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There was some new information dumped today from Ubisoft for their upcoming action title, Tom Clancy's The Division 2. As part of this new information, we learn that the game will feature not one but three separate Dark Zone areas where players can get their PvPvE fix.
In the first game, the Dark Zone was a single area with multiple difficulty zones. It sliced the game into two separate areas and has been home to all sorts of door camping jerks looking to ruin your day. In The Division 2, there will now be a Dark Zone East, a Dark Zone South, and a Dark Zone West. Each of these areas will have different gameplay features emphasized.
• Dark Zone East—the largest of all three Dark Zones, players utilize long sightlines in over-grown governmental parks.
• Dark Zone South—the smallest of the Dark Zones, emphasis is placed on close-quarters combat. Sightlines are easily broken with large interiors and choke points.
• Dark Zone West—split into two parts by a large canal, Georgetown is characterized by medium-range engagements and features European style architecture.
• Dark Zone South—the smallest of the Dark Zones, emphasis is placed on close-quarters combat. Sightlines are easily broken with large interiors and choke points.
• Dark Zone West—split into two parts by a large canal, Georgetown is characterized by medium-range engagements and features European style architecture.
The latest post on The Division 2's website, includes some additional information about the Perk System, how Extractions will work now, player level normalization and matchmaking, and more. I'll include a bit here about the matchmaking and player normalization levels because that seems like it may be the biggest welcome change for those who didn't like the Dark Zone in the original game.
NORMALIZATION & MATCHMAKING
A big change from Manhattan's Dark Zone is that the three Dark Zones in Washington D.C. will utilize normalization to level the player field. If you are new to The Division 2, normalization reduces the peaks and valleys between players who have high survivability or high damage output. While balancing is a factor to take in account when crafting your build, remember that your build choices are still unique and offer a variety of gameplay options. AI are not exempt from normalization either; they adhere to the same normalization rules players do.
Matchmaking in the Dark Zones occurs in two separate brackets. On the one side, players are matched in level buckets (1-10, 11-20, and 21-30) and normalized to the same power level. On the other side, all players who have reached World Tier are matched together and normalized to the same World Tier. For players above the normalized power level, bonus statistics are applied to reward you for your time.
We have also altered the Dark Zone matchmaking assignment to help solo players play in Dark Zones mostly comprised of other solo players. This is not a hard rule, and players are free to form groups inside the Dark Zones.
A big change from Manhattan's Dark Zone is that the three Dark Zones in Washington D.C. will utilize normalization to level the player field. If you are new to The Division 2, normalization reduces the peaks and valleys between players who have high survivability or high damage output. While balancing is a factor to take in account when crafting your build, remember that your build choices are still unique and offer a variety of gameplay options. AI are not exempt from normalization either; they adhere to the same normalization rules players do.
Matchmaking in the Dark Zones occurs in two separate brackets. On the one side, players are matched in level buckets (1-10, 11-20, and 21-30) and normalized to the same power level. On the other side, all players who have reached World Tier are matched together and normalized to the same World Tier. For players above the normalized power level, bonus statistics are applied to reward you for your time.
We have also altered the Dark Zone matchmaking assignment to help solo players play in Dark Zones mostly comprised of other solo players. This is not a hard rule, and players are free to form groups inside the Dark Zones.
The Division 2 will be released on March 15 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via the Epic Games Store and Uplay. A private beta for the game begins on February 10 for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. You can ensure your spot in the beta by pre-ordering the game. If you would rather roll the dice, you can register for a chance to play the beta at the beta sign-up page.
