Recently, the latest testing phase has begun on the PTS of The Division 2. This is what changes with Gear Sets and Talents.

What is the new testing phase about? A major update is coming for The Division 2, which is Title Update 3. This is currently being tested and reviewed on the PTS (Player Test Server) for the PC version.

An earlier version of the update was available since April 17 in the first PTS phase. Now, the next one began on April 27.

With Title Update 3, some Equipment and Weapon Talents are being adjusted and the Gear Sets are being revised. These are the changes.

Note: Please keep in mind that all these changes are not final yet. Some things may still change before the actual release of Title Update 3.

The changes to the Equipment Talents

These are the affected Equipment Talents:

• Berserker (Current Talent: +10% weapon damage for every 10% of maximum armor value destroyed)
  • Minimum value of destroyed armor is increased from 10% to 20%.
  • Now requires at least 7 Offensive Attributes (Red)
• Smith (Current Talent: Killing an enemy with a handgun repairs 25% of your armor. Can occur every 10 seconds)
  • Repair is increased to 50%. Can occur every 15 seconds.
  • Requires at least 7 Defensive Attributes (Blue)
• Bloodlust (Current Talent: Switching weapons within 3 seconds after a kill increases weapon damage by +25% for 10 seconds)
  • PvE: Weapon damage is increased by 35%. Effect now lasts only 5 seconds.
  • PvP: Weapon damage is increased by only 20%. Here, the effect is reduced to a duration of 5 seconds.
  • Requires 9 Offensive Attributes
• Critical (Current Talent: +8% damage from critical hits)
  • Crit damage is reduced to +5%.
• Coupled (Current Talent: Critical hits heal 15% health and repair 2% armor)
  • Health healing is increased to 20%, armor repair is reduced to 1%)
• Hunkered Down (Current Talent: Headshot hits from cover repair 5% of your armor)
  • Repair is increased to 10%
• Unstoppable Force (Current Talent: Killing an enemy grants 2% weapon damage for every 10,000 points of maximum armor value)
  • PvE: Killing a target grants +2% weapon damage per 25,000 armor
  • PvP: Killing a target grants +1% weapon damage per 25,000 armor
    

• Kneecap (Current Talent: Shots to the legs have a 10% chance to apply the status effect “Bleeding Wound”)
  • Chance for bleeding wounds is increased to 15%
• Patience (Current Talent: After waiting 3 seconds in cover, your armor repairs itself by 5% every second)
  • Now must wait at least 5 seconds in cover
  • Requires min. 6 Defensive Attributes
• Safety Precaution (Current Talent: Eliminating an enemy grants a 150% bonus to repair and healing effects for 20 seconds)
  • Duration is reduced to 5 seconds.
  • Can only occur every 20 seconds (This was already the case, now shown in the description)
  • Requires 4 or fewer Offensive Attributes
• Explorer (Current Talent: +10% weapon damage to enemies marked by the pulse)
  • Damage is increased from +10% to +20%
  • Requires 5 Additional Attributes (Yellow)
• Surgically (Current Talent: +8% chance for critical hits)
  • Crit chance is reduced from +8% to +5%
• Unbreakable (When your armor is destroyed, 25% of max armor is repaired and using a repair kit within the next 5 seconds does not consume the repair kit)
  • PvE: Instead of 25%, 70% of max armor is repaired. Repair kits will not be consumed for 7 seconds.
  • PvP: Repair is increased from 15% to 25% of max armor.
    Repair kits will not be consumed for 7 seconds.

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The changes to the Weapon Talents

These are the affected Weapon Talents:

• Rampage (Current Talent: Reloading empty magazines increases weapon damage by 35% and fire rate by 35% for 7 seconds)
  • PvE: For every 10 rounds expended from a magazine, fire rate and weapon damage are improved by +2%. The effect lasts 5 seconds when you reload an empty magazine.
  • PvP: For every 10 rounds expended from a magazine, fire rate and weapon damage are improved by +1.5%. The effect lasts 5 seconds when you reload an empty magazine.
• Killer (Current Talent: The chance for critical hits increases by 50% by killing an enemy with a critical hit for 5 seconds)
  • Instead of +50%, the chance is increased by +30%.
• Preservation (Current Talent: Kills repair 5% of armor over 3 seconds. Headshot kills increase repair by +10%)
  • PvE: Kills now repair +10% of armor, headshot kills +20%. The effect now lasts 5 seconds instead of 3.
  • PvP: Kills repair +5% of armor, headshot kills +15%. The effect now lasts 5 seconds instead of 3.
  • Requires min. 7 Defensive Attributes.

