The Division 2: Echoes of Central Park is out now, inviting you to take on a dark threat that lurks in Central Park. For the first time in franchise history, you can explore New York City's Upper West Side and the iconic Central Park as you investigate a mysterious and sinister threat in the area. With fear and rumors running rampant in the Upper West Side, you'll need to earn the trust of three reluctant heroes to rescue your target and defeat what lurks within.
A New Tone and Storytelling
Taking inspiration from the horror genre, fear is the heart of Echoes of Central Park. Citizens in the Upper West Side are gripped by paranoia of an unknown sinister threat, and are terrified as enemy faction members, friends, and family turn up dead or missing in gruesome ways. On top of everything, there are rumors of a new virus variant spreading. And all of it is centered around what lurks in the shadows in Central Park.
The story is, in essence, exploring the idea of a society in which fear feeds on itself until rumors become truth, and in a new storytelling approach, it's presented in the style of a flashback as a narrator guides you through her version of events. It's up to you to see through the fog of fear and rumor to find reality and eliminate the threat within Central Park.
You can play Echoes of Central Park in solo or co-op mode. If you're below level 40, you'll get a boost, allowing you to immediately start the eerie adventure while being appropriately leveled to take on the challenges.
Explore the Upper West Side and Central Park
In the biggest experience in The Division 2 since Warlords of New York, and featuring a much larger map than Battle for Brooklyn, Echoes of Central Park starts in the Upper West Side. In the iconic neighborhood, you'll explore and complete missions in famous landmarks like the Natural History Museum in the area from Lincoln Square to the Dakota District.
Eventually, your adventure will take you into the park itself, which has transformed from the symbol of the city to a place of decay and mystery. The park was originally used as a mass burial ground during the initial outbreak, but as the last known presence in the park has disappeared, fear haunts the area as a new apex threat took up residence. Set in the summer after the Warlords of New York expansion, you'll need to confront this formidable new force and take on familiar foes to find out what really happened in Central Park.
Play With New Companions
To face the horrifying threat in Central Park, you'll need some help. Echoes of Central Park introduces three Companions, each of whom has a unique past and fighting style, as well as some knowledge of what's happening inside the park. By uncovering their backstories, you‘ll be able to earn their trust and have them fight alongside you as you prepare to enter the park. You can have one companion in your party at a time, and they will provide powerful support in combat to make your path to victory a bit smoother. They are:
- Brayleigh Callahan - A Sniper who is an MIT graduate and Olympian medalist in shooting
- Elwood Franklin – A Protector who was a former mall cop, but aspires to become an NYPD officer
- Morse Feeney – An Assault who is a rugged veteran and former first wave Division agent with a mysterious past
When replaying missions, assign a new companion to fight with you for a fresh experience. Each character responds to situations differently, offering different perspectives with their dialogue and a new tactical approach to combat. Outfits inspired by the new companions, as well as a skin for the new exotic weapon, are included with the Echoes of Central Park Deluxe Edition.
Why You Should Replay Echoes of Central Park
In your first playthrough of Echoes of Central Park, it will be a struggle just to survive. In the park, you'll be hunted pretty with no GPS assistance, constantly facing down never-ending waves of enemies. As you progress through the story, you'll learn more about the truth behind the enemy you're facing, and will collect new gear to help you face them. Each time you enter the park, you'll be more prepared to take on the challenge, and eventually you'll become the predator, giving you more control about how to take on your enemies.
The outcome of each enemy encounter you have will affect what happens after the battle is over. Do well, and you'll get exclusive rewards that will help you; but if you perform poorly, you'll get a disadvantage moving forward. Combine these game-changing impacts with companions who give different battle buffs, and it's clear no two runs are ever quite the same in Echoes of Central Park's endgame experience.
New Skills and Gear
As you defeat the eerie enemies within Central Park, you can earn six new skill variants inspired by the horrors you'll face, including:
- Corrosive Trap
- The Gas Bomber
You can also earn new gear, including:
- The Ratel (new Exotic Weapon)
- A new Gear Set
At launch, Prototype Gear will be normalized within Echoes of Central Park to preserve the intended challenge, tension, and sense of danger as you explore. The Division 2 developers plan to enable Prototype Gear's full strength within the DLC at a later date, bringing it in line with how it functions in the rest of the game.
Play The Division 2: Echoes of Central Park today on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via the Ubisoft Store, Steam, and the Epic Games Store. You can also play with a Ubisoft+ subscription.