Why is The Division, a two-year-old game, back in the spotlight?
The Division is currently experiencing a renaissance:
- A glance at the Steam charts shows that agents are flocking to the shared-world shooter. The average player numbers are higher than they have been since the launch!
- Many users in the forums are singing the praises of The Division. New players are writing that they are surprised at how good the game is.
- Old “The Division” YouTubers are returning, posting new reviews, and praising the game to the heavens. It’s described as “fantastic” or “finally feels complete.”
What are the reasons for The Division experiencing a second spring right now?
The Division has more content than ever before…
When player numbers rise in an older online game, it’s usually because it has been supplied with new content. This is also true for The Division: At the beginning of December, the free update 1.8 was released.
This update was the largest update in the history of The Division so far, bringing two new game modes, the long-awaited map expansion, new items, and all kinds of improvements and innovations to existing mechanics. After almost a year of content drought, there is finally something to do in post-apocalyptic New York.
The player counts skyrocketed at the launch of update 1.8 – however, they did not fall again a few weeks later: Instead, they now remain at a high level that is almost five times higher than before the launch of 1.8.
Many players are therefore not just rushing through the new content, they are keeping their agent’s gear on for longer. Because there are several reasons beyond “lots of content” why The Division is now so popular again.
… and has fewer bugs than ever before
One of the main reasons so many players left The Division in Spring 2016 was all the bugs, exploits, and balance issues of the game.
Hardly a day went by without a new problem appearing. And when Massive deployed a fix for one issue, new annoyances sprang up elsewhere.
The peak was reached in summer with update 1.3. The developers introduced new gear sets too quickly without properly balancing any of them. This caused severe balance issues. It felt like Massive was just chasing after the problems – hopelessly trying to gain control over them.
In August, the developers pulled the emergency brake. They stated publicly that their game was not fun in its current state. They postponed their previous plans and fundamentally overhauled many endgame mechanics. In Fall 2016, update 1.4 was released, which laid the foundation for the current renaissance.
Months of improvements, bug fixes and balance adjustments followed, so now, at the beginning of 2018, we have a Division that is better than ever. Now, community feedback that Massive implemented over two years of post-launch development is bearing fruit. And since The Division finally got new and free game content with update 1.8, many agents are taking the opportunity to evaluate all the improvements.
PvP players get their share
Since its launch, The Division has been a shared-world shooter with both PvE and PvP elements, with the PvP part always feeling lacking. The “agent vs agent” combat was only possible in the Dark Zone, which many agents preferred using to hunt NPC bosses.
At the beginning of 2017, the first standalone PvP mode called “Last Stand” was introduced, which was however paid and had a strong focus on PvE. A mode that allows pure PvP was awaited in vain.
Until update 1.8: Because now there is finally a mode that enables intense PvP action in a team deathmatch.
In addition, the rogue system in the Dark Zone has been revised. There is no more friendly fire; now you must display your intention to become rogue beforehand. This is meant to enable fairer PvP battles. Overall, it should be more rewarding to become rogue and hunt rogues.
The loot is good
The Division is a loot shooter, where the objective is to continually acquire new and better loot and gradually upgrade your character. And there is currently tons of loot in The Division that can be grinded for months!
In summer 2017, “secret gear sets” were introduced. These have higher stats than standard gear and provide additional bonuses, allowing you to optimize your build with them. The secret gear is quite rare.
Additionally, update 1.8 introduced new and powerful exotics worth farming for. All agents who want to complete their exotic collection thus have something to do again.
Moreover, Massive regularly holds special events where double loot can be acquired. However, the “Global Events” are significantly more popular, as they liven up the PvE area with modifiers and significantly increase the chances of secret gear sets.
Loot hunters have a lot to do!
The Division enables a great variety of builds
Those who have only played other online shooters like Destiny 2 in recent months will be surprised at how complex and RPG-oriented The Division is. Because there are numbers everywhere – and in a good way.
There are many things you can customize, improve, and use to give your agent a unique touch. Be it the random perks on weapons, the diverse mods, or the abilities – even every piece of armor is relevant and offers its own advantages.
On top of that, the various gear sets allow completely different playstyles, making for an excellent variety of builds that invites experimentation.
There are many screws you can turn to optimize your builds. Tinkers and perfectionists will have their fun.
In 2018 it should continue to be “great”
These are just a few of the reasons why so many agents are returning to The Division and staying there. New features like loadouts or late appearance customization are also coming.
What the future of The Division looks like remains exciting. Because Ubisoft and Massive have yet to make any official announcements about what will come for agents in 2018. Only community developer Hamish Bode wrote that 2018 would be a great year for The Division.
We are excited!
Discount promotions for The Division can be found online regularly. In the PlayStation Store, for example, it currently costs €14.99 (until January 20). Otherwise, you can find Amazon offers for the Gold Edition of The Division, which includes the season pass:
