Ubisoft’s The Division series kicked off in 2014’s E3 with a reveal trailer, followed by a controversial launch on March 8 2016 after it was discovered that the game was visually downgraded by a considerable amount in comparison to the E3 Gameplay trailer but that didn’t stop the game from being successful and was Ubisoft’s “fastest-selling game” at the time, having 9.5 million players after launch.
The game is set after a deadly pandemic in New York City and players assume the role of a Division agent who is tasked with finding the origins of the flu and maintaining order against anarchists. Though The Division mainly consists of PvE elements, it also has a semi PvP mode called “Dark Zone” where they can combat other players to get rare loot and customization items. According to Venturebeat, The Division hit 20 million players two years after its launch which isn’t surprising considering the post-launch updates as Ubisoft launched various expansions and added QoL improvements and balancing to the game years after its launch, which was one of the reasons for its fairly healthy player base across all platforms.
Three years later, Ubisoft released The Division 2. While the game retained various aspects and features from its predecessor, it was set in Washington, D.C, seven months after the events of The Division and brought about various improvements to their fan-favorite formula. Division 2 also received countless updates and expansions post-release.
With that being said, Ubisoft is continuing its plans to expand the franchise further and has announced a free to play game ‘Heartland’, set in The Division’s universe, “Heartland is a standalone game that doesn’t require previous experience with the series but will provide an all-new perspective on the universe in a new setting.”
According to Ubisoft, the game will be launching on PC, Consoles as well as streaming services “in 2021-2022” and is being developed by Red Storm studio who have worked on numerous Tom Clancy titles, making them a “perfect fit for this project.”
A movie adaptation of The Division was announced in 2019, starring Jake Gyllenhaal with Netflix as the streaming platform. Ubisoft also plans on releasing The Division on mobile devices but the details will be shared at a “later date”.
If you’re interested in trying out an early build of the game, you can sign up by visiting the blog here.
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