The Division 2 factions - all enemy types explained
Different factions have taken over Washington D.C. in The Division 2. Each one dangerous, each one with their own goals and ideals. They all have one thing in common - they hate the Division agents that get in the way of their chaos. Enemies in The Division 2 do have many different icons and colours, so we will be going over all of them.
Want to know everything about the various different systems in The Division 2? Head on over to our The Division 2 guide hub to find lots more information about the game. More will be discovered as Agents pile into Washington D.C., so stay frosty. If you're looking for information about the pre-endgame skills of The Division 2, head on over to our The Division 2 best skills guide for the best skills to unlock and equip, while our The Division 2 best perks guide will go into more detail about the perks themselves and which ones are best to unlock early. For those that just want to get to the endgame quickly, our The Division 2 How to level up fast guide will give you tips on how to do that quickly.
The Division 2 factions guide
With a surprisingly diverse set of enemies, it can be confusing what each one does in The Division 2. This guide will introduce you to the three enemy factions, what the colours mean, and finally a list of all the icons discovered so far. The icons are tied to each of the enemy factions, which in turn have unique traits and weaknesses.
The Division 2 enemy factions
There are three main factions which Ubisoft have kindly introduced. They all have their own territory within Washington D.C., as well as their own agendas. In Ubisoft's own words, here are the three factions and their agendas. There is a fourth faction, but they will be saved for a separate guide, since they're a lot more dangerous.
- Hyenas - "A loosely organised gang of opportunistic raiders that prey on struggling civilian encampments through violence and intimidation. These hedonistic scavengers take everything they can steal and destroy everything else to deprive their enemies of valuable resources. The Hyenas are led by a council of the strongest pack leaders."
- True Sons - "A group of paramilitary warlords bent on using their combat expertise and overwhelming firepower to dominate their enemies and expand their territory. Smart and organized, the True Sons are led by a former JTF officer whose ruthlessness and combat prowess make him and his combatants a horrifying force."
- Outcasts - "Bitter survivors of a forced quarantine bent on revenge against those who brutally imprisoned them and the society that stood by and let it happen. Their charismatic, bloodthirsty leader believes everyone is complicit and urges her followers to punish the guilty by spreading sickness and murdering indiscriminately."
Enemy colours
You may have noticed that there are three enemy colour types in The Division 2.
- Red - These enemies are your standard mobs that don't take a long time to take down.
- Purple - These enemies have shields that protect them from damage. Once depleted, they do not restore them.
- Yellow - These foes are the toughest in that they have higher shield counts, or even protective armour that prevents damage being dealt.
The Division 2 enemy icons
The following table has the enemy icons found within the game. To make it as clear as I physically can, I've crudely recreated each of the icons for the enemy types discovered so far - I make no apologies - along with the types of enemies and any weapons/weak points. Note that this table will be updated often as more enemy types and variants are discovered in the coming weeks. Note that the Outcasts are not in here yet as I need to get to them to find out what they can do, but below are the ones I've discovered so far:
| Enemy Icon | Enemy Type | Hyena variant | True Sons variant | Outcast variant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assault | Regular run and gun shooter. Can walk slowly towards you shooting gangster style. No weaknesses apart from headshots. | Frequently has assault weapons and will try to flank you more often. No weaknesses apart from headshots. | Frequently has assault weapons and will try to flank you more often. No weaknesses apart from headshots. |
| Thrower | Same as Assault but will occasionally throw grenades or come equipped with a grenade launcher. Wears a satchel that upon being shot will explode. | Same as Assault but will occasionally throw grenades or come equipped with a grenade launcher. Wears a satchel that upon being shot will explode. | Same as Assault but will occasionally throw molotov cocktails. Wears a satchel that upon being shot will burst into flames. |
| Heavy | Equipped with a LMG, will slowly walk towards you. Has armour which needs shooting off to expose fleshy points for damage. | Equipped with a grenade launcher, will slowly walk towards you. Has armour which needs shooting off to expose fleshy points for damage. | Equipped with a flamethrower which has a surprising amount of range, will slowly walk towards you. Has armour which needs shooting off to expose fleshy points for damage. |
| Wireless operator | Will occasionally send out a RC bomb (see RC vehicle). Shooting the satchel they have equipped will stop them using it. | N/A | N/A |
| Sniper | Uses a sniper rifle to take you down from afar. Can also use flashbangs. No weaknesses apart from headshots. | Uses a sniper rifle to take you down from afar. No weaknesses apart from headshots. | Uses a sniper rifle to take you down from afar. No weaknesses apart from headshots. |
| Rusher | Takes some gas to become frenzied, before running up to you and attacking with a knife. Shooting the satchel will release gas, confusing anyone in a small radius. | Comes equipped with a shotgun and will try to flank you. No weaknesses apart from headshots. | Runs towards you and explodes when close. Shooting the bomb will prematurely detonate their charge. |
| Controller | N/A | Will occasionally deploy or repair a turret (see Mech). No weaknesses apart from headshots. | N/A |
| Medic | N/A | Attacks you at close range with a stun gun, but will focus on reviving dead enemies. There is a progress meter that warns you when they are reviving. No weaknesses apart from headshots. | Attacks you at close range with a stun gun, but will focus on reviving dead enemies. There is a progress meter that warns you when they are reviving. No weaknesses apart from headshots. |
| Tank | Equipped with a shield that you can shoot through the window at the top. No weaknesses apart from headshots. | N/A | N/A |
| Machinegunner | Has a protective helmet that you can shoot off before scoring headshots. Uses LMGs primarily. Once head is exposed, headshots do lots of damage. | Has a protective helmet that you can shoot off before scoring headshots. Uses LMGs primarily. Once head is exposed, headshots do lots of damage. | Has a protective helmet that you can shoot off before scoring headshots. Uses LMGs primarily. Once head is exposed, headshots do lots of damage. |
| Sticky | N/A | Enemy has a goop gun that can fire off a sticky substance to immobilise you. If you shoot the drum on their back, they'll be coated in goop. | N/A |
| Mech | N/A | A turret that fires automatic rounds if it tracks you. Can be repaired and deployed by a Controller. | N/A |
| RC vehicle | A remote controlled buggy with a bomb strapped to it, detonating when close to you. Shooting once will detonate it prematurely. | N/A | N/A |
That's everything you need to know about the enemy factions so far in The Division 2. We will have some more guides on the game in the coming weeks ahead, so stay frosty out there with your new stuff and come back soon where we'll have a lot more tips for you. In the meantime, if you preordered or obtained one of the many special editions to the game, head on over to our The Division 2 preorder bonus item guide for the steps that need to be taken to unlock these items for use in-game.