This is a list of each step divided by the crafting materials required to proceed.

Step 1. Turret ability: 3x weapon parts (blue), 3x electronics (blue), 2x tools (blue)
- Loot a Shelter or a Helicopter Crash.
- Craft the Turret ability.
- Craft the Additional Medikit Pouch (optional)*¹.

Step 2. First Aid ability: 3x electronics (blue), 1x medkit, 1x tools (blue)
- Loot a Shelter, a Helicopter Crash or a Landmark.
- Defeat the enemies you meet helping yourself with the Turret (now they drop blue or higher weapons/armors)
- Craft the First Aid ability.

Step 3. Basic Virus Filter: 1x fabric (blue), 1x tools (blue)
- Loot/Craft a weapon (blue or higher).
- Craft the Basic Virus Filter.
- Loot/Craft -15°/-19° Clothes (or do it later).
- Craft the Advanced Virus Filter (optional)*¹.
- Enter in the Dark Zone from DZ02 or DZ03 entering points.

Step 4. Flare Gun: 2x weapon parts, 1x division tech (yellow)
- Collect the Antivirals (optional)*².
- Loot a Division Cache (optional)*².
- Craft the Flare Gun*².
- Call for the extraction from the DZ02 extraction area (y1296 - x2011).
- Defeat the Hunter.


*¹The Survival Equipment can be crafted only with blue materials.
You have to collect their crafting materials before to enter in the Dark Zone because you can't loot blue materials there (you can dismantle other items to get them but it's a tricky way).

*²The extraction is your final goal in this mode.
The Flare Gun requires 1x Division Tech (1x from the Antivirals Cache, 2x from the Division Cache).
The Antivirals are not mandatory to extract but the Antivirals Cache garantees 1x Divison Tech in each game.
If you are playing in a team and your teammate crafts the Flare Gun, you could decide to craft a yellow weapon. An Helicopter can extract up to 4 players.

Check "Division Caches in the Dark Zone" for more details about the Division Caches locations.

The east side has the hardest routes.
In contrast with the west side, the east side got an unbalanced design with the resources and the interesting points centrated in few sections and only two entrances to the Dark Zone.

I tried to make a route but the east side doesn't offer so much approaches.
I considered a south-east spawning point, exceeding a bit with the amount of points.
If you spawn in a norther point of the map, start your route from the closest point.

Customize this route basing it on the spawn point and your collected items.


*¹The Landmark (Construction Area) has to be considered only if you spawn near to the E34th Street.


*²Antivirals Cache position depends by your entering point, the entering points of other players and the looted Antivirals Caches inside the Dark Zone.

*³Division Cache can be found along the way to get the Antivirals.
It's located in a dead end (on your left coming from north) of a side street with many red enemies.

The west side has the easiest routes. It is wide and full of interesting points.

I designed these routes considering a south-west spawning point, exceeding with the amount of interesting points. I think a couple of Helicopter Crash or 3-4 different Shelters are enough to collect everything needed to enter in the Dark Zone.

If you spawn in a norther point of the map, start your route from the closest point.
Customize your route basing it on the spawn point and your collected items.


*¹The Shelter (Bus Depot) has to be considered only if you spawn near to the 40th Street.
I have included it because this Shelter is right between a spawn point and the Helicopter Crash (y1521 - x887).

*²This Shelter is often skipped by other players because they are focused on the near Helicopter Crash (y2009 - x1122). It's worth spend few seconds to check the shelter because you can loot 1x clothes, 1x food, 1x small cache, 2x medium caches.

*³Antivirals Cache position depends by your entering point, the entering points of other players and the looted Antivirals Caches inside the Dark Zone.

The routes proceed based on two different Antivirals Cache locations.


*⁴This Division Cache is near to the Antivirals Cache on the rooftop (Landmark: Construction Site), guarded by two red enemies.
Use the climbing rope from the 45th Street and the external stairs to reach the 2nd floor.
Avoid every enemies inside the building and go straight to the rooftop. Don't worry about the two red enemies on the rooftop, they won't alert the enemies inside the building.


