Who are The Division 2 Black Tusks faction? Revealed at a preview event and present at the end of the Private Beta, the Black Tusks faction are the most organised, tech-savvy, and heavily armed faction that appear in The Division 2. In particular, they pose a new challenge to high-level players when they reach The Division 2’s endgame, invading key areas across the Washington, D.C. map after you hit level 30, and just generally making a nuisance of themselves.
Whereas factions such as The Division 2 Hyenas are more akin to rabid looters, using scavenged weapons and armour to wage war against SHD agents, the Black Tusks faction is essentially a private army that have been waiting in the shadows for their chance to strike. They also use tech such as drones and robot dogs to chase you out of cover and keep you on your toes.
Join us as we examine the Black Tusks faction, from their weapons and enemy types, to how they tie into The Division 2’s story and endgame.
Using the trailer below as a basis, we can see that The Division 2 Black Tusks are in the game to provide a serious endgame challenge. As creative director Julian Gerighty explains, they are definitely the “hardest faction” Massive Entertainment has ever made.
Thankfully, Black Tusks soldiers are easy to spot: if the black suits of armour and high-tech gear doesn’t give them away then the robot dogs strapped with artillery certainly will.
As the trailer shows, Black Tusks are impeccably equipped, boasting tough armour and deadly weapons. From our hands-on experience battling Black Tusks, we noted their use of drones, airburst grenades, and those mechanised Boston Dynamics-like robot dogs known as Warhounds. While that’s a lot of firepower we find that the pups go down pretty easily if you focus your fire at their legs, especially if you’ve got some explosives.
By the time you encounter the Black Tusks faction, you’ll have unlocked one of the three known Division 2 Specializations – new endgame subclasses replete with special weapons and skills to help you mould your character further after hitting max level.
What separates the Black Tusks from The Division 2’s other cannon-fodder is that they invade missions after the campaign is complete, essentially forcing a change of tactical approach in an otherwise comfortable area and giving you reason to repeat main quests. This combat prowess will be on full display, too – Black Tusks are also able to take back territory from the Division agents, introducing a unique push and pull mechanic that will see you fighting for control of the city.
They’ll also invade one of the game’s three Dark Zones each week, making that particular zone even less forgiving. Their appearance also removes the damage normalisation of the standard Dark Zone and friendly fire, so plan accordingly as PvP builds will matter a lot more in the Occupied Dark Zone.
Ubisoft has confirmed that Black Tusks don’t necessarily deal more damage or have more health than any other enemy in the game, and the difficulty of their encounters is actually more to do with the aggressive tactics and strategies they employ in each battle.
They are smarter than the average soldiers you’ll fight, working their way into flanking positions with impressive regularity and using their technological prowess to draw attention away from comrades that you’ve pinned down with suppressive fire. They are also more dynamic than the Hyenas or the True Sons, as they will switch between aggressive and reserved combat styles mid-fight.
Shop ’til you drop: Find out more about The Division 2’s brand sets
Not a lot has been revealed about the intentions of the Black Tusks when it comes to taking over Washington, D.C. but Ubisoft says there will be “narrative twists” in the endgame and subsequent free DLC, so presumably this will flesh out the Black Tusks and their links to The Division. Here’s hoping we find out who is funding those shiny, deadly toys of theirs.
There is still a lot of information we don’t know about the Black Tusks at this stage, but it would be fair to say they’re a group we’ll become very acquainted with after hitting max level.