In The Division 2, there has largely been silence. The development of the online shooter was apparently mostly scaled back in 2020, but in March 2021, Ubisoft promised: It will continue after all. However, players have been waiting for news for 5 months, yet the brand “The Division” seems to be so important for Ubisoft.
This is how it went for the “The Division” brand in the last 5 years: Part 1 of “The Division” was released in March 2016 and was initially well received, but then sharply criticized. Although the shooter had atmosphere and a good campaign, it lacked substance in the endgame and polish. The Division 1 was characterized by bugs and exploits.
However, the team made a turnaround and was able to significantly improve The Division 1 over the years. Especially the DLCs were praised. They brought completely new ways to play The Division.
When it was recognized at Massive that The Division 1 was a commercial hit, work immediately began on “The Division 2” – which then was released in 2019.
Division 2 was initially received with enthusiasm, but the second part of the shooter series was also harshly criticized. However, unlike The Division 1, no major turnaround was achieved this time. Sales figures were weak – Ubisoft itself viewed the game as “too close to The Division 1” without significantly improving the fundamental concept.
Actually, the development of The Division was already completed with the 2020 expansion “The Warlords of New York”. Since nothing new was announced, it was thought that Massive would now focus on games like Avatar. But then it was said: New content is coming.
Pandemic and Free Promotion Apparently Saved The Division 2
This was the promise: In March 2021, Massive spoke up again. Now it was stated: March 2020 had suddenly become the peak of the game – it seems that during the beginning of the Corona pandemic and due to a clever promotional coup by Ubisoft, many players rediscovered The Division 2. Never had The Division 2 more players than in March 2020:
- Players were promised that new content for The Division 2 was coming, led by experienced veterans and supported by Ubisoft Bucharest.
- A “completely new game mode for The Division” would be introduced. And it would give agents new ways to progress.
New Update for The Division 2 Not Until End of 2021
This was the problem: However, it was also stated that they were still in the “very early phase of development” and that the update was “still several months away”. Players should expect it at the end of 2021.
Apparently, Massive had completely scaled back the development of new content for The Division 2 in 2020 and had just now started up again.
The Division 2 Practically Dead, While the Brand is So Important
This is now the situation: The brand “The Division” is in a strange situation. Because the “base game” may have had a boom in March 2020, it feels like nothing has happened in The Division 2 for months and it will probably still be some time before anything happens.
The originally weak sales figures of The Division 2 led to a halt in content planning, which players are now waiting out. After “The Warlords of New York” in March 2020, Massive had apparently actually scaled back the core work on The Division 2 for a long time and only ramped it back up in March 2021.
The brand “The Division” has become increasingly important for Ubisoft in recent years:
- So a big Netflix movie with Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain is planned
- A Free2Play spin-off is planned: The Division Heartlands
- And the new shooter XDefiant is inspired by The Division
Therefore, it is strategically important for Ubisoft and Massive that The Division 2 gets back on track. Whether they will succeed in waking up the sleeping game again is currently uncertain. A “The Division 3” is a long way off.
Many felt strongly reminded of The Division during the Corona pandemic, perhaps even too strongly:
The Division 2 and the Corona Virus: I have a strange feeling
