Tonight brings a dollop of stories from Ubisoft’s The Division franchise, which is able to quickly be prolonged by the arrival of free-to-play spin-off The Division Heartland.
Initially introduced in Could 2021, Heartland has now been in closed testing for over a 12 months already – however there’s evidently nonetheless extra to be completed earlier than it will get a closing launch date.
Tonight, Ubisoft directed gamers and their events to register for entry (at thedivisionheartland.com) in a recent spherical of testing, forward of “extra information this summer season”.
Heartland strikes the collection’ city-based motion to a rural small city America setting, and is described as a survival motion PVEVP shooter the place you battle AI factions and different gamers. You play as a Division agent seeking to safe the city from different rogue brokers, in addition to the virus itself.
The sport’s opening sees you aiding Boston agent Mackenzie Reed, who has come to Heartland’s setting of Silver Creek searching for a former boss turned “rogue agent” who murdered the workforce he commanded.
Heartland begins with you serving to Reed arrange a base of operations. You will additionally must get used to a day/evening cycle, the place after darkish you’ll be able to encounter enemy gamers and the sport’s concentrate on survival is elevated. Even in the course of the day, it sounds such as you’ll must scrounge water and different sources.
The franchise’s pandemic virus is totally different right here, apparently, and it is as much as you to assist Reed and discover out why. Altering areas of an infection will transfer throughout the city day-after-day, and require you to make use of masks (with consumable filters you will need to purchase) to discover inside its bounds.
Ubisoft additionally supplied an replace on The Division 2 12 months 5, which begins in June and brings a brand new recreation mode named Descent, a free roguelite mode you will not want the Warlords of New York growth for. The sport’s Fortress may even be rebuilt, whereas later seasons convey a recent Incursion and – later this 12 months – extra (what appears like paid) DLC. You’ll be able to gown up as Sam Fisher if you buy the primary of 12 months 5’s premium passes, whereas the outfit themed round Resident Evil’s Leon S. Kennedy will probably be again free to say within the coming days.
The Division Resurgence, a free-to-play cell recreation which bridges the hole between The Division 1 and a pair of, can also be a factor.