In The Division 2, the 2nd Raid is finally starting soon – Operation: Iron Horse. This new PvE endgame activity has now been officially introduced with a trailer and fresh details. We summarize everything important about the launch.
What is the new raid about? In principle, the 2nd raid of The Division 2 was already supposed to be released in October 2019 with Episode 2. However, Massive’s shooter had to deal with other problems at that time, and so the raid was postponed.
In June 2020, it is finally happening. After the large Title Update 10 was released, which made numerous adjustments regarding the raid, the new raid itself will finally start at the end of the month.
The new raid in the trailer: Recently, Massive has been getting players excited for the 2nd raid named Operation: Iron Horse with a new trailer. You can watch the video here:
Everything important about the new raid Operation: Iron Horse
When exactly does the new raid start? The level 40 version of Operation: Iron Horse opens its doors on June 30 at 6:00 PM German time. Anyone who owns the Warlords expansion for The Division 2 can join.
The level 30 version for owners of the base game is scheduled to start the following week.
Additionally, on June 30, there will also be a World-First race for the first raid clear. The fastest raid team will again be commemorated with a special picture at the operations base.
Who can play the new raid? The 2nd raid of The Division 2 is free and accessible to all players. You do not need the “Warlords of New York” expansion or the Year 1 Pass to undertake this new activity. In principle, only the base game is required, as this raid is additional free content from Year 1.
The requirements for the new raid: To participate in the level 40 raid, you must have reached the maximum character level of 40 and completed the campaign of Warlords of New York. A specific SHD level is not required, but players with higher SHD ranks will benefit from the corresponding bonuses.
For the level 30 raid, a gear score of at least 490 and well-optimized equipment are recommended.
Gameplay is in a team of 8 players, which also splits into 2 squads of 4 agents each. So you need 8 people.
Can level 30 and level 40 agents play together? Yes, they can. The raid scales to the highest level of a player in the group.
If the raid is played at level 40, agents at level 30 will be raised to level 40 for the duration of the raid mission. However, the level of rewards is based on the individual level of each player.
What is it all about? After the initial virus outbreak, civilians settled in a foundry near Washington D.C. and crafted vital goods there.
Eventually, members of the True Sons faction raided and took over this metal foundry to produce new weapons and secretly expand their arsenal – for example, with a armored train. After the Division learned about this, the agents are now supposed to thwart the True Sons’ plans in the new raid.
What rewards are there? With the new raid, 2 new exotics are being introduced:
- the pistol Regulus – a revolver with high base damage that also causes explosions on headshot kills, amplifying damage and applying a bleeding status to nearby enemies
- the rifle Ravenous – a double-barreled weapon (see title image) that offers offensive and defensive bonuses in combat
Additionally, the new raid will also introduce 2 new gear sets:
- Foundry Bulwark, which focuses on survivability and allows players with shields to absorb incoming damage and repair it over time
- Future Initiative, which enables wearers to support their teammates with strong repair skills while simultaneously increasing their damage output when they have full armor
The loot in the raid has a weekly timer. This means: Boss loot is only available once a week. You can still participate in the raid afterwards, but the chance for obtaining pieces of the new gear set will only return the following week.
Is there an easy mode again? Yes, there will be a Discovery Mode, just like with the first raid Operation: Dark Hours. While it won’t have the best raid loot, you can practice the most important mechanics and processes at an easier difficulty level or simply explore the raid for yourself.
The Discovery Mode will not be available immediately at the start of the new raid, but will be added in a later update.
By the way, the new raid Operation: Iron Horse is not the only highlight in The Division 2 in June: Season 2 and new raid – What else awaits you in June
