Ubisoft confirmed that it is working on the sequel to Tom Clancy's The Division, one of the best-selling games of 2016.
Massive Entertainment is once again the studio behind The Division 2, which will look to go down a different path compared to another high-profile shooter sequel, Destiny 2.
'The Division 2' Confirmed: Why A Sequel, Not Expansions?
Ubisoft announced that Massive Entertainment is already working on The Division 2. The sequel will be running on an updated version of the Snowdrop engine, which was also used on the first game and for South Park: The Fractured But Whole. The Division 2 will be present at E3 2018 in June, but it is unclear how much of the game will be shown at the annual event.
In an accompanying livestream that unveiled The Division 2, Julian Gerighty, the game's creative director, said it was not an easy decision to develop a sequel instead of releasing more expansions for the first game.
"There are so many stories and so many experiences we want to explore within The Division that we really thought a sequel was the best way to investigate these things," Gerighty said.
Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment, however, are not abandoning the first game. The upcoming update 1.81 for The Division will launch more global in-game events and will include an Xbox One X enhancement patch. In addition, a new type of achievement named Shields in The Division will reward players with in-game items in The Division 2.
Why 'The Division 2' Will Not Fail Like 'Destiny 2'
Destiny 2 was a highly hyped title before it was launched, due to the popularity of its predecessor. However, the sequel has not lived up to its potential, with players frustrated over the decisions of developer Bungie.
In its press release, Ubisoft said that it will take what it has learned over the two-year life of The Division and apply that knowledge to The Division 2. Up front, it is clear that The Division 2 will not make the same mistakes as Destiny 2, which changed so many things on gameplay when the mechanics didn't need to be changed at all from its successor.
The Division has improved dramatically from its initial release, when the game suffered from a variety of issues such as a non-existent endgame to its current form, which offers arguably the best endgame among the titles in its genre.
If Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment stay true to their words in learning from the mistakes of The Division, then The Division 2 will likely be another blockbuster hit.
