In The Division, Update 1.5 and the Survival DLC are two separate things. While players on PC and Xbox One already have both, PS4 players still have to wait. But is a return worthwhile without “Survival”?
Massive still leaves PS4 agents in the dark about when Update 1.5 will finally arrive on their console. Last week it was said that the patch would be released on PlayStation “a few days later”, but still mid-week. Many agents assumed: The deadline is at the latest Thursday, so today. But so far, no statement from Massive.
Yesterday, an agent tweeted the community developer Hamish Bode, asking him to focus more on bringing the update to PS4 and stream less. Bode replied that in a perfect world he would have the capabilities to do so – but he simply does not. And he did not mention a specific release date.
Update: Today, at 5 PM, there will be a “State of the Game”. There may be information about the release then. We will report on it.
PS4 players not only have to wait for Update 1.5 but also for the Survival DLC. This will be released on December 20th. The major new feature intended to provide a welcome change is: the Survival Mode. Therefore, we ask: Is it worth getting excited about Update 1.5 without Survival? What do returnees need to know?
The Division on PS4: What Update 1.5 has to offer without the DLC “Survival”
The short answer is: Yes. Update 1.5 is free on all platforms, so you can play the new features, balance changes, and bug fixes at no additional cost. From this perspective, returning is definitely worthwhile. You have nothing to lose. Here are the following highlights to gain:
- A new World Tier 5: With Update 1.4, World Tiers were introduced. With these, you can adjust the difficulty of enemies and the Gear Score of the loot yourself. With World Tier 5, NPCs will be at Level 34 and the maximum Gear Score will be raised to 256.
- 6 named gear pieces with unique talents: These new, special items should not be confused with gear sets. The talents and the locations of these named gear pieces can be found in the provided links.
- There will be 12 new weapons and four new named weapons.
- A new gear set is coming: FrontLine.
- Changes in PvP: The enemy armor damage will now be considered in damage calculations with a modifier. Additionally, staggering will have an effect in PvP.
- The inventory will be expanded from 70 to 150.
In addition, there will be numerous balance changes and bug fixes that you can read about in the patch notes for 1.5.
What does Survival Mode offer?
The Survival DLC has “only” one new feature: The Survival Mode, a kind of “Battle Royale”, where you fight for your survival along with 23 other agents. It sounds exciting and intense, and many agents describe it that way.
In particular, the new enemies, the Hunters, are praised. They are said to be fantastic, with the fight against them being the most intense experience that the game has to offer. Many players react positively to the mode – although it should be added: Others find it boring and unmotivating, as can be read on reddit.
One reason for this is that the mode is not worth it for efficiently farming good loot. While you will receive relevant rewards depending on your performance, there are many other ways and farming methods to get tons of items faster.
Nevertheless: Survival offers both PvE and PvP fans new, fun, and intense content. Something that PS4 agents can look forward to in just about a month.
In summary: Yes, as soon as Update 1.5 is also released for the PS4, it is worth taking another look at The Division. You can collect new items, create exciting builds, prepare for World Tier 5, and test the revamped PvP. The update doesn’t deliver a completely new gaming experience – but there is something to do again.
You can watch the spectacular launch trailer for Survival here.
