The underground in The Division is being revised with Update 1.8. From now on, you will encounter Hunters!
The State of the Game just aired on 21st September, which, as in previous weeks, was packed with information about Update 1.8. This time, the developers talked about the new underground and the PTS, the Public Test Servers.
Everything new in the underground
The underground was introduced as a paid DLC content in summer 2016. Since then, it has not undergone any changes. For months, agents have been requesting the developers to give this mode more attention, to make it exciting and rewarding again.
That’s exactly what is supposed to happen with Update 1.8. For 6 months, the developers from Ubisoft Leamington have been working on the new underground. They have read a lot of feedback from the community to give this mode a fresh look.
These are the most important innovations in the underground:
- Hunters are coming! These are the powerful enemies you already know from Survival. In the underground, Hunters can appear unexpectedly at any time. They will search for you. They might find you during a run or not – but usually they do. You never know whether and when you will be attacked by Hunters in the underground.
- If the Hunters defeat you and you need to respawn, they will not appear in that run again. They can appear only once per run. The rule is: They are always in the majority by +1. If there are two of you, three Hunters will appear. If you start with four in the underground, five Hunters will appear.
- In the new underground, there will be checkpoints. If you die, you will not have to start completely from the beginning. That was too frustrating.
- The UI and the map flicker; they are displayed incorrectly and can only be recognized occasionally. In return, the skills have shorter cooldowns and can be used more frequently.
- You receive continuous shock ammunition, which allows you to stun enemies. However, you must not fire too long in a row, as each shot fills a bar, and when this bar is full, you will be shocked yourself. If you do not shoot, the bar will deplete:
PTS on PC starts tomorrow, console PTS is likely postponed
Update 1.8 is now picking up speed. Already tomorrow, on 22nd September, PC agents will be able to access the PTS for 1.8, the public test servers.
They are trying to make the PTS available for consoles PS4 and Xbox One on 26th September as well, but this date is likely to be postponed. Massive will announce soon whether they can meet the date.
While all PC agents can participate in the PTS, the console PTS is again limited. This was already the case with Update 1.7. You need a key. Those who had a key for 1.7 may participate in 1.8 again. Massive will distribute more in the near future.
At the start of the PTS, the new underground will not be active yet. However, you can visit the West Side Pier (the new PvE area) and Camp Clinton (the new social hub), play the new PvP mode “Conflict”, test the fresh Exotics and six new secret gear sets, and try out the gear enhancement.
They have so much to test for 1.8 that they will unlock the individual activities on the PTS one by one.
You will find various weapon balance adjustments on the PTS as well as innovations in talents and gear sets. The “Hunter’s Faith” set is said to have been completely overhauled.
Further information about Update 1.8 can be found here:
