The new Division 2 specialization, the Gunner, is now live. If you’ve bought a Year One pass you’ll unlock it immediately upon entering the White House—but everyone else must complete a series of challenges before getting their hands on the specialization’s trademark minigun. These challenges, known as field research, are split into five multi-part stages, and can be arduous to complete. If you’re wondering what lies ahead, or if you’re looking for advice for a particular objective, then read on for our The Division 2 Gunner field research guide.
Each stage has four requirements, and we’ll go through them all in detail below. If you’re having trouble completing an objectives, you’re not alone: players are reporting that certain steps are bugged. Hopefully Ubisoft will release a patch soon. As a workaround, you can try completing the bugged objective in the White House’s shooting range instead, which is working for some players.
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The Division 2 Gunner Field Research Stage 1
You can do the following four tasks in any order you’d like, though you must complete all of them before anything from stage two opens up.
Task 1: Shock Roach twice before defeating him in Bank Headquarters on Normal or harder difficulty.
Roach is the final boss of the mission, and you can find shock ammo in the middle of the room he’s in, near the metal railings. Load shock ammo into your pistol, deal with other enemies and then pull out your pistol when Roach arrives, shocking him at least twice before killing him.
Task 2: Capture all Downtown West control points while using the Sharpshooter specialization.
You need to actively capture them, so any points already under friendly control won’t count. You’ll have to wait for them to be lost, and then recapture them.
Task 3: Defeat enemies with the mounted gun in the Grand Washington Hotel on Normal or harder difficulty.
The gun is near the beginning of the mission. Kill enemies with it, and then die to the last enemy in the room to respawn at the previous checkpoint. Rinse and repeat until you’ve killed enough enemies.
Task 4: Complete five public execution activities with only the marksman rifle.
This one is self-explanatory: just make sure you don’t kill enemies with skills, as it might invalidate the activity.
The Division 2 Gunner Field Research Stage 2
Task 1 : Set Lt. Kennedy on fire three times before defeating him in the Air & Space Museum on Normal or harder difficulty.
You can find incendiary ammo in the hall after the Mars exhibition, on the east end of the upper balcony. Load it into your pistol, and save it for Lt. Kennedy’s arrival.
Task 2: Capture all Southwest control points with the Survivalist specialization active.
Again, control points that are already captured don’t count.
Task 3: Defeat enemies that are trapped in foam.
This can be done on missions or just during free roam: use the foam chem launcher skill on lower-tier enemies for an easy kill.
Task 4: Complete five propaganda missions using only shotguns.
Don’t get kills using skills.
The Division 2 Gunner Field Research Stage 3
Task 1: Break Sgt. Wade’s helmet before defeating him in ViewPoint Museum on Normal or harder difficulty.
He’s the mission’s final boss.
Task 2: Capture all Downtown East and Federal Triangle control points using the Demolitionist specialization.
If you already own any control points, wait for the enemy to take them, and then recapture.
Task 3: Defeat enemies while they’re confused.
With no way to reliably confuse enemies using your own tools, your best bet is to look out for the charging Hyena enemies wielding batons, who have a hip bag that will confuse other nearby enemies when shot. Complete activities in Hyena territory, or take on Hyena bounties. Alternatively, group up with a player that has already unlocked the Gunner specialization and get them to use their Banshee confuse skill on enemies.
Task 4: Complete five resource convoy activities using just an SMG.
Convoys are the red, rectangular icons that move around the map.
The Division 2 Gunner Field Research Stage 4
Task 1: Defeat General Ridgeway in the Capitol Stronghold without using any armor kits on Normal or harder difficulty.
Task 2: Defeat five heavy weapons enemies in the open world.
Activities in True Sons areas are a good place to start.
Task 3: Defeat enemies highlighted with Pulse.
Equip your Pulse skill and use it on cooldown, killing enemies before its effects run out.
Task 4: Complete five territory control activities using only an assault rifle.
Don’t kill enemies with skills.
The Division 2 Gunner Field Research Stage 5
Task 1: Destroy all of the Basilisk’s armor before defeating him on Roosevelt Island on Normal or harder difficulty.
The Basilisk is the big enemy wearing yellow armor towards the end of the Roosevelt Island stronghold. He wears six armor pieces: as soon as you’ve broken one, focus fire on another. Alternatively, continuously shoot him with the Demolitionist’s grenade launcher, which damages all of his armor equally. If you think he’ll die before you can break all the armor pieces, die and respawn before the fight.
Task 2: Use a mounted weapon to kill enemies in the Roosevelt Island Stronghold.
You’ll find mounted guns about halfway through when you’re told to rescue Angela Woods—there’s a minigun on the right side of this area. Die to the last enemy in the zone, and repeat until you’ve killed enough enemies.
Task 3: Use only an LMG to complete control point activities.
The game doesn’t specify how many, but players are reporting that this only works if you capture both Ivy Tunnel (in Constitution Hall) and The Mast (West Potomac Park) control points.
Task 4: Defeat enemies using mounted guns in the open world.
Pick a control point with a mounted gun, and use it to blast enemies away. When you’re defending the point and just an enemy leader remains, die to them and then fast travel back to the control point to mow down more enemies that have spawned there.
Hat tip to Reddit user frinol for this handy image outlining the stages.
