The Division 2 weapon mods will be unlockable through completing objectives in the game, as opposed to being loot drops from enemy kills. Mods will also be available forever across all weapons when you’ve unlocked them, a big change from the first game.
Ubisoft is mixing up the formula for The Division 2 in a number of ways, and we’ve just had more information on one such mix-up: the weapon mods system. YouTube channel Arekkz Gaming has done a good job of breaking down every bit of the new system, with one of the highlights being that The Division 2 weapon mods will no longer be available as random loot drops when you kill enemies. Instead, by completing objectives you’ll unlock different mods. They’ll also remain persistent, not taking up inventory space and remaining available for all weapons permanently.
We don’t know what objectives you’ll be completing to unlock these mods, but as Arekkz says, “perhaps some would be tied to basic story completion, meanwhile, others are likely hidden behind challenges or tasks that you’ll have to complete – likely challenges that are related to that particular mod.” As a result of mods being unlockable and persistent, there also won’t be hundreds of different mod versions with subtle statistical differences. This is because Ubisoft wants players to use mods to try different playstyles, instead of just grinding for the best gear.
All mods going forward will also now have positive and negative attributes in order to keep everything balanced and make you think tactically about your weapon loadout. In Arekkz’s video, he uses the VX1 scope as an example. The Vx1 scope gives you a +30% headshot bonus, but it reduces your reload speed by 10%. Rather than just grinding and min-maxing, Ubisoft hopes that this will encourage you to instead think about your playstyle over your stats.
The Division 2 weapon mods are some of a few changes to come, and we’ll be able to get a feel for how they change the experience when the game launches for PC, PS4 and Xbox One on March 15, 2019.