*⁵This Division Cache is behind a statue in Bryant Park.


*⁶These Division Caches are inside a Landmark (Kalkesse Sports Store). There are enemies on the ground floor and the 1st floor. It's very hard looting the Division Cache located on the first floor without being spotted.
I suggest you to loot only the Division Cache on the 2nd floor, using the external stairs and the balcony (5th Ave or W38th St) to avoid the enemies; the Division Cache is propped against the west wall.

If you are looking for blue and purple gear/weapon or clothes, there are series of caches to loot next to the Dark Zone east border:

• y2134 - x♥♥♥♥: 1x Medium Cache
  
• y2021 - x1556: 1x Small Cache
  
• y1535 - x1625: 1x Small Cache
  
• y1203 - x1757: 2x Clothes and 1x Tools (enemy presence)
  
• y1131 - x1842: 1x Small Cache (enemy presence)
  
• y1116 - x1847: 1x Large Cache (enemy presence)
  
• y1085 - x1830: 1x Small Cache (enemy presence)

I have included the Division Caches in my routes because they can be collected on the way.
They are not necessary to extract but you need them if you want to craft the yellow weapons*¹.

Don't worry if the Division Caches listed above have been already looted, there are many others.
Here there is a map of the Division Caches between the DZ01 and the DZ05.



*¹Check "Weapon advices 2: Dark Zone and Hunter fights" for more details.

It's possible meeting some roaming elite enemies.

They are extremely dangerous, expecially the Tanks, but it's easy to avoid because of the storm.



1x Tank (yellow) - (Rikers)
Between y915 - x1040 and y926 - x990 (9th Ave and W31st).
Between y926 - x990 and y1187 - x988 (9th Ave).

1x Assault (yellow), 1x Thrower (yellow)/1x Rusher (red) - (LMB)
Between y1483 - x1420 and y1483 - x1643 (W40th - Broadway).
Between y1536 - x1625 and y1057 - x1813 (Broadway - 6th Ave).
Between y1165 - x1631 and y1165 - x1815 (W34th - 6th Ave)
Between y1165 - x1631 and y1238 - x1631 (W34th).

1x Tank (yellow), 1x Thrower (yellow) - (Cleaners)
Between y1565 - x1246 and y1565 - x1010 (W42nd).

2x Assault (yellow) - (LMB)
Between y866 - x2428 and y1056 - x2428 (Park Ave).
Between y1403 - x2431 and y1526 - x2431 (Park Eve - Park Ave Viadout).
Between y1403 - x2431 and y1404 - x2478 (Park Ave - E39th).

1x Heavy soldier (yellow) - (Rikers)
Between y1080 - x2768 and y1080 - x2905 (E33th).

2x Tank (yellow) - (Rikers)
I met 2x Tanks (Rikers) inside the Dark Zone a couple of times but I can't remember the coordinates.

The safest place where you can fight the Hunter is the DZ02 Extraction Area (a parking car rooftop, coordinates: y1296 - x2011).

This extraction area offers a lot of advantages: it is small and isolated, you can fight keeping everything under your control.
Most of the time, the Hunter will be under your sight, without being able to hide, blindside you or keep active his healing support station.

It's made up by three small floors:

• Upper Floor: the landing zone.
  
• Middle Floor: a section with two 360° covers, an elevated point and two climbing ropes.
  
• Lower Floor: an indoor section where you can repair yourself from the cold.

The floors are connected between them by small ramps without covers; the ramps can be used to deal heavy damages to the Hunter if he tries to run away using them.


The area ha been designed with two climbing ropes (middle floor, W37th Street side).
You can use them to escape safely or to reach another player who is extracting.

The Hunter is going to spawn from these three points:

(Remember: If you are already fighting an Hunter and a player gets close to the extraction points, another Hunter will spawn).

The middle floor is where you have to fight the Hunter.
The truck and the container garantee you a 360° cover.
The same container can be climbed to reach an elevated point/cover, you can watch the whole area from there or you can fight the Hunter with a long range weapon*¹.


