Agents,
For our second Gamescom panel, we looked further ahead at the future of The Division 2.
Creative Director Yannick Banchereau returned alongside The Division 2: Survivors Creative Director Magnus Jansén to talk about how Survivors is transforming Washington, D.C., how the community is helping shape what comes next through the Elite Task Force, and our continued commitment to the future of The Division 2.
And yes, we can officially confirm that Year 9 is coming.
Here’s everything we shared.
Last year at Gamescom, we announced The Division 2: Survivors, an expansion that transforms Washington, D.C. into a hardcore winter survival experience.
Inspired by Survival from The Division, Survivors bring elements of that experience to The Division 2, with a focus on grounded, challenging gameplay.
Just like Survival, Agents will be able to choose whether they want their session to be PvE or PvP-enabled. But while Survivors carries forward elements of the original experience, it is being designed as something of its own, with new mechanics and challenges that come with surviving the city in the depths of winter.
This year, at Gamescom, we shared more about that vision.
Survivors introduces a new snow system, covering familiar parts of Washington, D.C. in deep snow.
And it isn't just cosmetic.
Snow will show your tracks as you move through the world and, when it becomes deep enough, slow your movement.
Temperature is another factor Agents will have to keep in mind. Heat sources will become an important part of navigating the city.
Temperatures drop significantly at night, but darkness comes with its own advantages, including reduced enemy detection range.
The transformation also allows the team to rethink familiar spaces. Locations that Agents know from the base game can take on entirely new roles, creating encounters in places where fights wouldn’t normally happen.
The goal isn't simply to cover Washington, D.C. in snow. It's to turn a city many Agents have spent hundreds or even thousands of hours exploring into a place they’ll need to learn and master all over again.
The original Survival remains one of the most beloved experiences from The Division, but Survivors isn't intended to just recreate it inside The Division 2.
One of our goals is to give players more control over the length and challenge of their sessions.
Rather than every run following a set structure, Survivors is being designed to offer greater variety. Sometimes you may want a shorter experience. Other times, you may be ready to take on a much longer and more challenging run.
Replayability is another major focus.
Weather and time of day will change, loot locations will be randomized, and paths and extraction points will shift dynamically, making exploration less predictable each time you head out.
We want to build an experience that Agents can continue learning, exploring, and mastering over a long period of time.
And some of you will get the opportunity to experience it very soon.
We're happy to confirm that sign-ups for Closed Tests of The Division 2: Survivors will open later this year.
Getting Survivors into the hands of players outside the development team is an important part of building the expansion. It's not only about identifying what isn't working, but also understanding what players respond to and where the experience is already heading in the right direction.
More information about Closed Test sign-ups will be shared in the future, so keep an eye on our channels if you want a chance to take part.
Community feedback has played an important role in the development of The Division for years, and during the panel we also looked at how that relationship continues through our insider program, Elite Task Force, or ETF.
First established during The Division, the ETF gives the development team an opportunity to speak with players early in the development process, sometimes before features have even been implemented.
Experience isn’t the only thing we’re looking for. A larger and more diverse ETF gives us a broader range of perspectives, and we’re looking for players who can approach what they experience with a critical, constructive mindset.
That's why we're opening applications again.
Applications for the Elite Task Force are now open until Monday, August 31, 9 AM CEST / 12 AM PT and we're looking for passionate Agents from a wide range of backgrounds and experience levels.
APPLY TO THE ELITE TASK FORCE NOW
ETF members will also receive guaranteed access to the upcoming Survivors Closed Test.
Everything we've shared across Gamescom is part of a much bigger commitment to the future of The Division 2.
Year 7 was a strong year for the game, and Year 8 has continued to expand the experience in new ways, from seasonal content and endgame features to PvP, new Dark Zone modes, a new Incursion, and our next DLC, Echoes of Central Park.
And we're not slowing down.
There will be a Year 9 of The Division 2.
It's still too early to reveal exactly what Year 9 will contain, but Agents can expect us to continue building on what we've started with Year 8.
We'll have more to share about that future during Division Day.
March has always been an important month for The Division, and as we celebrate another anniversary of The Division 2, we'll also use Division Day to reveal more about Year 9 and the future of the game.
Until then, don't forget to save the date for September 24 at 9 AM PT / 6 PM CEST, when we'll reveal more of Echoes of Central Park, including its first gameplay.
Year 9 is on the horizon. Survivors is closing in. And we’re far from done.
Stay safe out there, Agents.
/The Division 2 Team
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