Today, Ubisoft and Massive, the developers in charge of The Division 2 have shared what’s next for the game with the announcement of a new expansion called Warlords of New York. The new expansion will bring with it lots of new gameplay features and updates as well as a new campaign that takes Agents back to a new part of New York City.
Before the new expansion comes out, Episode 3 will be released which serves as a prologue to the new story of Warlords of New York which has The Division on a manhunt for Aaron Keener, a former Division agent who has gone rogue. Episode 3 is a free update that takes place in Coney Island and will have two missions that will lead into the new expansion campaign. Also, a new endgame specialization will be available.
Warlords of New York brings a lot of new gameplay changes and updates to The Division 2. The max level cap has been raised to 40. It takes place in a new 1:1 scale recreation of lower Manhattan that consists of four zones. Players will have to explore the map to identify points of interest and activities to lift the fog of war over the map. Enemies now scale to your level and there will be no restrictions to explore lower Manhattan.
The campaign consists of five investigation threads with five main missions and eight side missions that are now linked together. There will be improved boss mechanics and unique skill mod rewards. Taking the game back to New York means bringing back former factions that were not present in Washington D.C. The Rikers, Cleaners, and Peacekeepers have reorganized and grown stronger since the first game.
Gameplay features and adjustments include Dark Zone improvements, new skills and weapons, and a major adjustment to Gear with improved UI to make things more clear if a new item is better then what you have equipped.
One of the biggest updates coming to The Division 2 is Seasons which serves as the endgame content after you reach level 40 and complete the story of Warlords of New York. Each season will last for three months and revolve around the manhunt which is a multi-step journey hunting down rogue agents. There will also be reimagined global events, new gear, leagues, and apparel. Each Season will have 100 levels of rewards.
Reaching the max level cap doesn’t mean you won’t be leveling up anymore with the introduction of SHD levels, an infinite progression system that replaces the field proficiency cache system. Gaining new SHD levels allows players to put points into one of four distinct core attribute categories.
Episode 3 releases tomorrow February 12 for players that own the Year 1 pass. It releases on February 19 for all players. Warlords of New York releases on March 3, 2020. It’s $30 if you already own The Division 2. You can also purchase the full game with the expansion for $40 and the ultimate edition of The Division 2 will cost $60 and include the base game, the expansion, and all Year 1 content.