Use your weapons and the turret together to press the Hunter.
The turret won't let him rest and it will keep the Hunter on your sight.
If the Hunter will try to use any medkit, it will be wasted because of your constant pressing.

The granades are useful if the Hunter reaches a cover out of turret range: you need to keep the hunter always exposed making him changing covers.

Remember: the Hunter could hack your turret.
If this happens, destroy your turret remotely (don't waste your ammo) and use it again ASAP.


The Hunter will use the healing support station (more times): you can destroy it easly (as said above: this is a small area and you have the control).

Don't rush if the Hunter will run away to take cover in the upper floor! There are no real cover there for you.
Stay calm, try to shoot him or his heal support from the verge of ramp, without exposing yourself too much.

Remember to use the turret and the granades.
You need to wait in the middle floor or force the hunter to change cover escaping there.
Do whatever you can to keep the fight on the middle floor.

If you are in an extreme situation, you can keep the distance escaping to the lower floor.
Use the car as cover (the front side and the right side/wall side).
The Hunter is going to use the cover in the middle of the room (exposing himself) or he will try to shoot you from the ramp (even more exposed).


*¹Check "Weapon advices 2 : Dark Zone and Hunter fights" for more details.

My approach with this mode is stealth, with few little quick fight on middle range.

I prefer to use the Assault Rifles and the LMGs (and the SMGs as last choice).
These weapon types offers useful weapon bonuses:

• Assault Rifle: enemy armor damage
  
• LMG: DMG to target out of cover
  
• SMG: critical hit chance

Another useful thing about these three categories is the high rate fire.
A high rate fire can stun the enemies stucking the for short moment.

My favorite common lootable weapons are G36, SCAR-L, AK-74, L82, M60, PP-19 and AUG A3.
They have a low recoil, a high rate fire and a good DPS.

The best lootable weapon is the purple Lightweight M4.
You can loot it from the benginning of the match with a bit of luck.
It can match with the other "end-game" weapons in the same category, as you can check in the screenshot below: the stats can compete with the yellow G36 Enhanced equipped with yellow and purple weapon mods.


Anyway, a blue G36 or M60 are enough to defeat the hunter.

Probably the best craftable weapons to use inside the Dark Zone are: the G36 Enhanced, the Custom M44 (Hunter fight only) and the Black Market M60 E6.

G36 Enhanced
It is perfect to fight the purple and yellow enemies using the bonus armor damage.
This weapon is really versatile and it can be used to fight the Hunter on short-middle range without issue; unfortunately, the bonus armor damage won't affect the fight because the Hunter doesn't use an armor.

I suggest you to equip it with Critical Hit Chance, Critical Hit Damage or Headshot Damage weapons mods:

• Critical Hit Damage: C79 Scope (blue)*¹, Loud Vent Brake (yellow), Small Grip Red (yellow)
  
• Critical Hit Chance: Rugged Mini Reflex (yellow), High Velocity Magazine (yellow)
  
• Headshot Damage: VX-1 Scope (12x) (green)*¹

Custom M44
It can defeat the Hunter with two headshots (almost one headshot with the Weapon Mods equipped) and his Support Stations can be destroyed with one shot.

I suggest you to use it with the following weapon mods to increase the bonus headshot damage:

• VX-1 Scope (12x) (green)*¹: up to 9%*²
  
• Omega Rifle Suppressor - Tan (blue)*¹: up to 11%*²

For example: my base bonus headshost bonus was 168%, then increased to 188% using only two Weapon Mods.
In a game I tried to mix different bonuses and I could deal about 125.000 with one headshot.

The damage can be increased even more wearing the yellow gears (Firearms orientated*²) and attributes such as Damage to Elite*², Marksman Rifle Damage*², etc.



Black Market M60 E6
It can run 100 ammo thank to its magazine capacity.
It's a can be a good weapon to use during the extraction because the Hunter can be pressed with a continuous fire preventing any heals.
Also, the Hunter sprint a lot trying to mimic the real players' behavior and an LMG can deal bonus damages to an enemies out of the cover.