• Renewal (Current Talent: Headshot kills increase repair and healing of skills by 25% for 25 seconds)
  • Heal effect is increased to 50%.
  • Duration is reduced to 20 seconds.
  • Now requires 9 Additional Attributes.
• Spike (Current Talent: Headshot kills grant +25% skill damage for 10 seconds)
  • Damage is increased to +35%
  • Duration is increased to 20 seconds
  • Requires 5 Additional Attributes
• Strapped (Current Talent: You receive +10% (+5% normalized) damage from critical hits for every 5% of your armor that is destroyed)
  • Requirement is increased from 5% of armor to 10%.
• Out of the Loop (Current Talent: Weapon damage is increased by 25%, but weapon handling is negatively affected by -35%)
  • Damage bonus is reduced to +20%.
  • Weapon handling is now only worsened by +25%

The changes to the Gear Sets

This is how the Gear Sets will be adjusted:

• Hard Wired – Now increases skill damage instead of duration of shock effects
• Ongoing Directive – Specialty ammunition (Fire, Shock, etc.) can now be activated for each equipped weapon. Additionally, you receive specialty ammunition through any kind of kill.
• True Patriot – Debuff colors now rotate every 2 instead of 4 seconds. When the 6-piece bonus is active, damage against enemies is increased by 50%.

These changes are likely to be implemented, as the Gear Sets are currently considered too weak by many. Further changes are not preferable for now, as the developers want to take a closer look at this.

Moreover, in Title Update 3, there will probably be 3 entirely new Gear Sets. What they can do, you can read in our summary.

The full patch notes for the 2nd testing phase can be found on the official Ubisoft site. There, changes to loot are also described.

How long will the PTS run? Currently, it is not known how long Massive wants to test Title Update 3.

When is the new update supposed to be released? The update is supposed to be released in May. More is not known.

You can read about further updates of the patch on Mein MMO:

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Bad equipment from real life served as inspiration for the worst gear in The Division 2. How did that happen?

This gear is about: Have you ever looked at the item descriptions of the white starter gear in The Division 2? If not, you’re probably like most fans.

Most players likely missed these details. The vast majority of agents simply wanted to get better gear and quickly replaced the white equipment.

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There are some texts that might make you smile – especially if you have served yourself.

What do the descriptions say? For example, the mask description says: “Should protective masks really let through so much dust?”

The gloves state: “Always a bit damp, even after drying.”

Here are some more examples:

• Backpack: Any other backpack would be more comfortable to carry
• Body armor: Might stop a bullet. But cardboard can do that too, if you’re lucky
• Holster: Keeps the pistol almost always where it should be
• Knee pads: Primarily protect the shins instead of the knees

In principle, all of these texts suggest: “Please replace me as soon as possible” and do not show the starter gear in a particularly good light. That was probably intentional and had a reason.

How did these descriptions come about? The reason for the quirky descriptions of the starter gear in The Division 2 was revealed by the game designer Rasmus Künstlicher in the current edition of “State of the Game.” Künstlicher was personally responsible for these texts.

The descriptions are based on his experiences during military service. The worst gear in the game – i.e. the beginner sets – therefore have real-life counterparts. The texts are inspired by stories that Künstlicher experienced during his training and deployment in Afghanistan with poor standard military equipment.

For example, his gloves caused a lot of frustration. They were always damp – no matter how long you dried them. No one ever understood why. His knee pads always slipped and protected more of his shins than his knees, which “will never be the same again.” The backpacks were anything but comfortable.

Not everything was bad, Künstlicher says. However, the most formative experiences of that time are now reflected in the item descriptions of the starter gear.

While we’re on the subject of gear:

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These are probably the 3 new gear sets from The Division 2: names and values

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Looks like The Division 2 will soon get three new gear sets. Corresponding blueprints are already available on the test servers (PTS). We summarize all known details for you.

