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What Happens After Level 30 in The Division 2? A Deep Dive into Endgame

Reaching level 30 in The Division 2 is a significant milestone, marking the end of the initial campaign and the beginning of the true endgame experience. It’s not simply the end of the road, but rather a starting point into a wealth of new challenges, rewards, and progression systems. Once you hit level 30, the game fundamentally shifts from a linear narrative experience to a more open-ended, dynamic environment focused on player progression, gear optimization, and challenging endgame content. You’ll be introduced to new mechanics, enemy factions, and progression systems, making the game feel almost like a completely new experience. Let’s break down what exactly happens after reaching level 30.

Unlocking the Endgame: World Tiers and Specializations

The most immediate change is the introduction of the World Tier system. Upon completing the final story mission at the Capital Building, you’ll head to the White House and talk to your Quartermaster. This triggers the first major endgame shift. Instead of simply leveling up, you are now moving through World Tiers, which progressively increase the difficulty and rewards in the game.

World Tiers

World Tier 1: This is the starting point for your endgame journey. The Black Tusk, a new heavily armed enemy faction, invades Washington D.C., taking over previously liberated strongholds and missions. This invasion means all previously completed content is now relevant again with tougher enemies and better rewards.
Progression through World Tiers: To progress from one World Tier to the next, you’ll need to complete specific invaded Strongholds. This involves repeating the missions you’ve already completed, but with the additional challenge of the Black Tusk. As you conquer each stronghold, your gear score, the new measure of power for your agent, increases, allowing you to tackle higher World Tiers.
Gear Score: After reaching level 30, your agent’s power is no longer defined by the level, but rather by their gear score. Each piece of gear you acquire will have a gear score number and the average gear score of your loadout determines your ability to take on challenges at higher World Tiers. As you progress, the maximum gear score increases, signifying your continuous power growth.
Reaching World Tier 5: Your goal after hitting level 30 should be to reach World Tier 5, which is the highest World Tier prior to the Warlords of New York expansion. This is where you’ll encounter the most challenging content and the best gear drops, making it a must-reach for serious endgame players.

Specializations

The Quartermaster will also offer you three new Specializations upon reaching level 30. These specializations are essentially advanced classes that offer unique skills, talents, and signature weapons, allowing you to further customize your playstyle. Initially, you will have access to three of them, with more available through purchasing the Year 1 Pass.

Each Specialization Features:
- Unique Signature Weapon: Devastatingly powerful weapons like a grenade launcher, a tactical crossbow, or a sniper rifle designed for dealing massive damage and controlling crowds.
- Specialized Skill Tree: A unique set of abilities and talents that further define your role in a team.
- Specific Skill Variant: Each specialization provides a different variation of common skills, allowing for a new level of combat customization.

Endgame Activities

Level 30 opens up a wide range of engaging activities to keep you playing long after the credits roll. This includes:

Invaded Missions and Strongholds: These are core to your World Tier progression. The Black Tusk have taken over key locations and you’ll have to take them back. They offer challenging combat, as well as a direct path to higher gear score items.
The Dark Zone: A high-stakes, PvPvE area where you can acquire powerful gear, but at the risk of running into other players who may turn rogue and steal your hard-earned loot. The Dark Zone at level 30 is where a lot of veterans spend their time farming for optimized items.
Daily and Weekly Missions: Regularly updated missions offering additional rewards, including high-level gear, materials, and experience. These are a great way to keep your character progressing.
Control Points: You can secure and upgrade Control Points across the map, fighting off enemy factions to maintain your control and obtain valuable resources. The higher the Control Point level, the better the loot.
Gear Set Optimization: As your gear score increases, you will start to accumulate gear sets which offer powerful bonuses when multiple pieces are equipped. Optimizing your gear and stats becomes crucial to taking on the toughest challenges.

Moving Beyond Gear Score: The Warlords of New York Expansion

If you have the Warlords of New York Expansion, the endgame landscape changes significantly. Upon completing the expansion’s campaign, players can then move beyond gear score and start collecting SHD levels.

Level 40 and SHD Levels: The level cap increases to 40. At level 40, you gain access to Keener’s Watch, a system that replaces your Gear Score with the SHD level. This provides an infinite progression system, rewarding you with attribute bonuses and resources.
SHD Level Progression: This is an account-wide progression. If one of your characters reached SHD level 1000, any subsequent level 40 agent you create will have access to those levels.
Endless Character Improvement: The SHD Level system allows you to continue to improve your attributes and resource rewards, as well as gain cosmetic unlocks.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can you go past level 30 in The Division 2?

Yes, if you have the Warlords of New York expansion, you can level to 40. Without the expansion, 30 is the max level.

2. What is the point of the World Tier System?

The World Tier system provides a progressive endgame challenge, increasing enemy difficulty and gear score cap with each tier you advance.

3. What does Gear Score mean in The Division 2?

After Level 30, Gear Score represents your agent’s power. It is an average of the quality and power of your equipped gear.

4. How do you progress through World Tiers?

You progress through World Tiers by completing specific invaded Strongholds introduced when the Black Tusk invasion begins.

5. What are Specializations and how do I get them?

Specializations are advanced classes offering unique skills and signature weapons. They unlock when you hit level 30 and talk to the Quartermaster at the White House.

6. What should I do immediately after reaching level 30?

Your immediate goal should be to begin your journey through the World Tiers and obtain the Specializations.

7. What is the max gear score in The Division 2?

Without the Warlords of New York expansion, the max gear score was 515. With the expansion, gear score is replaced with SHD levels, which have no cap.

8. What is SHD level in The Division 2?

SHD levels are an infinite progression system unlocked when you reach level 40 and complete the Warlords of New York campaign. They provide stat boosts and rewards.

9. Do enemies scale in The Division 2?

Yes, enemies do scale to a maximum of 2 levels below your current level (1 level if you only overlevel an area by a single level) in specific areas, so it’s always worthwhile to explore.

10. What is the Dark Zone?

The Dark Zone is a high-stakes PvPvE area where you can acquire powerful gear, but with the risk of being attacked by other players.

11. How do I access the level 40 content?

You access the level 40 content by purchasing and completing the Warlords of New York Expansion.

12. What is the best way to get high-level gear in The Division 2?

Focus on completing invaded Strongholds, doing daily/weekly missions, and exploring the Dark Zone at higher World Tiers.

13. What happens when I complete all story missions?

Once you complete the story missions and reach level 30, the Black Tusk will invade, and the endgame begins. You then will continue your progression through World Tiers, gearing up and improving your character.

14. What is the goal of The Division 2 endgame?

The endgame goal is to continually improve your character through gear optimization and SHD level progression, allowing you to take on progressively more challenging endgame activities.

15. Is the endgame of The Division 2 rewarding?

Yes, the endgame provides a variety of challenging activities and rewards players with powerful gear, unique abilities, and infinite progression, providing a truly rewarding experience for dedicated players.

What happens after level 30 in The Division 2?