The Division: How to Extract Loot from the Dark Zone

The only way to secure any loot found in The Division’s Dark Zone- including weapons, gear, or mods- is to extract it. Once a piece of gear is extracted from the Dark Zone it will become a permanent part of that player’s arsenal. It’s crucial to go into the Dark Zone and get as much as you can, because the loot you get within is a whole lot better than what you’ll come across in the regular streets of NYC.

Navigate to an Extraction Point

Once you have obtained the loot you wish to extract, open up your map by pressing either the view button or the touch pad and setting a waypoint for one of the extraction zones on the map. These appear orange and are often in open areas. Be careful on your way to them and always keep in mind that if you die you will drop all the loot you have in your pack. Not to mention that it’s important to remember there is a limit to what you can carry.

Signal for an Extraction

When at the extraction zone, hold down either the X on the Xbox One or Square on the PS4 to fire a flare and signal for an extraction helicopter. Once the flare is fired off, all other agents will be alerted that an extraction has been started. You will also have alerted random mobs, too.

Defend Your Loot

It will take 90 seconds for the helicopter to arrive once the extraction is triggered. You must defend your loot from opposing agents for the duration of this countdown. If there are no mean people on your server, you’ll basically just have to defend from waves of difficult, Dark Zone, NPC enemies.

Attach Loot

When the helicopter arrives, you will have 30 seconds to attach your loot by pressing “X” (Xbox) or Square (PS4) before the helicopter leaves. Once the item has been placed on the rope, it belongs to the player who attached it. However, keep in mind that getting shot while attaching it will reset the bar. You’ll need to either clear out enemies quickly or have some friends cover you while you attach your loot to the rope.

Retrieve the Loot

Once you have exited the Dark Zone, go to your base of operations and find the crate labeled “Stash.” It is located slightly to the right after entering the main portion of the base. Press “A” (Xbox) or “X” (PS4) and navigate to “extracted” by using the shoulder buttons. Any loot extracted from the Dark Zone can be placed into your inventory from there.

It’s a challenge to complete, but fact that you can increase your arsenal in the Dark Zone makes it all worth it. If you need more help with The Division, check out our wiki!