known as the Dark Zones of D.C., are Tom Clancy's The Division 2's version of the open Player Versus Player (PVP) zones with some Player Versus Environment (PVE) elements tied-in.
The Dark Zone is an untamed area of the map where any agents can go off the grid to do terrible things. The Dark Zone is also the most dangerous area in the game, where fear, betrayal, and tensions are high, as any other agent can turn against you and steal your hard-earned loot.
The Dark Zone is per design an area that provides many challenges. The NPCs you meet are brutal – but the biggest challenge has always been the other players. While the DZ used to have a lot of features to make the DZ more PVE player-friendly, with Title Update 8 many of these changes were reversed and the Dark Zone became more focused on PVP.
==Dark Zone Story==
In the early days of the outbreak, the government attempted to eradicate the virus. When these attempts failed, they walled off the most contaminated areas to try to quarantine them. In these newly established Dark Zones, an experimental chemical was deployed to try to help. This chemical (named DC-62) was a massive failure, ending up being just as lethal as the virus. This left large areas of the Capital uninhabitable and caused many looters and factions to not risk entry. That meant that high-tier weapons and gear were left behind and are now up for grabs by anyone who is willing to enter. Unfortunately, some of this gear is contaminated and must be extracted to be cleaned before it can be used. Any agent who is nearby and has questionable loyalties may decide that they'd rather have the loot for themselves and go rogue in an attempt to claim it.
==Gameplay==
The Dark Zone is the only location in which players can roam solo or in a group in an openly PVP environment without limits. In the Dark Zone, players will be able to do challenges, landmarks, take down enemy faction bosses for loot. Similar to Tom Clancy's The Division, players will need to extract the contaminated loot before it can be used in the open world.
=== Normalization ===
In the Division 2, the three Dark Zones in Washington D.C. utilize "normalization" to level the player field. Normalization reduces the peaks and valleys between players who have high survivability or high damage output. Normalization only affects Base Amor and Weapon Damage. AI are not exempt from normalization either; they adhere to the same normalization rules players do.
Matchmaking in the Dark Zones occurs in two separate brackets. On the one side, players are matched in level buckets (1-10, 11-20, and 21-30) and normalized to the same power level. On the other side, all players who have reached World Tier are matched together and normalized to the same World Tier. For players above the normalized power level, bonus statistics are applied to reward you for your time.
=== Going Rogue ===
Players can choose to go Rogue to engage in PvP activities with other players.
===Dark Zone Checkpoints===
Dark Zones now have DZ Checkpoints that are armed with automated turrets that guard the entrance of every Dark Zone, and they protect newcomers from Rogue agents or enemies.
===Invaded Dark Zones===
Once players reach World Tier 1, Dark Zones will start becoming Invaded. The dangerous end-game faction Black Tusk will periodically move in one of the three Dark Zones and give you a challenge. 
===Landmarks===
As you explore the Dark Zone you will find Landmarks. These Landmarks can be special streets, stores, or just random abandoned buildings. These Landmarks are spots where you find strong elite opponents and also named enemies that guarantee good loot-drops for one and usually guard one of the Dark Zone Chests.
Landmarks evolved over time. First, you just needed to clear them and later they got multiple waves. The Landmarks also provide different challenges: Normal and Hard difficulty. 
When someone clears a Landmark, you can see it on the map and you also get a timer indicating how long ago it was cleared. This way you know that a player should be in the area.
===Extractions===
The only way to permanently keep contaminated loot and Dark Zone resources from the Dark Zone is to go through the extraction process. Each Dark Zone has three areas where you can call an extraction. Any player or group member can call the extraction but only one group can call an extraction in such an area. If an extraction is called, a clear visible flair is fired and the players and NPCs in the area will be alerted to the extraction. You will have a clear countdown of how long it takes for the helicopter to arrive.
When the chopper has arrived, another timer will start and every member of the group can attach the contaminated loot to the rope that is dropped. Other players/groups may also attach their loot to the cable and fill up the remaining loot slots (there are 4 slots).
Once the timer is over, the helicopter takes the contaminated loot away. After that, you can pick up the decontaminated items from any Stash. 
This extraction process is for loot only; the player will remain in the Dark Zone and can continue their search for loot. 
It's important to note that, until the helicopter has left, other players can cut the rope and drop all the loot that is attached to it, allowing anyone to pick it up again and steal it. So it recommended to remain at the extraction and wait until the chopper has left - because only then is your loot safe. 
Cutting the rope will turn you Rogue, so expect players to protect their loot when this happens.