These sets are about: On April 27, blueprints for a total of 3 new gear sets were found on the PC-exclusive test servers (PTS) of The Division 2. These include

• the “Aces & Eights” set
• the “Tip of the Spear” set
• and the “Negotiators Dilemma” set

The interesting thing is: The sets seem to be specifically aimed at the three specializations of The Division 2.

What are gear sets anyway? Basically, they are 6-piece armor sets. The more pieces of a set you have equipped, the more bonuses of the corresponding set are unlocked for the bearer. Two pieces of a set are required to unlock the first bonus.

These are the 3 new gear sets in The Division 2

This is how the sets were discovered: Currently, there are three new projects on the test servers that reward you with blueprints for the three new sets. Besides the names, the talent bonuses can also be viewed.

How exactly to obtain the required materials is not yet known. Some players speculate that they might be available in the upcoming raid.

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Keep in mind: This is a feature of the PTR server. Until a real release, a lot could still change.

In addition, many fans are puzzling over how exactly some bonuses of the sets work. Because there has not been an official explanation until now. However, some bonuses are hard to understand and comprehend in their description.

Aces & Eights – The set for the sharpshooter

Who is this set for? This set is mainly aimed at the sharpshooter specialization. Because the set bonuses for 5 and 6 pieces can only be unlocked with this specialization.

This is what the set can do: Aces & Eights currently offers the following bonuses:

• 2/6: +20% weapon handling
• 3/6: +20% precision
• 4/6: +10% sniper rifle damage
• 5/6: Dead Man’s Hand – Turns over a card by shooting an enemy with a sniper rifle. Headshots turn over 2 cards. The turned cards can grant a bonus: A Full House refills your weapon and stops ammunition consumption for 10 seconds. Four of a Kind grants 30% bonus armor for 10 seconds. Aces & Eights (two Aces, two Eights) grants the next 5 bullets 100% damage
• 6/6: Sheriff’s Favour: The effects of Dead Man’s Hand are transferred to all your group/raid members

What exactly the cards are about (apart from the poker analogy) and how this mechanic works is currently unknown.

Where does the name come from? “Aces & Eights” is known as the Dead Man’s Hand, with two 8s and two Aces in poker (the 5th card is unknown).

It is said to be the hand held by the gunslinger “Wild Bill Hickok” when he was shot in the back by a stranger in 1876. Since then, the combination has been known as the “Dead Man’s Hand”.

Tip of the Spear – The set for the survival specialist

Who is this set for? This set is mainly aimed at the survival specialist specialization. Because the set bonuses for 5 and 6 pieces can only be unlocked with this specialization.

This is what the set can do: Tip of The Spear currently offers the following bonuses:

• 2/6: +20% Applicator skill power
• 3/6: +20% cooldown reduction
• 4/6: +20% protection against elite
• 5/6: Electromagnetic Trigger – The crossbow bolts are equipped with proximity fuses. Upon impact, the bolts trigger a 9-meter pulse
• 6/6: Aggressive Recon – When you kill an enemy, a small pulse is emitted from their position. Group and raid members deal 20% additional damage to enemies marked by the pulse

What does the name mean? “Tip of the Spear” is the spear tip. In military jargon, these are the first soldiers to enter a conflict zone.

Negotiators Dilemma – The set for the destruction expert

Who is this set for? This set is mainly aimed at the destruction expert specialization. Because the set bonuses for 5 and 6 pieces can only be unlocked with this specialization.

This is what the set can do: Negotiators Dilemma currently offers the following bonuses:

• 2/6: 10,000 armor on kill
• 3/6: +30% life energy
• 4/6: +30% resistance against explosions
• 5/6: Blowback – Shoot a grenade at the target that destroyed your armor. Can be triggered every 3 seconds.
• 6/6: Press Home The Advantage – Explosions triggered by the bearer stack into a Grenadier buff. Each stack grants group/raid members +10% explosive damage and the bearer 10% bonus armor for 10 seconds

What does the name mean? In a negotiation, the negotiator chooses between two strategies:

• “cooperative” solution, then he seeks the best solution for both parties – he tries to make the pie bigger
• or a “competitive” solution, which aims to manipulate the other side so that he gets the outcome he wants – he tries to ensure that he gets the biggest piece of the pie

A negotiator must pursue one of the strategies or decide on a mix.

What do you think of these new sets? Do you already have a favorite?

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Do you like the article? Then let us know!

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