MeinMMO author Maik Schneider has The Division 2 played passionately. A loot shooter to his taste. But he is skeptical about the new Season 9. Fresh content is nice, but in the current situation of the game, it actually just makes everything worse.
When I first ventured into the battlefields of a loot shooter with Destiny 1, I noticed how heavily the game concept engaged me. Especially in a team, I could spend countless hours, fatigue was driven away by conversations.
But with the announcement of Destiny 2, I was done, the genre “loot shooter” was temporarily crossed off my list in 2017: once I knew that there would be no continuation with Destiny 1, I was out. All items and weapons collected for nothing? Not with me. Mama Schneider didn’t raise a fool.
With Division 2, I tried a loot shooter again in 2019 and the old Destiny feelings returned. I even started writing about Division for MeinMMO.
Unfortunately, everything went downhill quickly, interest declined rapidly. With the DLC “Warlords of New York,” I had a brief glimmer of hope in spring 2020, but it quickly became clear – there are no real plans for a time after the DLC.
But after a few hundred hours, I was done. Teammates disappeared, and my desire went with them. And even though I would love to unleash my war drones on the enemies of Washington again, I have no idea when Division will pull me back in again.
The Division 2 entered a sort of maintenance mode after the big DLC. It brought a bit of story with the seasons, but that was it. For almost 2 years now, the shooter has been in this season mode, without really delivering anything new. The “Summit” mode is a small exception.
Early on, it was announced that at least one more major update is planned – even with another new mode. Now there is information about it, Division 2 starts Season 9 on May 12.
But I’m not really happy about it.
Division 2: Season 9 brings a bit of everything
Season 9 with TU15 is a scattergun update and brings a bit of everything:
- New mode “Countdown”
- Expertise mechanic for gear
- New manhunt continues the story with 5 targets
- 6 events and 4 leagues
- New weapons, gear brand, exotic, named items and gear
How am I supposed to find 7 other people for the new activity?
The season runs until the end of August due to events. At the end, the “Reanimated” event goes online, from August 23 to 29.
But let’s be honest: how much potential does TU15 have? How long will it keep us entertained? How many players will it bring back? And of course, the most important question when it comes to developing the game: how much money can actually be made from it? And I think it won’t be enough.
The new mode puts players under time pressure and is designed for 8 people. There is matchmaking and you can also manage it with fewer players. But with 8 people like a raid and under time pressure? Seriously?
Why not something for smaller teams – I already find it hard to find even one teammate. And why not use the excellent content that is already in the game and find a twist that allows for more replayability?
I imagine, for example, a hunt through Washington D.C., preferably in my own world instance. Sometimes I need to complete quests, sometimes solve a puzzle, sometimes pull off a mission. This way, I can shoot my way through the city for hours, explore the open world and continuously collect loot.
With the new manhunt, a suitable mechanic is even introduced into the game – mission takeovers. In Season 9, the enemies of the “True Sons” will take over some missions, which will play differently as a result. A good idea from the developers, but hidden behind a limited mechanic – the story-based manhunts.
You play them once and then wait 3 weeks for the next target. The leagues and clothing events don’t really pull me back in either.
I actually only like the expertise system. Here, too, one can argue whether it is just a way to stretch content, as you can level up every important item in the game again. But the idea of pushing your best gear through gameplay time resonates well with me.
Season 9 gives me no hope
The Division 2 will be developed with a significantly smaller team than at its peak. The developers now have to weigh even more critically what is important and what they should rather leave out.
But with Season 9, they are not doing themselves any favors. The game does not become more relevant or gain many new players because of it. In my opinion, it even worsens the prospects for a better future for Division.
I would have been pleased with news about the Division movie, the announcement of Division 3, or the prospect of a genuine DLC for Division 2.
But the new Season 9 has worsened my view of Division 2. I have even fewer hopes than before that I will soon spend fun hours with gaming buddies in this title.
Because, just like back then with Destiny 1, it was always the teammates who kept me entertained for a long time. But with the arguments of Season 9, I can’t get anyone back into the game.
I am very curious to hear what you think of the new Season 9. Are you on my side or do you completely disagree with me? Are you maybe just glad that something is happening in the game at all?
Feel free to leave us a comment with your thoughts on the topic. If you are now rather looking for a new loot shooter, you can find strong alternatives here: The 8 best loot shooters of 2022 – For PC, PS4, PS5, Switch and Xbox
