The Division 2 State of the Game returned this week with a look at Title Update 6.1, arriving next week with a holiday event, a new mode, and much more. With Associate Creative Director Yannick Banchereau and Associate Game Director Drew Rechner, this week’s stream took a deep dive into what’s coming and what’s set to change next week. A few highlights:
- Title Update 6.1 will be deployed during the maintenance window (12:30-3:30 AM PST) on December 10.
- The Division 2’s holiday event also begins on December 10, bringing free Santa hats and a chance to score a snowball-launching “Sleigher” weapon.
- A permadeath Hardcore mode will also arrive in Title Update 6.1, although the developers stress that it’s not yet complete.
- The stream also featured short Q&A videos with UI Technical Artist Braden League and Senior Narrative Designer Noel Walling.
- The stream took time toward the end to answer community questions directly from the chat.
State of the Game streams every Wednesday at 8:00AM PDT on Twitch, Mixer, and YouTube. (To find out what was covered in the last episode, make sure to check out the previous State of the Game Recap.
PRIORITY ALERTS
Maintenance Recap
- Fixed an issue that blocked progression in Manning National Zoo by not triggering the next stage after "Locate Emeline."
- Fixed an issue that blocked progression in Manning National Zoo by not triggering the next objective after planting the C4.
Title Update 6.1 Incoming
- The new update will arrive on December 10, during the normal maintenance window of 12:30 AM PST – 3:30 AM PST.
Communication
- The team feels their recent communication with players has left room for improvement, and they have taken player feedback to heart.
- The team will put a higher emphasis on keeping players informed and maintaining a productive two-way discussion.
- The developers acknowledge many of the same areas in the game as players for improvement.
- The team is still working hard on new content, and is currently working on a variety of revamps to address these areas for improvement.
Black Friday Care Package
- Ends tomorrow, December 5.
- Log in to The Division 2 to claim it. Be sure to check your Mailbox at the stash!
TITLE UPDATE 6.1
Upcoming Fixes
- The developers have made further audio improvements, which should mean that instances where audio cuts out or stops completely should be much rarer.
- Fixing an issue that causes Apparel items to stop dropping in the world before players have collected all 72 items.
- Fixing an issue that causes players to be unable to send text messages in any chat channel under certain circumstances.
- Turning off the alarm sound in the Base of Operations.
- Improving loot UI to hide dropped item details while in combat, so they don’t block the Agent’s view.
- Fixing an issue that prevents some Xbox One players from installing the game from disc.
- Fixing issues with Cassie Mendoza, including spawn and notification glitches.
- There are some fixes in 6.1 for invisible walls and NPCs getting stuck, but the developers are continuing to investigate these issues for future fixes.
Small balance changes to the Negotiator’s Dilemma 3 Piece Talent “Blowback”
- Updated to change the behavior of the launched grenade.
- The grenade no longer explodes immediately on contact.
- The grenade now has a fuse timer (currently 2 seconds) from launch before it explodes.
- The UI now appears immediately on launch to warn players of the incoming projectile.
- If the fuse is not finished, it will land on the ground and wait for the fuse to end before exploding.
Holiday Event – Situation: Snowball
- Washington, DC is still being fought over by all factions and the Division, but there should always be time for holidays and presents.
- During the event, the game will get a new look, including a festive makeover for the login screen.
- Players can grab a holiday care package that includes a festive Santa hat and three pieces of equipment.
- Ambusher crews have a random chance to appear wearing Santa hats. Killing the “Hoarder” NPC wearing a hat has the chance to drop “The Sleigher” (guaranteed to drop the first time), a weapon that shoots snowballs and confuses enemies when hit.
Apparel Event #5 – Silent Night
- Runs from December 10 through December 31, and keys can be used until January 7.
- Players who log in during the event receives one free Apparel Cache key (Year One Pass holders will receive an additional three keys as a bonus).
Changes have been made to how players acquire Apparel Event Keys:
- Guaranteed key with every three Field Proficiencies.
- Guaranteed key with every five Dark Zone Proficiencies.
- Weekly Apparel Projects reward three keys.
- Gifting Apparel Event Keys is now possible.
Hardcore Mode
With the holidays around the corner, the developers want to try something out and deliver a surprise for players. For the past couple of months, they have been working on a side project that they think will add a lot of fun for players, as well as a new way to engage with the game. With the caveat that it’ll be in beta at release, this small addition to the game will arrive next week with TU6.1.
Details of Hardcore Mode:
- Permadeath – players begin Hardcore Mode with a new Agent, lose all progress and items on death, and can then start again.
- If all a player’s character slots are full, they’ll need to delete one to create a Hardcore character.
- Hardcore characters don’t have access to the Stash, and no gameplay rewards from Hardcore mode carry over to a player’s other Agents.
- Hardcore Agents play on Hardcore-only servers, and can only play in co-op with other Hardcore players.
- Hardcore Mode comes with special vanity rewards, including a YOLO hat awarded for reaching level 2.
More work is still needed on Hardcore Mode, but the developers are releasing it in beta because they feel that it’s already a fun addition to the game, and adds something new for players to experience. Some things haven’t yet been implemented as fully envisioned by the developers, and there are planned features that haven’t yet been added. However, the team would like to hear from players via the subreddit and forums.
The Division 2 is available now on PC, Xbox One, and PS4, and is included in a UPLAY+ subscription. For more The Division 2, check out our previous coverage.
