The Division 2: The Best Skills and How to Unlock Them

By Dave Horobin,

What are the best skills to choose in The Division 2? With the game available for everyone from tomorrow, and regardless of if you're a returning Agent or a fresh-faced new recruit jumping into the series for the first time, you'll need to learn about the best skills in The Division 2 if you want to chase down those trophies. At the game's release there are eight different skill trees available, containing a total of 27 standard skill modifications. A further three are tied to Specializations.

You can equip two skills at once, meaning you can tailor your Agent to suit your playstyle, or to fit a specific role when playing with a group of friends. Below you will find all the info you need to know about the best skills in The Division 2.

How Do You Unlock Skills in The Division 2?

You will gain access to skills early in the game, once you make it to the White House. You can purchase new skills from the Quartermaster, Coop Dennison, who can be found on the ground floor near the main entrance.

How Much Do Skills Cost?

The first level of each of the eight available skill trees will cost One Skill Unlock point. You earn Skill Unlock points through natural play as you complete main story missions. You will have to progress deep into the story to unlock enough Skill Unlock point to unlock all eight skills.

To purchase an additional skill variant, you will need to spend five SHD Tech. You earn SHD Tech by levelling up your character, completing main story missions, discovering SHD Tech Caches in the world, and completing specific SHD Tech missions.

Which Skills Should You Unlock First in The Division 2?

Which skills you unlock first in The Division 2 will largely depend on how you are playing the game. If you're playing alone, you'll want to focus on skills that can help you during fierce battles. If you're playing as part of a team, you'll want to base your loadout on what your role is within the squad.

The Best Skills for Playing The Division 2 Solo

If you are planning on spending most of your early time with The Division 2 on your own, one of the best skills to unlock is Assault Turret, which you can use to automatically take out enemies for you. Alternatively, the Striker Drone can be a useful addition, as it will automatically track enemies and fire upon them, even when they go into cover. The Restorer Hive is a good option for your second skill, as it can be deployed to restore health when you run out of medkits.

The Best Skills for Playing The Division 2 With a Group

If you're planning on playing with a group of friends from the start, it's best for you to each decide on a role you will play and tailor each of your skills to suit. Early on in the game when you don't have many skills to choose from, playing together tactically can make a huge difference when you're surrounded by enemies. As you progress further into the game and unlock more skills, you can switch up your role within the squad.

You'll also get the added bonus of unlocking the King of the Skill trophy once you've used a skill from all eight of the game's skill trees:

The King of the Skill trophy in Tom Clancy's The Division 2 worth 58 pointsEquip and use each skill.

Full List of The Division 2 Skills

Skill Variant	Skill Tree	Skill Effect
Scanner	Pulse	Pulses surrounding area for hostiles and visually highlights them on the agent’s HUD.
Remote	Pulse	Deployed at a set location and continually pulses the nearby area for hostiles and visually highlights them on the agent’s HUD.
Jammer	Pulse	Pulses outwards, overloading and disabling hostile electronics.
Assault	Turret	Automatically tracks and attacks hostile targets, but this behaviour can be manually overridden to target a specific enemy.
Incinerator	Turret	Manually controlled by the deploying agent to dispense streams of flame in a forward-facing cone.
Artillery	Turret	Requires Demolitionist Specialization: Nearby targeted locations hit by artillery turret.
Sniper	Turret	Fires high-calibre rounds at manually selected targets.
Restorer	Hive	Sends out micro repair drones that expend themselves to repair allies’ armour.
Stinger	Hive	Send out micro drones that attack and distract nearby enemy targets.
Reviver	Hive	Deploys small drones that revive nearby downed allies.
Booster	Hive	Delivers a stimulant to nearby allies that increases their combat efficiency.
Reinforcer	Chem Launcher	Disperses a cloud of gas that repairs and reinforces the agent’s allies’ armour.
Firestarter	Chem Launcher	Creates a cloud of explosive gas that can be ignited through explosives, weapon fire, etc.
Riot Foam	Chem Launcher	Fires a payload of sticky foam that immobilises targets.
Oxidizer	Chem Launcher	Releases a cloud of corrosive gas that damages enemy armour, skill proxies, and causes damage over time.
Blinder	Firefly	Blind enemies it passes over, causing them to be unable to function at full combat effectiveness.
Burster	Firefly	Attaches explosive charges to targets that detonate if two are in close proximity.
Demolisher	Firefly	Damages or destroys enemy weak points, skill proxies, and environmental explosives.
Explosive	Seeker Mine	Can be deployed to track down hostiles and explode on reaching close proximity.
Airburst	Seeker Mine	Rolls toward its target, and launches an explosive burst into the air on reaching close proximity.
Mender	Seeker Mine	Requires Survivalist Specialization: Will release a seeker mine that will repair armor and follow allies.
Cluster	Seeker Mine	Splits into smaller seekers and tracks down enemies, exploding whenr eaching proximity.
Striker	Drone	Tracks targets and attempts to maintain line of sight while continuously firing.
Defender	Drone	Attempts to deflect incoming bullets from a sonic emitter mounted beneath the drone.
Tactician	Done	Requires Sharpshooter Specialization: Adds marked targets to allies’ HUD.
Bombardier	Drone	Requires an agent to set two points, and then deploys a payload of miniature explosives between them.
Fixer	Drone	Replenishes nearby allies’ armour, or can be manually targeted on a specific ally.
Bulwark	Shield	Provides near full-body coverage, but its bulk means that only sidearms may be used while it’s equipped.
Crusader	Shield	A lighter shield that allows all primary weapons to be equipped while it’s equipped, but exposes the agent’s legs.
Deflector	Shield	Causes incoming bullets to ricochet to a nearby highlighted target with a clear line of sight to the agent. Though not a full-body shield, lack of a brace means that only a sidearm may be used alongside the shield.

That's it for our guide to the skills available in The Division 2. If you have your own tips for hunting down the game's trophies, be sure to write up a solution on the Division 2 trophies list.

More Tom Clancy's The Division 2 stories:

Game Guide PlayStation 4

Written by Dave Horobin

Dave is the TrueTrophies Social Manager and has been a Newshound since 2010. When he's not chasing developers and publishers for early review copies, he can usually be found on the TrueTrophies social pages discussing all things TT related.