It's possible to increase up the magazine capacity up to 157 ammo with the Extended Magazine (green)*¹.
The only issue with this weapon is a bit of recoil but you could compensate it with the some Weapon Mods to increase the stability.

• Stability: Angled Grip - Red (Blue)*¹, CQBSS Scope - FDE (purple), Compensator (yellow)

*¹These weapon mods can be crafted only in specific hideouts. Their blueprints are not available inside the Dark Zone.
Check "Crafting: missable weapon mods" for more details.

*²The attributes and other bonuses are RNG based.
For example, a crafted Extended Magazine could be 46% and 57%. There is no way to plan the crafting results unfortunately.

There are few weapon mods which are unique in their category.
They have to craft them before to enter in the Dark Zone.



Hideout (green):
Magazine Size: Extended Magazine (green), up to 57%*¹
Headshot Damage: VX-1 Scope (12x) (green), up to 9%*¹

Hideout (blue):
Magazine Size: Extended Magazine (green), up to 57%*¹
Headshot Damage: VX-1 Scope (12x) (green), up to 9%*¹
Headshot Damage: Omega Rifle Suppressor (blue)*², up to 11*¹
Critical Hit Damage: Pro Red Dot Sight (blue), up to 12%*¹
Critical Hit Damage: C79 Scope (3,4x) (blue), up to 12%*¹
Stability: Angled Grip - Red (blue), up to 8%*¹

Hideout (purple):
Headshot Damage: Omega Rifle Suppressor - Tan (blue)*², up to 11%*¹

Hideout (yellow):
Critical Hit Damage: C79 Scope (3,4x) (blue), up to 12%*¹
Stability: Angled Grip - Red (blue), up to 8%*¹



*¹The attributes and other bonuses are RNG based.
For example, a crafted Extended Magazine could be 46% and 57%. There is no way to plan the crafting results unfortunately.

*²The Omega Rifle Suppressor (blue) and the Omega Rifle Suppressor - Tan (blue) share the same possible attributes.
The only difference is the skin colour and the hideout where you can craft them.

There are five Hideout types, the blueprints are based on the distance between each hideout and the Dark Zone.



Hideout (green)


Hideout (blue)


Hideout (purple)


Hideout (yellow)

*¹The Survival Equipment can be crafted only with blue materials.
You have to collect their crafting materials before to enter in the Dark Zone because you can't loot blue materials there (you can dismantle other items to get them but it's a tricky way).

Check "Crafting: dismantling and material conversion" for more details.

Hideout (red)

*¹The Survival Equipment can be crafted only with blue materials.
You have to collect their crafting materials before to enter in the Dark Zone because you can't loot blue materials there (you can dismantle other items to get them but it's a tricky way).

Check "Crafting: dismantling and material conversion" for more details.

Dismantling the equipment:

• Weapons (sidearm) (green): /
  
• Weapons (green): 1x weapon parts (green)
  
• Weapons (sidearm) (blue): 1x weapon parts (blue)
  
• Weapons (blue): 1x weapon parts (blue)
  
• Weapons (sidearm) (purple): 2x weapon parts (blue)
  
• Weapons (purple): 2x weapon parts (blue)
  
• Weapons (sidearm) (yellow): 1x weapon parts (yellow)
  
• Weapons (yellow): 1x weapon parts (yellow), 1x division tech
  
• Weapon mods (green): 1x tools (green)
  
• Weapon mods (blue) : 1x tools (blue)
  
• Weapon mods (purple): 2x tools (blue)
  
• Weapon mods (yellow): 1x tools (yellow)
  
• Gear (green): x1 fabrics (green)
  
• Gear (blue): 1x fabrics (blue)
  
• Gear (purple): 2x fabrics (blue)
  
• Gear (yellow): 1x fabrics (yellow)
  
• Gear mods (green): 1x electronics (green)
  
• Gear mods (blue): 1x electronics (blue)
  
• Gear mods (purple): 2x electronics (blue)
  
• Gear mods (yellow): 1x electronics (yellow)

Converting the materials:

• 3x green materials > 1x blue material
  
• 3x blue materials > 1x yellow material
  
• 1x Division Tech > 1 yellow material
  
• No one material can be converted in 1x Division Tech.