===Safe Rooms===
Inside each Dark Zone, you can find a Safe Room. This Safe Room is personal to your group and can´t be entered by other players. This Safe Room has multiple exits that allow you to leave the place from a different exit. The Safe Room is easily recognizable thanks to the big circular marker on the wall. Once you enter the Safe Room, your ammo will be restocked as well.
==Dark Zone Rank==
Player progression is split between Player Level and Dark Zone Rank. While the Player Level defines your progression as a character, your health pool, and what weapon and items you can equip, the Dark Zone Rank is more like a rank system.
Dark Zone XP is earned via Supply Drops, completing or hijacking extractions, revives, killing Rogues or agents, or going . Basically some form of interaction with other players. Dying will cause you to lose some Dark Zone XP and potentially rank down. Currently, the maximum Dark Zone Rank is 50.
The Dark Zone Rank is also tied to the Dark Zone Perks that can be unlocked at the Base of Operations. One Perk becomes available every 5 DZ Ranks and if you drop down in rank, those perks may become deactivated again.
==DZ Supply Drops==
This is a returning activity from Tom Clancy's The Division. In regular intervals, you get a Dark Zone Supply Drop that will land somewhere in the Dark Zone. It will be guarded by strong NPCs and once you have cleared the area – you also need to claim the Supply Drop. When you claim it, you get the reward for the group or you can steal it for yourself and go Rogue in the process. Those Supply Drops will be broadcasted over the map, so all players will know if the Supply Drop is being or was claimed.
Supply Drops can happen in Landmarks that are not active and the fights for these can feature multiple bosses or factions. This will not only raise the difficulty, but it will bring more variety into the game loop and makes the drops less predictable. Also, more bosses and factions mean a higher chance or contaminated loot, so fighting for these drops will be more lucrative.
==Dark Zones Areas==
Every Dark Zone has their own distinct environment, landmarks, and challenges. There are different challenges every time the player plays in the Dark Zone.
=== Dark Zone East ===
Located near the East Mall, Dark Zone East was a military-occupied area. An explosion at a containment storage containing DC-62 led to massive casualties, forcing whatever was left of the JTF and the volunteers to evacuate the area and lead to the area being walled off. The wall off attempt was successful.
=== Dark Zone South ===
Located in Waterfront, Dark Zone South was the primary storage facility site for DC-62, as well as the back-up military base after DZ East was evacuated. A flood breached the vaults containing DC-62 and spilled it across the whole zone. The military and scientists within the zone were once again forced to evacuate and wall off the whole zone. 
=== Dark Zone West ===
Located in Georgetown, the town willfully allowed the government to come in and fumigate the town with DC-62, long before the lethal effects were fully known. The area was walled off shortly after the first few deaths of the toxin happened, and is now a "ghost town". 
==Dark Zone Vendors==
 Outside of each Dark Zone's entrance is a Dark Zone Vendor who offers a rotating selection of items for sale, including at least one Dark Zone-exclusive item (barring Raid-exclusive items); however, they will only accept payment in DZ Resources. 
 DZ Resources can be obtained by deconstructing Contaminated items (requires extraction) or looting specific crates inside the Dark Zones (no extraction required).
Each of the three Dark Zone Vendors have separate inventories. They will also buy items like other vendors, but only pay in E-Credits.
== Gallery ==
Div2 DZ body4 Rogue.png|Concept art of a Non-Rogue Division agent and a Rogue Division agent exchanging gunfire between each other
Div21.jpg|Two Division agents entering a Dark Zone Checkpoint
Div22.jpg|A Division agent extracting an item in the extraction zone by helicopter
Div2 DZ body1 US.png|Concept art of a Division agent requesting for extraction whilst being protected by other two Division agents
Div2 DZ header.png|Concept art of Division agents standing around the entrance to Dark Zone South
Ambush.Division 2.png|A Division agent in Dark Zone East getting ready to ambush a couple of enemies
Division agents in a deadlock.JPG|Division agents in the Dark Zone in a deadlock situation with other Division agents
DZ-West-The-Division-2-600x338.jpg
File:EHkXJS7X0AEDzlB.jpg
==Trivia==
* Prior to Title Update 8, Invaded Dark Zones were named Occupied Dark Zones, where gear normalization was deactivated. The update applied normalization to Invaded Dark Zones as well, meaning the only remaining difference in Invaded Dark Zones is the presence of Black Tusk.
== Appearances ==
*Tom Clancy's The Division 2
Category:Dark Zones
Category:The Division 2
Category:PvP