Looting is all well and good, but you’ll often be better off in The Division 2 by crafting your own items. As you get stuck into the late game, crafting your own equipment unlocks new armor options and bonuses that can prove crucial in fights, making it well worth learning. In this guide we’ll run you through how to craft new items in The Division 2.
Before you can start crafting, you first need to unlock the feature. To do so, play through the story missions relating to The Theater until you unlock Resilience. Once you have this, you should be able to peak to Inaya al-Kaliq to recruit her to the Whitehouse. You can now make your way back to the Whitehouse and find the rating area on the bottom floor, past the Quartermaster.
Unlocking crafting isn’t enough to let you make anything you want. Your next step will be to find recipes for gear. Recipes are rewarded for completing missions, projects and other activities, so keep playing until you’ve got one. Return to the crafting station and you’ll be able to see the crafting components needed to build that item. There are a wide range of materials to collect, from Steel to Polycarbonate and Protective Fabric. You’ll likely have saved some up by now, but if you don’t have enough then head back out into the world until you find enough. You can view your current resources from the bench by hitting the button on the bottom of the screen.
With a recipe and the resources required, all you need to do is craft the item at the crafting station by finding it in the menu and holding down the button listed. Anything you make can be equipped immediately or added to your inventory. Right now you’re able to make weapons, holsters, backpacks, chest pieces, gloves, knee pads, masks and mods, though you’ll need to find the recipes for each first.
If you’re having trouble remembering which resources you need, it’s possible to set a crafting recipe as a Project, which will allow you to check your resources at any Projects vendor. Don’t forget that you can also break down unwanted items into crafting resources.
Now that you know how to craft in The Division 2, check back at the station every couple of levels to see what new stuff you can make. If you’re heading out to loot for recipes and resources, learn how to access The Dark Zone for some high-end gear, and keep yourself topped up on e-credits with our guide.
