In The Division, the new mode Survival is available. We provide tips and tricks on how to master the new challenge.
On November 22, the Survival mode was released on Xbox One and PC. The DLC for PS4 arrives on December 20. This new mode is a kind of “Battle Royale”: You, along with 23 other agents, are in a hostile environment, fighting against enemies and the cold, hunger, and thirst. You try by all means to get into the Dark Zone and survive.
To ensure you are not overwhelmed at the beginning, we provide you with a guide that you can refer to. Which weapon should I use? What skills should I rely on? And what should I actually do first when I spawn?
The First Steps in Survival – How to Start Survival
“Survival” is a new mode that is completely separate from the rest of the game. You start a session by going to the terminal at the door labeled “Survival.” Now choose whether to play in a group or solo and whether you want the PvE or PvP variant.
After a short cutscene, which you can skip, you are off. Right near you is crafting material that you should look for. With this, you can craft the first clothing that protects you against the cold. Don’t run out into the snowstorm without warm clothes! At the beginning, the cold is your greatest enemy.
You can now decide whether you want to head to the helicopter crash site or not. There you will find good equipment, but other agents will also head there. If you play PvP, you need to prepare for fights with other players over the items. However, even in PvE, the items are accessible to everyone. Others can snatch them away right in front of your eyes.
Three Important Things for Survival
You should pay attention to these three things as you progress through the game:
- Water: Your agent is thirsty. When he drinks water, he better recognizes items and crates nearby. This enables you to farm the gear you need to survive more efficiently. The crates are sometimes well hidden. Without water, you will run right past them without even noticing them. Therefore, drink enough to have the items marked.
- Food: Look for edible items like energy bars to regenerate your health. If you’re hungry, you won’t recover. Eat only when you have low health points. Otherwise, you waste the food.
- Medications: Your agent is infected and only has one hour left to live. Search for medications and painkillers to keep him alive longer. However, you don’t need to worry too much about this. An hour is a lot of time, and you will encounter plenty of medications on your journey.
Crafting Equipment and Weapons – The Best Weapons in The Division for Survival
There are several safe houses spread across the map. The first agent to arrive there receives special items. Additionally, you will find crafting stations. These are particularly important in Survival mode as you need to craft your gear.
Here you also craft your weapons from weapon parts. In Survival, light machine guns are said to be outstanding. They may currently be the “best weapons” for this mode, as they come with a large magazine, solid precision, and good range. Moreover, machine guns in The Division are also easy to control even without mods. Choose an M60 or M249.
Since you don’t want to get too close to enemies – after all, you must start over if you die – a precision rifle is recommended as a secondary weapon. However, a significant disadvantage is: In a snowstorm and fog, it is difficult to see the enemies from a great distance. Especially in the PvP variant, SMGs and shotguns are also recommended for close combat.
Focus on Toughness and Skills – Defense is the Best Offense
In Survival mode, everything revolves around survival, as the name suggests. Toughness is therefore the most important attribute and should be prioritized over a high firearm value.
At the beginning, your agent has no skills. You will also need to craft these. With First Aid and the Pulse, you can’t go wrong, but other skills are useful too, such as the Ballistic Shield or the Turret. Both skills ensure that fewer bullets hit your agent.
Let’s Go to the Dark Zone
While you fight for survival, do not lose sight of your goal: the Dark Zone. The closer you get to this zone, the stronger the opponents will become. So do not run directly into doom, but equip your agent with better items as you slowly approach the Dark Zone. If you don’t feel ready for that yet, turn back and farm items from lower-level enemies. At landmarks, you will find enemies that are more likely to drop good items.
Within the Dark Zone, you will find sealed containers scattered that you can collect. If you manage to extract these at the end, they will serve as additional rewards for the Survival mode. You can carry up to 6 crates.
Now grab the remedy in the Dark Zone. Craft the flare gun with the Division tech that comes with the remedy, and use it at an extraction point. But be careful: Hunters will appear now. One Hunter per agent at the extraction point. These enemies are tough to defeat, so be careful. They can use various skills and even heal themselves. Stay in cover and defeat them.
In the end, you will receive rewards based on your performance. You can receive up to 15 sealed containers per Survival session. More information about the end and rewards of Survival can be found here.
What tips do you have to share?
