Fans have been waiting for information about the new Dark Zone in Washington D.C. since the announcement of The Division 2. The developers have now talked about matchmaking for groups and solo players. They also revealed when we can expect more details about the DZ.
The Dark Zone is one of the highlights of The Division. It is an area that runs through the center of Manhattan. In this zone, PvP and PvE are not separated. You can collect loot from AI opponents or steal from other players.
Separate matchmaking for groups and solo players?
Players without a group often complained in The Division 1 about being pursued by larger groups. This has also been a concern for Division developer Massive regarding the predecessor.
Why should this be done? In Part 1, solo players are thrown onto a server with other squads. Rogue squads enjoy hunting down players who are alone, as they are usually at a disadvantage.
This has spoiled the fun for many in the Dark Zone. However, these were not the only problems, the Dark Zone was constantly revised.
Could this change for The Division 2? Terry Spier, Creative Director at Ubisoft Red Storm, hinted that they are aware of this problem. Apparently, they have already considered separating group and solo players.
Yes, we have thought about it; I can’t comment on the plans. We have only publicly confirmed that there will be a Dark Zone in The Division 2. We have not announced anything further. But yes, we have thought about it. Of course, matchmaking is something very important for us in the Dark Zone.
However, Spier also emphasizes that the Dark Zone is meant to be a merciless place where players should set their own rules.
We must not forget that the Dark Zone is meant to be a place without rules. […] You define your own fairness. And if you have more people, you have an advantage.
Apparently, work on the mechanics of the Dark Zone is still ongoing, which is probably why there is hardly any concrete information available. However, this should follow soon.
That PvP in The Division 2 will fundamentally change is already clear due to the altered healing mechanics. You can read about how this works in our preview report from Gamescom 2018.
News coming this year
When can we expect more information about the Dark Zone? At the Ubiday in Japan, Massive has now confirmed that new information about the Dark Zone will be available in December.
It is not known whether this will be regarding gameplay or a dev blog entry.
Would you welcome such matchmaking?
