The Division 2 / Dark Zone

The Division 2 Dark Zone Guide: Toxic, Blackout, and Red Moon Rising

Red Horizon Dark Zone changes, the new uncapped Blackout PvP zone, Toxic PvE rules, where Vertigo and Sarru drop from the Phoebe Marauder, and Raigulus Dark Zone footage.

Dark Zone Surge Watchlist

Event window	July 7-14, 2026
Official bonuses	3x Dark Zone XP and double DZ currency.
Best video angle	Dark Zone Surge farm test, Toxic DZ route, or DZ currency/XP comparison.
Source	Ubisoft Into the Dark schedule

Red Horizon Dark Zone Changes

Toxic Dark Zone arrived in Into the Dark and became a permanent PvE fixture in Red Horizon. Variants now rotate weekly across DZ West, East, and South, with one PvE and two PvP Dark Zones active at any time. Toxic and Balanced stay in rotation every week, while Blackout and Classic alternate.

Toxic Dark Zone (PvE)	Permanent since Red Horizon. Every enemy faction can appear, including Black Tusk. Sample Canisters and Surge were removed. Toxicity values were adjusted, and extracting your gear now clears your Toxicity level.
Toxic normalization	PvP stat normalization is no longer applied here, so talents, gear sets, skills, and weapons use their PvE values against enemies. Prototype Gear stays normalized, matching Raids and Incursions.
Toxic rewards	Landmark chests have a 20% chance to drop a contaminated cache from the special Dark Zone pool: Exclusive and Raid gear sets, legacy DZ-exclusive weapons, Named items, and Exotics.
Blackout Dark Zone (PvP)	New uncapped PvP variant. Stat normalization is fully removed, so SHD Watch and Expertise bonuses apply at full strength. The zone is permanently Invaded with Black Tusk, and Veteran, Elite, and Named enemies are tougher.
Blackout rewards	Loot drops at Heroic quality, with a 20% chance of an additional contaminated item from the same special pool. Ortiz: Reficere, Caduceus, and Nurse's Kneepads were added to the PvP pool.
Prototype drops	Contaminated Prototype gear and weapons drop from enemies: 0.2% mid rolls from normals, 0.5% mid plus 0.2% high from elites, and 1% mid plus 2% high from bosses.
Global PvP Balance	Red Horizon added another pass across Skills, gear set and brand set bonuses, and talents. These apply to Conflict and every PvP Dark Zone variant.
Source	Red Horizon (Y8S3) update guide · Ubisoft Red Horizon patch notes

Red Moon Rising: Vertigo and Sarru in the PvE Dark Zone

Red Moon Rising runs in the PvE Dark Zone from September 24 to November 3, 2026. Black Tusk takes over the zone, Red Moon Stacks change with every fight, and a new world boss rotates through it.

Vertigo and Sarru source	The XB-35 "Phoebe" Marauder world boss is the only source of both exotics during the event. Neither drop is guaranteed.
Event window	September 24 - November 3, 2026.
Active zone	The PvE Dark Zone rotates weekly across DZ East, South, and West. DZ South hosted week one.
Red Moon Stacks	Stacks build through combat and raise rewards and risk together. Dying, leaving the zone, or extracting contaminated loot resets them. Safehouses pause the buildup.
Event exotic pool	Vertigo, Sarru, Steel & Sons, Fafnir, Iron Will, Bighorn, Eagle Bearer, and Ravenous.
Drop rate	Ubisoft has not published a drop percentage for either exotic, so no clear count is guaranteed.
After the event	Both Vertigo and Sarru leave the event-specific pool once Red Moon Rising ends and return to the general exotic pool.
Also in the zone	The returning Recruiter drops the Recruiter Mask cosmetic.
Source	Y8S3.1 Red Moon Rising patch notes

Red Moon Rising Farm Footage

Both exotics were farmed in the Red Moon Rising PvE Dark Zone event, then tested in Escalation. That split matters when you read the clips: the farm happens in Toxic DZ, the testing happens in Tier 10 runs.

Related Guide Hubs

Best Raigulus Dark Zone and PvP Videos

What is Dark Zone Surge in The Division 2?

Dark Zone Surge is a limited event window in the Year 8 Season 2 schedule. For July 7-14, 2026, Ubisoft lists 3x Dark Zone XP and double DZ currency.

Is Toxic DZ good for farming?

Toxic DZ can be useful when you want PvE Dark Zone farming, personal loot visibility, and event checks, but build comfort and Hazard Protection still matter.

What should I watch before farming Dark Zone Surge?

Start with Toxic DZ first-look testing, the TUY8S2.1 Toxic DZ update short, and longer PvP or DZ archive clips to understand checkpoint pressure and combat pacing.

Where do Vertigo and Sarru drop in The Division 2?

Both drop from the XB-35 Phoebe Marauder world boss during the Red Moon Rising event in the PvE Dark Zone, between September 24 and November 3, 2026. Neither drop is guaranteed and Ubisoft has not published a drop rate.

What changed in the Dark Zone with Red Horizon?

Toxic Dark Zone became a permanent PvE variant with Sample Canisters and Surge removed, toxicity adjusted, and extraction clearing your Toxicity level. A new uncapped Blackout PvP Dark Zone joined the rotation. Variants rotate weekly with one PvE and two PvP zones active at a time.

Does this page replace official patch notes?

No. This page groups Raigulus Dark Zone videos and search context. Use official Ubisoft news for exact event dates and patch details.

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