Since the announcement of The Division 2 and the revealed roadmap for Year 3 at The Division, it is known that a new feature will come with the next patch: Shields. But what could they look like? The community is waiting for the Shield and in the meantime, they are speculating.
While players are eagerly waiting for E3 and the first presentation of The Division 2, it has become quiet in Manhattan.
So far, there is no information about the June patch 1.8.2 or the Shields that are supposed to come with this update. The Shields should be of interest to many agents. The community is guessing what they could look like and what rewards agents can expect.
Shields – everything we know: Shields are supposed to be a special kind of achievements that allow rewards from the first part of The Division to be unlocked for the second part. These Shields are supposed to appear monthly and give agents another goal besides the usual gear farming. The Shields are expected to appear with June’s 1.8.2 patch.
What we don’t know: It is unclear how these achievements will be structured. Neither the scope nor the content is known. The form of the reward has also not been explained in detail.
What could the rewards look like? The community speculates
We have already considered what possible rewards could look like. We assume that these will mainly consist of cosmetic rewards.
This is confirmed by a job ad at Massive, looking for an expert in microtransactions. The Division 2 will likely feature vanity sets and a premium shop again.
YouTuber Epic Slay3rs does not think that gear or weapons are to be expected as rewards. Massive will want to avoid making new players feel disadvantaged. Such exclusive gameplay content for veterans of The Division could negatively impact the community feeling.
Therefore, the YouTuber assumes that the rewards will be limited to cosmetic items.
It is also possible that players who have spent a lot of time in The Division will receive corresponding patches, clothes, and skins. Here, agents could be recognized for their loyalty. Who wouldn’t be happy about a special patch that marks them as a veteran of the second wave?
Masks with special designs are also conceivable and would certainly motivate some to explore Manhattan again.
However, since there is currently no further information about The Division 2, it is difficult to predict. Maybe Massive will integrate a clan and title system and will let us unlock emblems, titles, and more with the Shields? We probably have to wait for the E3 presentation.
How are Shield Achievements structured?
Is The Division making agents grind again? Most agents suspect that the Shields will be added as additional commendations in the dossier. Commendations are in-game achievements that were introduced with 1.7.
If that is the case, one can expect further tasks such as “Kill X enemies with an assault rifle.” Whether further grinding will actually be enough to keep players engaged is at least questionable. Therefore, many wish for more variety and more interesting conditions to complete commendations.
Since the Shields are supposed to appear monthly, their scope is also an important point. Massive will want to give agents enough time to complete all Shields before the release of The Division 2.
If the 100th State of the Game takes place on May 17th, we hopefully will get more information about patch 1.8.2 and the Shields.
Do you have any further ideas? Can the Shields motivate you again? Let us know!
