Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. Guides

How to unlock and use the Gunner specialization in The Division 2

By

One of the early major content updates to The Division 2 added a new specialization to the looter shooter. Dubbed Gunner, the fourth specialization lets you wield a powerful minigun, lob Riot Foam grenades, and use the disorienting Banshee item. Here’s how to unlock and use the Gunner specialization.

Further Reading:

How to unlock Gunner

Division 2 Gunner
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Since specializations are endgame classes, you won’t be able to see or access the Gunner specialization if you haven’t completed the campaign.

Recommended Videos

More bad news: Unlocking Gunner isn’t a quick process — at all. To use the specialization, you need to complete five stages of Field Research. Each stage has numerous challenges, and many of them are time consuming and tedious.

You can check Field Research requirements by pressing Triangle/Y on Gunner while at the Specializations bench (located in the White House). Only Stage 1 objectives will be listed until they are completed.

In Stage 1, you’ll need to shock Roach twice before killing him in the Bank Headquarters, capture all Downtown West control points with the Sharpshooter specialization, kill 20 enemies with the mounted gun in Grand Washington Hotel, and complete five public execution activities using only marksman rifles.

So if you’re keeping score, that means you have to replay two main missions (at least once) and a slew of side activities — just to get through Stage 1.

Stage 2 asks you to capture every control point in the Southwest while the survivalist specialization is active, set Lt. Kennedy on fire three times before killing him on normal difficulty or harder, kill enemies after trapping them in foam, and complete five propaganda missions just using shotguns.

For Stage 3, you have another four tasks. The first is to break Sgt. Wade’s helmet before killing him on normal or harder, capture all the control points in Downtown East and Federal Triangle using the Demolitionist specialization, defeat confused enemies, and do five resource convoy activities with just SMGs.

Stage 4 is just like the rest. Start by beating General Ridgeway without using an armor kit on normal or harder, take down five heavy weapon enemies in the open world, kill enemies after highlighting them with pulse, and beat five territory control activities with just an assault rifle.

Four more tasks await in the fifth and final stage. You need to break all of the Basilisk’s armor before killing him on normal or harder, use mounted weapons to kill enemies in the Roosevelt Island Stronghold, complete control point activities with just an LMG, and finally kill enemies in the open world using mounted weapons.

Year 1 pass owners get instant access

Division 2 Minigun
Image used with permission by copyright holder

You can completely skip the unlock process by purchasing the Year 1 pass for $40. If you own the Year 1 pass, completing the Field Research will unlock exclusive cosmetic rewards instead.

The Year 1 pass gives you seven days’ early access to three DLC episodes (the first drops later this summer), eight exclusive classified assignments, other exclusive goodies, and yes, instant access to the new specializations. Considering Gunner is only the first of three unlockable specializations, you will likely have to grind plenty more without the Year 1 pass.

Gunner: The basics

Division 2 Skill tree
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Gunner specialization grants agents access to a new signature weapon: The Minigun. Resembling the high-powered guns that large green/yellow enemies carry around in The Division 2, the Minigun turns your agent into a tank capable of killing groups of enemies in a hurry. It’s also an ideal weapon for bringing down bosses from close range.

After unlocking Gunner, you’ll have three skill points that can be applied to its unique skill tree in the specializations menu. That’s enough to unlock the class-specific grenade, Riot Foam. These grenades bubble up around enemies, stopping them from moving and using their weapons for a short period of time.

Gunner specialization also comes with a new unlockable item, Banshee. Banshee sends an arc of pulse energy towards enemies that will confuse them regardless of whether or not they are in cover. Two additional mods can increase the range of Banshee and the duration it lasts.

As with the other three specializations, Gunner also has a slew of unlockable talents that do things like increase weapon damage, generate ammo, and increase the rate of fire. As you play as the Gunner class, you’ll earn points to spend in the skill tree.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Steven Petite
Steven Petite
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Steven is a writer from Northeast Ohio currently based in Louisiana. He writes about video games and books, and consumes…
The best weapon mods in Remnant 2
A knight with a gun in a burning square.

Even the best weapons in Remnant 2 will feel weak if you don't upgrade them with mods. These don't just give passive buffs like upgrades, but add entirely new functions to your weapons that can completely change the way you approach combat. While there are a bunch of unique weapons that come with exclusive mods you can't remove or otherwise get to put on other guns, most weapons have a slot for you to place whatever mod you want in them. Just like anything else in Remnant 2, mods aren't given away for free. You will need to go out exploring dangerous areas and take down challenging bosses to unlock them. With over 50 mods to find and try out, we'll save you the time and materials you'd waste experimenting with them all and list off the best weapon mods in Remnant 2.
Remnant 2 best weapon mods
Astral Burst

Let's start off with a great crowd-control option. Astral Burst can be your get-out-of-jail-free card in plenty of overwhelming situations. When activated, you will shoot off a shotgun-like blast of seven star fragments that each deal 35 damage. That may not sound like much, but these fragments can bounce off of walls up to three times, with each bounce increasing the damage dealt by 35%. Making the most of this means doing some quick geometry and aiming to your target after at least a bounce or two, but if you can pull it off, you'll feel like a genius.

Read more
BattleBit Remastered: what are Squad Points and how to use them
Soldiers on a boat sailing toward an island.

Most of the time in BattleBit Remastered, you'll probably be more focused on just trying to survive than anything else. This massive first-person shooter takes all the best elements of the Battlefield franchise, such as the giant, destructible maps, class system, and a strong emphasis on teamwork within squads.

If you've been running with squads, you might have noticed yourself earning something called Squad Points as you play. These points are shared among your entire squad, and building them up is a great way to turn the tides of battle. That is, if you know how to use them. Here's everything you need to know about Squad Points in BattleBit Remastered.
How Squad Points work

Read more
How to get fuses in Dead Island 2
A group of survivors looking stressed and annoyed.

eThere are going to be tons of things blocking your progress when trying to escape LA in Dead Island 2. Aside from the, you know, hordes of zombies, you will find plenty of gates and doors that need power to open. Most can be worked around by installing a battery or circuit breaker, but some require something else. Fuses aren't required at any point in the main story, but instead are limited keys that hide away some of the game's best loot. If you've been spotting all these gates and garage doors taunting you to open them, but lack the fuses to do so, we'll tell you how you can get your hands on some in Dead Island 2.
Where to get fuses in Dead Island 2

Unlike batteries or circuit breakers, fuses won't be found anywhere on the map while exploring. Instead, the only way to get these electrical devices is to purchase them. Obviously, your local hardware store isn't open for business anymore, so your options are limited to the vendors you come across such as Carlos in Emma's house or Ezekiel on The Pier. No matter who you get them from, you're going to be paying a premium. Each fuse costs $1,500, and the sellers usually only hold a few at a time. Even if they had the stock and you had the cash, your character can only hold three fuses at a time before needing to spend them to get more.

Read more