The online shooter The Division 2 was released about a month ago and has already gone through quite a bit. Our author Schuhmann looks at where the game currently stands and gives an assessment of the situation.
These are the two phases of The Division 2: The previous course of The Division 2 can be divided into two phases:
- The honeymoon period, in which (almost) everything was great – this lasted from the release on 15.3. to 5.4.
- the current WR-5 phase, where many things are going well, but problems arise – this phase began on 5.4. with the first major update. The phase is expected to end in May when the raid goes live and the second major patch arrives, which will overhaul half the game
This is how the honeymoon was: The release of The Division 2 went smoothly and without major issues. Many “core fans” from The Division 1 were thrilled by how Massive has further developed the cover shooter that they know so well.
Especially the campaign of The Division 2 was praised. The atmosphere, gameplay, and strong polish of the game appealed to many.
The Division 2 felt complete and polished at release – especially compared to Anthem, which was released just a month before, The Division 2 had a lot to offer from day one.
Furthermore, Massive presented a solid content plan on how they would improve the game.
Were there already any downsides? Overall, there were only clouds on the horizon in the first 3 weeks:
- There was little PvP play
- those who dared into PvP could fall victim to a much too strong build
- the variety of builds proved to be not as great as hoped before launch
- additionally, many players rushed into the then endgame – the regular players finished early
But there was always belief: The real fun in The Division 2 starts only with World Rank 5 and the raid later.
This was the turning point: The patch on 5.4. brought World Rank 5, but also some problems:
- it became clear that build variety is quite limited, because tanks are perceived as too weak
- additionally, issues with skill power arose: Here the mod system did not work
- some bugs and glitches were newly introduced with the patch
- overall, the balance at World Rank 5 struggled in many areas – some talents are too weak, some weapon types are hardly used, Exotics play no role, and the special gear sets are practically useless
- and it turned out that the “Dark Zone,” the PvP, is hardly visited
This is how Massive reacted: The developers of The Division 2 responded mainly with analysis and a “stop”:
- With smaller updates, the most pressing issues were addressed – special ammo started dropping again
- Furthermore, Massive overhauled the schedule and stopped the raid for now: It will only be released when the balance is right
- They also presented extensive plans on how to tackle balance issues regarding tanks, talents, skill power, and the Dark Zone
- A test server for PC was introduced, where the new changes are already running
This is how The Division 2 currently stands: The honeymoon is over, and players are now aware of the difficulties.
The first patch was, in the eyes of many, more of a step back than a step forward. However, some see the current criticism of The Division 2 as “complaining on a high level”.
The mood around The Division 2 is still good, although not as euphoric as in the first weeks. The agents are currently in a waiting position, to see how the balance patch will unfold and how the raid will play.
Credit must be given to how well and confidently Massive has responded to the issues so far. The communication has been strong. Massive is clearly in tune with “The Division 2,” has addressed every problem and proposed solutions.
Now it will depend on how these problems are addressed in practice.
What’s next? The test server will run at least until May 2nd. The next major patch is not expected until May.
When exactly the major balance patch and the raid will come is currently still unknown.
