The Division 2 specializations: how to unlock the Sharpshooter, Demolitionist and Survivalist, and raise hell

Division 2 Specializations are absolutely key to progressing once you reach the Division 2 endgame, thanks to the insanely powerful weapons and perks available. Division 2 Specializations are like a class system, so you can fill a specific role within your squad and it gives you more to progress towards within The Division 2. Here's everything you need to know about Division 2 Specializations.

How to unlock Division 2 specializations

You encounter Division 2 specializations when you reach the true endgame. which means you have to:

Reach the level 30 cap
Complete all three Stronghold missions: Roosevelt Island, District Union Arena, and Capitol Building

Once you've done that you're able to visit the white house and choose a Division 2 specialization at the quartermaster's station (where you get your skills and perks). It's not a permanent choice so you can return to the quartermaster to chop and change if you don't like what you've picked, or if you just fancy a change.

The only thing to be aware of is that the Division 2 specialization points you use to level these classes up take a while to earn and are nontransferable. So to get the best out of a role you have to commit.

Division 2 specialization points, perk unlocks and levelling

Division 2 specialization perks don't use SHD tech like the main game, instead they use Specialization Points that can only be earned by completing various endgame activities. These include a range of activities like completing Strongholds or beating Invaded Missions. It's important to remember that you'll only earn specialisation points for the Division 2 specialization you have active.

Division 2 specialization equipment and ammo

Each Division 2 specialization has it's own piece of special gear in the form of a unique weapons that balances power with limited ammo. It's basically your ultimate, or special, to pull out the bag when you really need a super move.

To get ammo you'll have to play to a specialization's strengths. So a demolitionist can get specialist ammo from explosive kills, sharpshooters from headshots and so on. Any specialist ammo you generate is indicated by an orange glow so don't miss it. It's also worth noting that you really want to have different specialistaions on your team so you're not stealing each others ammo.

The Division 2 Sharpshooter specialization

The Division 2 sharpshooter specialisation is unsurprisingly about range, using a TAC-50 C sniper rifle to fight from a distance. The key thing here is that the TAC-50 can pierce enemies and armor, and generate a small damage area of effect as it does, meaning you can line up shots and hurt multiple targets.

Because of the focus on range you want skills that enhance that potential. For example the Sharpshooter Tactical Link skill will give everyone one the team a 10% headshot damage bonus if they're closer to the enemy than you. While the One in the Head perk will boost your headshot damage by 25%. Pair them up and no head is safe. One in the Head also unlocks X-Stat Armor Kit Supplementary, which will cut the healing effect of armour kits by half, but removes status effects and increases resistance to them.

This is a class for getting to a good position and wailing on the bad guys from miles away, and its perks really dial into that. The My Home is my Castle perk gives you extra armor in cover, while Round After Round automatically generates rifle ammo after 20 seconds in cover. Finally Vital Protection knocks 20 off your critical hit chance - all of which will help you stay put when you find the perfect spot.

And, to help you land those shots, the Deft Hands perk increases reload speed while Breath Control improves weapon stability. The Sharpshooter’s Tactician perk also unlocks a scouting drone that seeks out and locates enemies, relaying positions back to the team.

The Division 2 Demolitionist specialization

The Division 2 Demolitionist specialization is your go-to damage dealer using a M32A1 grenade launcher to bombard the enemy. The M32A1’s has a knockback ability that deals extra damage, while the Demolitionist Tactical Link gives a 5% increase in damage to an enemy out of cover to the entire team. The Demolitionist specialization also has an artillery turret that can fire a barrage of explosive shots at targets you call out.

The Explosive Ordnance skill tree amps this high damage approach. Explosive Ordnance provides three levels of increasing explosive damage. Then skills like Frag Grenades cause bleeding damage, or Incombustible increases burn resistance by 20% to help you get in and deliver DPS aplenty.

Because this specialization is all about that damage, the perks are built around tanking the enemy. The Onslaught perk boost LMG damage while Crisis Response will refill your ammo when your armor hits zero. It means that, with clever healing management, you need never run out of ammo. Then there's Braced for Impact which will ignore explosion damage once every 60 seconds and Vital Protection to knock 20 off your critical hit chance, again. And, for the less heavy weapons, the Spray and Pray perk increases SMG damage to give you some serious close range bothering potential

Finally there's the Demolitionist X-Stat Armor Kit, which gives you perfect weapon handling but slightly delays healing - an instant 70% heal upfront with the remaining delivered after the handling boost wears off.

The Division 2 Survivalist specialization

The Division 2 Survivalist specialization is the nearest thing to a support class. Its focus is on dealing status effects like confusion or bleeding damage, and buffing squad members. That happens via the unique crossbow weapon. It'll hurt enemies well enough with a hit, but fired at the ground or wall the bolts create an area of effect that can detonate explosively, dealing damage and inflicting a bleed effect. Perks like Incendiary Grenade will let your grenades inflict a burn status while the Survivalist Tactical Link gives the team a 10% damage boost against enemies suffering from status effects.

Consolidating the support role are things like the the Mender Seeker mine that finds team mates and repairs armor (great to team up with a rampaging Demolitionist) while the Triage Specialist skill increases the amount of healing you can do. The Distributed Repair skill also lets you heal over a radius of 10 meters, albeit at a slower speed. The Scraping By perk also rewards mobility by generating ammo while you're moving from cover to cover.

The Division 2 DLC specializations post release

We don't know anything about post-launch Division 2 Specializations. Only that there will be some arriving over the first year of updates and there are some obvious gaps to fill. There's no out and out healer for example, and a Dark Zone specific specialization would be a great addition too.