The preliminary patch notes for the second test server phase (PTS) of The Division 2 already reveal a lot about how Massive intends to address the issue of low build diversity. If the changes go through, hardly any build will survive the next update.
Why are there currently so many changes in The Division 2? The developers are currently extensively testing the changes of the upcoming Title Update 6 on public test servers on PC. The second phase is set to begin soon, and Massive has once again released preliminary patch notes.
The test phase ends on October 1, and the release of the new Title Update 6 has also been confirmed for October.
Passive armor talents are being revised
What will happen to our builds? With the upcoming update, the bonuses from passive armor talents – the smaller buffs available on many armor pieces – will be significantly changed. The talent bonuses can no longer be stacked.
If the changes go through, many PvE builds will be put to the test. The talent “Ruthless” currently provides +10% damage to elite enemies (DTE) per equipped piece. The revised “Ruthless” will come with +25% DTE but will no longer be stackable. This talent is widespread and forms one of the foundations for dealing substantial damage to NPC enemies.
This means that if you have multiple armor talents with Ruthless equipped, only one item will provide the talent bonus – the rest of the Ruthless talent bonuses will nullify.
Alongside numerous balance changes, the revised passive talents represent the most significant intervention in the agents’ builds so far. Although this may also apply to the announced Eagle Bearer nerf.
These are the new values of the passive armor talents
This is how the talents are currently being revised:
- Critical
- +20% Critical Hit Damage (previously +5%).
- Surgical
- +15% Critical Hit Chance (previously +5%).
- Devastating
- +10% Weapon Damage (previously +5%).
- Empowered
- +20% Skill Strength (previously +10%).
- Ruthless
- +25% Damage to Elite Enemies (previously +10%).
- Vital:
- +25% Health (previously +20%).
- Hardened:
- +20% Armor (previously +10%).
- Isolated:
- +30% Damage Resistance (previously +10%).
- Fortifying:
- +30% Health on Kill (previously +10%).
- Self-Regulating
- +30% Armor Regeneration (previously +20%).
- Destructive
- +40% Explosive Damage (previously +20%).
- Capacity:
- +50% Skill Duration (previously +20%).
The passive bonuses will no longer be stackable, but this overall buff of passive armor talents introduces genuinely good values into the game. “Devastating” and “Hardened” will reach a whole new level due to the potential doubling of bonuses.
“Surgical” and “Critical” now receive their second upgrade within the PTS phase and are likely to bring joy to specialists for critical hits in the next update.
The community is still weighing in
What does the community say about it? The players are still uncertain about what impact this will have on build diversity. With a larger system overhaul like this, there will likely still be very strong talents initially, and the current test phase may not suffice for optimal balancing.
Some players are a bit upset. It is criticized that such drastic changes to the builds nullify many hours of looting. There is a desire for an expansion of recalibration options to be able to assemble the optimal gear themselves.
Other voices from the community appreciate these planned changes. A service game is defined by exactly this type of changes. Constantly adjusting the tightest screws if it makes the overall game more stable.
The developers engage in the discussion
What does Massive say? The developers are also very active on Twitter regarding this issue. As some users are upset about the interventions in their builds, Fredrik Thylander, Lead Designer at Massive, posted a brief statement regarding the developers’ strategy.
Nobody likes their cool build invalidated by a patch. I get that. But worse is to play a game where the meta is stale, narrow or dull. We don’t rebalance like this often, but when we do, there will always be the need for new builds. No matter what the changes are.
Fredrik Thylander on Twitter
He essentially says: “No one likes it when a cool build is ruined by a patch. But worse is to play a game where the meta is so restricted. We don’t often conduct rebalancing to this extent. But when we do, it’s always because new builds are needed. Regardless of what changes it may be.”
This clarifies that the developer is willing to implement larger changes if the meta, meaning the current gameplay favored by players, focuses too much on a few talents or weapons. However, Massive tries to avoid these larger interventions as much as possible.
What else is there to know about the next update? Whether all the announced changes will make it into the game is still uncertain. However, many other new features have already been confirmed.
What do you think of the revised talents?