1. The Turret is a must have. You have to craft it ASAP.
It can support you during the fight and it detects the enemy position.
Also, the turret could be used to lure the enemies far from a position, letting you loot the boxes stealthy avoiding useless fights.


2. The Additional Medikit Pouch*¹ is not necessary to proceed but I suggest you to craft it right after the Turret if you can.
That's because probably you'll find many other craft items trying to get close to the Dark Zone and you will have more chance to survive if you can keep 3 medikits instead of 2.


3. The First Aid is the most useful ability in this mode.
Devs know it and probably that's why you can craft it only in the more advanced hideouts (the ones which let you craft yellow materials also).
The First Aid ability garantees you free infinite cures, so you can avoid to use medkits if you are fighting or when your freezing.


4. The Basic Virus Filter is mandatory to proceed during this mode.
I suggest you to craft it as last one, right before to approach the Dark Zone.


5. The Advanced Virus Filter*¹ is optional but it can be useful if you want to enter in the contaminated areas trying to find some box to loot, or if you want to cut your route throught these areas.
It requires the Basic Virus Filter to be crafted.


*¹The Survival Equipment can be crafted only with blue materials.
You have to collect their crafting materials before to enter in the Dark Zone because you can't loot blue materials there (you can dismantle other items to get them but it's a tricky way).

Check "Crafting: dismantling and material conversion" for more details.

The game starts with a temperature of -33° and it will increase getting close to the core of the Dark Zone.

The temperature inside the Dark Zone is between -15° and -19° (rarely -22°). So, wearing clothes with a -19° protection is enough to stay safe until the extraction.

You can check your lowest supported temperature in Menu > Inventory > Apparence.


If you want to play safe, you to craft -15°/-19° clothes before to enter in the Dark Zone.
You can craft the best clothes (1x yellow fabrics) in the hideouts near and inside the Dark Zone.

Remember: don't rush wasting the materials, the yellow fabrics are a common material in the Dark Zone.

Don't use both the weapon slots
This is not a pure fight mode and you need to proceed caring about your resources.
Using a slot won't let you empty it anymore (you can only switch the current weapon with another one).
An useless weapon locked in a slot means few weapon parts locked.
Crafting has the priority: weapons = weapon parts.

I suggest you to use only one primary weapon at time. A primary weapon and the turret ability are enough to fight.
If you need to switch your weapon, just pause the game and select another one using the same slot.

Don't craft the Support Station
The Survival mode is not intended to work like the main game: your skill issues can't be balanced with the gears or the abilities.
Most of the times, the Support Station is going to be destroyed letting you die anyway, with the results you have wasted the materials and one ability slot.
If you have planned to use the Support Station because there is a high probability to die during a fight, just avoid the fight.

I suggest you to use the First Aid ability. The Support Station ability it's safer to use if you are playing in a team and someone else can lure preserving the Support Station.

Don't craft the Pulse
The Pulse can detect the enemies making them easier to see inside the storm. It increases your critical hit chance and critical hit damage.
I think is a good ability in the main game but it is wasted in this mode. The benefits last few seconds and you are forced to hide the most of the time.
A good idea could be using the Pulse only if you are playing in a team.

I suggest to use the Turret. It can't give you critical hit chance bonus but it can detect the enemies pointing them with the laser, it can distract the enemies and it's support you longer.

Purple and yellow gears are overrated
You have to stay focused with a stealth approach, using the storm to plan your moves and being quick and accurate.
As result of this: it's just a huge waste of time looking for purple/yellow gears materials at any costs.
The game offers everything you need in your way to the Dark Zone and the Antivirals.

A blue good weapon and mixed purple/blue gears are pretty enough to extract without big issue.
Yellow Gears matter only if you interested with the final score and you want to grind the Landmarks inside the Dark Zone.