At Gamescom, Manny Diaz, level designer of the upcoming online shooter The Division 2, revealed that instead of Washington, New Orleans almost became the setting of the story. Why did Massive ultimately choose the capital?
The developers of The Division 2 carefully considered where the agents should be sent in the second part of the story. There were many ideas for interesting locations, including New Orleans.
In the end, however, they decided on Washington D.C., as this idea kept coming up and appealed to the team the most.
The landscape should be more diverse: One reason for a new scenario was that the developers wanted to showcase varied landscapes. New York in The Division 1 was a concrete jungle in winter, which became a bit dull over time.
With The Division 2, they wanted to showcase interesting and more diverse locations. And Washington D.C. provided the ideal backdrop.
Interesting places tell mini-stories: The vast and diverse areas of Washington D.C. are an important part of The Division 2. You will visit well-known locations such as Roosevelt Island and the Air and Space Museum, where you will experience small mini-stories.
The President gives orders: Another reason for choosing Washington D.C. as the setting is that it is the seat of the President of the United States of America. The agents in The Division 2 report to him. Your task is to protect the government, which is why you are in direct contact with the President and operate from the White House.
