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'The Division' returns to Xbox with a battle for Washington DC
Microsoft stunned the assembled audience at its E3 2018 press conference with not only intense gameplay footage of "The Division 2" from Ubisoft, but also an official release date for the highly-anticipated sequel: March 15th, 2019. News of Tom Clancy's post-apocalyptic MMOFPS first surfaced back in March of this year and looks to build off of its predecessor in terms of both cinematics and gameplay. The story takes place just six months after the initial outbreak as the agents of The Division face a burgeoning civil war. Ubisoft's Swedish studio Massive Entertainment is behind its development and will be leveraging the company's Snowdrop engine.
'The Division' finally adds to its open-world game map
After spending much of the past year upgrading The Division's core gameplay and its player-versus-player content, Ubisoft is ready to turn its attention to fresh player-versus-environment material -- and that finally includes a new area to play in. The free Resistance update will add the West Side Pier, a two-zone map expansion that includes its own social space and unusual combat environments like the USS Intrepid. And importantly, this isn't just more of the usual AI grind. In a livestream, Ubi revealed that there will be frequent alerts for new events, short-term mini assignments (new ones will pop up every 15 to 20 minutes) and dynamic enemy spawning. If you finish those smaller tasks, you'll get the same Division Tech resources that you would normally have to earn in the PvP Dark Zone area.
'The Division' upgrade raises the stakes for veteran players
Now that Ubisoft has spent some time improving the fundamentals of The Division, it's ready to focus on more content. And this time, there's a lot for seasoned players -- even those who'll never pay for add-ons. The upcoming free 1.6 update will add three new Dark Zone areas, nearly doubling the area of the anyone-can-kill-you environment. These areas also include new "Contamination" events that not only include tougher enemies, but chip away at your health even outside of combat. And did we mention that the Dark Zone now has leaderboards that encourage you to excel in fights against both the AI and rival players?
'The Division' update keeps you playing past the endgame
Ubisoft is facing the same problem with The Division that Bungie encountered with Destiny: how do you keep people playing after they've hit the level cap, especially when extra content only goes so far? Its solution: dangle the promise of more loot. The developer has released that promised patch to overhaul the game's mechanics, and its centerpiece is a new World Tiers feature that increases the difficulty of enemy characters in return for greater rewards. The higher the tier, the greater the chance you'll get items you'd want to keep. You can also accrue experience beyond the regular and Underground level caps, and Ubisoft has tweaked loot drops across the board -- you're more likely to get equipment appropriate to your level, and any enemy has a chance of dropping advanced gear.
'The Division' update arrives with some giant bugs
The Division's Conflict update is here, and it brings some big features for players eager to find new things to do. Great! Only... some of those features aren't working properly. Players are reporting that high value target missions aren't unlocking, and that the Clear Sky incursion resets all on its own. Worryingly, users have also noticed characters going missing -- a problem that surfaced with the last update, and was eventually traced to a server hiccup.
Second 'The Division' update raises the stakes
Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment are willing to try quite a few things to keep you coming back to The Division, but their latest approach is particularly direct: they're upping the ante. Ubi has revealed that its second free update, Conflict, will include "high-value targets" where you only get one shot at success. If you die or take too long, you'll miss out on a nice reward. Also, the Dark Zone is that much more dangerous now that other players can hijack your loot during extraction. Don't assume that you can relax just because you've dropped off your gear, then.
'The Division' will get plenty of extras in its first year
Take note, Bungie: this is how you tell gamers what they can expect for add-ons. Ubisoft has posted a roadmap for The Division's downloadable extras, outlining just what you'll get and when in the city-in-crisis shooter's first year. Two free upgrades are coming early on. You'll get a team-oriented endgame mode (Incursions) in April, while May will bring a Conflict update that includes both a Columbus Circle event and a new Dark Zone feature. Paid DLC starts arriving in June, when you'll get battles in New York City's many underground tunnels; a Survival expansion launches in the summer, and a Last Stand scenario appears in the winter.
'The Division' is getting an open beta next week
If you didn't participate in The Division's recent closed beta, don't worry -- you're going to have another chance to play the game soon. Ubisoft has announced open beta dates for its new Tom Clancy title, which will be available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. Interestingly enough, gamers with a Microsoft console can start playing February 18th, with PS4 and PC support to come the following day. The open beta runs through February 21st, so you better enjoy it while it lasts. As a refresher, The Division launches March 8th, assuming there aren't any more unexpected delays.
'The Division': Experience New York City as you never have before
New York City's Flatiron District is pure chaos. As I peer around the corner of a skyscraper, automatic rifle in hand, all I see are abandoned cars and people shouting in the streets. I'm not alone, though: I'm with three comrades prepared to shoot anyone who seems to have bad intentions. But this isn't the Midtown Manhattan I know; it's a scene from Ubisoft's The Division, the new Tom Clancy game that's scheduled to release March 8th on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
'The Division' goes cinematic in live-action story clips
For an awfully long time, the only news we'd heard out of Ubisoft regarding the ultra-ambitious online shooter/role-playing game hybrid Tom Clancy's: The Division were release date delays. But now, a few months out from launch, the hype machine is in full force for a game that's looking quite a bit different than its debut at E3 2013. In an effort to fill in some of the game's backstory about a currency-based pandemic that strikes on Black Black Friday and brings society as we know it to a halt, the gaming powerhouse has teamed with noted YouTubers Devinsupertramp and RocketJump, and online production house Corridor Digital for a quartet of different stories set in the "mid-crisis" universe.
