This guide is specifically focused on the process of leveling your character up outside of the Dark Zone. This guide doesn’t delve at all into the beefing up your weapon ratings or anything of that sort, just sweet, simple experience points. Guides for the former can be found along the sidebar for completely rounding out your character.

Missions

Main Missions

Main Missions are the blue hexagons dotting your map. These missions give great amounts of EXP that do not scale to your current level, because of this it is widely accepted that doing all of these before doing side missions is the best way to begin. Getting these out of the way first gets you to the Dark Zone quicker too.

Side Missions

These have a similar blue color to the main missions but instead are pentagons. These missions give EXP that scale to your level, so save these until the later levels to maximize the amount of exp given. As a worthy note, these cannot be replayed in your campaign, but they can in other players, making co-op play a valuable way to keep grinding side missions.

Safe Houses

Completely safe house missions can award a decent amount of EXP, grant you a new respawn/hideout spot, and unlock plenty of more activities in the area, these are highly recommended.

Control Points

Almost the same thing as safe houses, except after clearing out the bad guys, you must survive a few waves of attacks as they attempt to take it back. Control Points also grant fast travel spots and give a sweet amount of EXP.

Other

Accolade Perks

One of the perks offered at the base of operations in the Accolade line. These grant extra EXP based on certain things like headshots or collateral kills. As you’re likely to do these types of kills naturally, it’s recommended to get these as fast as you can to rack up the extra points.

Random Events

Plenty of patrols, executions, and shootouts happen across the map at any given moment. While you can’t particularly seek these out, doing them when they appear is always a good way to get an EXP boost.