The loot shooter The Division 2 started the new year on January 8 with a “State of the Game” stream and announced Episode 3 and TU7 for February.
What is happening in Division 2? A difficult year 1 for Division 2 players is slowly coming to an end, and with the first community stream of 2020, the developers are providing a glimpse of the upcoming highlights.
What topics were discussed? The always cheerful Massive team brought some news to light and packed it into the “State of the Game” stream.
- Episode 3/Title Update 7 (TU7) – Release in February
- Raid coming later
- New clothing system
- A new Exo weapon
- “State of the Game” schedule
Episode 3 comes with Title Update 7 – But without a Raid
What do we know now about Episode 3? While not much has been revealed about TU7 yet, there have been concrete details about Episode 3 for a while that have now been elaborated on.
- Episode 3 will be released in February simultaneously with TU7
- The content DLC will be free for all players
- A new area will be introduced: Coney Island in New York City
- A faction known from Division 1 will be present: Cleaners
- The episode comes with 2 main missions
- Additionally, Year 1 Pass holders will receive 2 secret missions
- There will be no test server
- Episode 3 brings a new specialization
- A new Exo rifle is coming
This mostly confirms what was already known or suspected.
But now the third act of the year 1 tragedy finally has a somewhat concrete release date, which is even earlier than expected. Due to the release of Division 2 in March 2019, many players also expected Episode 3 to come in March.
When will the Raid finally arrive? However, the hope for a new raid with Episode 3 has been directly dashed.
The developers are still working on the second raid of The Division 2 but cannot really estimate how long it will take. In the recap of the “State of the Game” stream, it was mentioned that the raid will be released in mid-2020.
New cosmetic mechanic and chameleon exo announced
What’s going on with the clothing? After the clothing fragments have been removed from the game, there have already been some changes in the system of how you can obtain cosmetics.
Now the developers are taking another step further and are expanding the system a bit more.
- Textiles
- If you pull a duplicate from a clothing box, you currently get some experience points for it
- With the new system, you will receive textiles that you can exchange for a desired item in certain quantities
- No release date yet for the new system
- Legacy boxes
- The new boxes offer a smaller pool of items and you will not draw duplicates from these boxes
- The legacy containers come with older items and provide players with a premium way to obtain more cosmetics
- The legacy offerings will rotate regularly and the boxes will not always be available
- One box costs 100 premium credits
- Legacy boxes are online! If you log in between January 7 and January 14, you will receive 3 free keys.
Currently (January 9), the legacy boxes will run for another 4 weeks, 4 days, and a few hours, and will disappear with the maintenance on Tuesday, February 11. Maybe a hint about TU7?
Show us the new Exo rifle! The first new Exo rifle since the Diamond Viper from August ’19 is finding its way to Washington with Episode 3.
This is a fully automatic assault rifle named “Chameleon”. The name is no coincidence. The heavily modified Vector comes with a very special ability and adapts its color to the surface.
What else the weapon has to offer remains unclear for now. Agents who enjoy ARs and crazy games will definitely get their money’s worth. A hybrid build with the Snowball Cannon should provide a pleasant late Christmas party.
Year 1 almost done, the hope for Year 2 begins
What’s next in State of the Game? In the community streams of the coming weeks, further changes will be discussed, some of which will only come into the game after TU7.
- January 15
- Changes to the random number generator (RNG) of item stats
- Adjustments to user interface/inventory, quality of life
- Will not come with TU7
- January 22
- Overhaul of recalibration
- Modification of the “skill strength” mechanic
- Will not come with TU7
- January 29
- All important information about Episode 3
So what’s next? Until the next update in February, there will be nothing new in The Division 2. However, the mood in the Massive team remains good and the announcements raise hope for 2020.
If you haven’t been in the game for a while, it’s worth checking in again. Especially with TU6 there have been many really good changes and the hardcore mode with permadeath offers a whole new challenge but currently has no real rewards.
What do you think about the developers’ announcements? Are you excited for a return to New York with Episode 3? Or are you indifferent to the upcoming content?
