The quickest way to gain XP and level up to 30 in The Division 2

I’ve waited for The Division 2 to release for 3 years, so racing to the finish line may seem a bit strange. After all, you want to savour the game that you’ve waited so long for, right? The thing is, the end game is where I had the most fun in The Division, and that was the same for a lot of players – sure, the missions were fun, but what I really want is that sweet loot and you don’t get that until you hit level 30.

So, since I first booted up The Division 2 I’ve been testing out a number of different ways to see how you earn the most XP in the shortest amount of time, and my results are below:

Always Matchmake

The matchmaking in The Division 2 is great; it’s quick and easy to team up with a group of fellow survivors, and to gain the most XP you should take advantage of this, as not only do things seem a little easier (mainly because you can be resuscitated) but having more people in your group makes more enemies spawn, which means you get more XP. The best thing about this is not only that there are more enemies for you to kill and get XP from, but you also get XP from any kills made by other people in your group. Considering that, let’s be conservative and say that double the amount of mobs spawn (most likely more); that means that for each mission you complete as a group you’re gaining double the mob kill XP than if you were to play alone.

Complete the campaign (the right way)

It goes without saying that the campaign will provide you with the majority of the XP needed for you to hit level 30, however, there’s a correct way of completing it that will provide you with more XP quicker. Instead of powering through the campaign (which is tempting), take your time and only complete Main Missions that are appropriate for your level.

If you were to complete a mission that was a couple of levels higher than you are then you will be left with a large XP deficit once you finish the campaign, which will leave you grinding Side Missions and other activities for longer than you need to. It will also take you longer than required if you play missions that are above your level, which slows down your XP gain. Instead, complete side activities such as propaganda messages, hostage rescues, and control points, to ensure you’re the correct level for each mission. Try not to complete too many Side Missions however, due to the following point.

Leave side missions for last

Side Missions will also provide you with 1/3 of your XP bar as a reward, which means you should save these for when you have finished the campaign and need even more XP for each level. For example, let’s say for level 4 you need 10,000 XP to level up, so completing a Side Mission will bag you 3,300 XP as a reward, but if you were to leave these until you were level 24 and needed 100,000 XP to level you would receive 33,300 XP as a reward, so it’s a no-brainer to leave these until last. Of course, you won’t need to complete all of the Side Missions to hit level 30, so if you’re in need of some SHD and some Side Missions offer it as a reward then feel free to complete a few.

Purchase the XP-boosting perks

The Quartermaster has loads of perks for you to choose from, but if you’re looking to get to level 30 in a rush then the first perks you’d want to pick up are the XP-boosting perks, these will offer you bonus XP for the following:

• Headshot Kills
• Killing multiple enemies at the same time e.g. grenade kills
• Kills by destroying enemy weak points
• Kills using environmental objects e.g. oil barrels
• Not dying for a long time (this is vague, it doesn’t tell you how long)

Each of these are fairly easy to pull off and over time will give you a lot of bonus XP. They’re also pretty cheap to unlock so they should be the first things you spend your SHD Tech on (after the required perks, of course, such as the secondary weapon slot).

Complete Projects

You should naturally complete Projects as you progress through the game, but if you actually spend some time actively trying to complete them you’ll gain a lot of easy XP. Some only require you to donate some gear and items to control points, some ask you to collect SHD Tech from the area, and some ask you to simply complete activities in a certain area, which you’ll end up doing anyway. Not only do you get a good amount of XP for completing Projects but you also get various items and blueprints which are all pretty decent.

More ways to earn XP:

• Collect Items for Bonus XP: Whenever you hear “there’s an electronic device nearby” that means that there’s a phone for you to pick up. Have a quick look around (they’re easy to spot) and collect it – you’ll hear some voice lines and you’ll gain bonus XP. The same also applies for ‘Echoes’.
• Look out for XP-Boosting Mods: There are various equipment mods in The Division 2 that will provide you with a small amount of bonus XP whenever you kill an enemy. It’s only a small boost but every little helps on the road to 30.

That concludes my guide on the quickest ways to gain XP in The Division 2. Do you know of any other quick ways to farm XP that I’ve missed? Let me know in the comments if so and I’ll be sure to get them added!