For The Division, the new update 1.8.1 has been released today, on April 12th. It is the first major update in 2018. What does this mean for agents? Is it worth returning to Manhattan? Here’s what you should know.
With patch 1.8.1, Massive finally brings fresh wind to New York. It is the first patch this year and the first point on the roadmap for year 3. But what does the update entail and is it worth it for agents?
We present to you the seven most important new features.
1. More Classified Gear! Agents can look forward to better loot
Massive increases the drop chances for classified set pieces in all areas. Whether in the Light Zone, Dark Zone, or Survival, the rewards are expected to be better.
Additionally, you will be able to target specific containers for a particular set in upcoming global events, giving you a higher chance for your desired pieces.
Overall, this change is a concession to new and casual players who do not want to spend countless hours farming classified gear. Considering the number of available classified sets, it is a welcome step for many players. Currently, it is quite difficult to obtain all 14 sets.
Even in global events, some players have bad luck and are still waiting for individual pieces to complete certain sets.
Some agents view this change critically. After all, classified sets are the best loot in The Division and should not be easily accessible to everyone.
Details about the changes can be found here: The Division increases the chances for classified gear and improves supply drops.
2. More Variety – 2 Missions Receive the Legendary Difficulty
After having only three legendary missions available for a long time, Massive finally brings in more missions with the highest difficulty level, which is mainly intended for hardcore players and groups.
Amherts Apartment and Grand Central Station are set to present players with new challenges and combat the monotony of the same processes. This should be exciting for both newcomers and veterans.
Many consider Grand Central Station to be one of the better missions.
3. Finally More Division Tech!
Division Tech is the main resource with which agents can improve their weapons and equipment. However, the costs for this are quite high. The time required to gather the materials is significant.
Weekly and daily tasks now reward players with a decent amount of Div Tech. Weekly tasks reward players with 100, daily ones with 25 Div Tech.
This should at least partially reduce the endless container farming in the Dark Zone and give tasks more significance. Players who generally avoid the DZ will likely be pleased.
4. New Global Events with Blackout and Onslaught Coming Soon
Blackout, the first of the two global events, does not yet have a release date, but it is expected to come shortly after patch 1.8.1. Massive wants to give players time to get used to the update beforehand.
Both events bring new rewards, masks, and of course interesting modifiers that will at least somewhat change the gameplay. In addition, you can draw a selection of classified sets from the containers.
The classified sets available during Blackout are:
- D3 FNC
- DeadEye
- Assault Gear of the Striker
- Tactician’s Authority
You can find the exact modifiers for the new global events here.
5. Exotic Loot Finally Distributed More Sensibly
For many players in the past, a nuisance: Exotic weapons like the Historian, Pakhan, or the Liberator are available at the special equipment vendor, but could still be drawn from containers.
That has now come to an end. The vendor’s offerings are now exclusive and these weapons have been removed from the pool of exotic containers.
In addition, you can now get all exotic items from open-world bosses.
6. Better Graphics for Xbox One X Players
The long wait is over for X players. Finally, The Division takes advantage of the benefits of the Xbox One X and supports 4k rendering.
Additionally, there are graphical upgrades such as improved reflections, higher object detail, and better shadow representation.
We do not yet know how significant the improvements are. If readers own an Xbox One X, feel free to share your experiences in the comments.
7. New Clothes for the Post-Apocalypse
For many, the “true” endgame: clothing. With the new patch, new Mark III containers are also being introduced.
You can open these as usual with Cipher keys. Also included are again outfits like those of the Predator or the lone hero.
If you complete one of these sets, you unlock part of the “Guardian” set. Whether this is the announced “surprise outfit” remains to be seen.
As always, the patch includes some bug fixes that you can read in the complete patch notes .
The size of the patch varies by platform:
- PS4: 3.8 GB
- Xbox One: 4.2 GB
- PC: 4.6 GB (Possible differences between Steam and Uplay)
What do all these changes mean for players?
Patch 1.8.1 primarily targets agents who have not yet been able to utilize global events to complete their sets. Casual players, newcomers, and returning players benefit from the more generous loot system.
Individual hardcore agents may be disappointed, as one no longer has to put in as much effort for the best gear.
Overall, however, most agents should be pleased. Furthermore, it will take some time to see how significantly the changes will ultimately affect gameplay. One should not forget that there are 14 classified sets available in the game.
The other changes are primarily welcome optimizations that further enhance the Division experience.
Hopefully, these seven reasons will be enough to continue to excite agents for The Division. Whether outfits, more loot, and global events will be sufficient to motivate players long-term remains to be seen.
Perhaps we will already receive information about patch 1.8.2 soon, which has been announced for June. After all, we still do not know what exactly the Shields will be that Massive announced with The Division 2.
What do you think of the patch? Will you be visiting Manhattan again?
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