When Tom Clancy's The Division released in March of last year, there were a large number of players who felt it didn't meet the expectations and potential built up prior to launch. Its lack of content, especially activities related to single-player, was a huge contributor to the problem. However, that's nothing time couldn't fix.
In the following months Ubisoft Massive stuck with The Division through thick and thin, even when it was blasted by gamers for "failing to deliver". Through a series of updates and two expansion releases, it would make dramatic improvements to the game.
At this point, The Division is considered to be a high value proposition by a significant portion of its audience. This is best illustrated by its Steam rating, which might be Mixed due to the roughly 22,000 reviews that were written shortly following launch, but most recently it's been labeled as Mostly Positive with a much higher approval rating. Its highest upvoted reviews give it a thumbs up, with over 200 hours of playtime on display for good measure.
Ubisoft Massive isn't done yet, though. As promised by its season pass there will be one more expansion, which was revealed yesterday. More importantly, it will soon see the introduction of the long-awaited 1.6 update.
The Division's 1.6 update is colossal, to put it lightly. Its patch notes and information take up more than 15 pages of space, with attention paid to virtually every facet of the game. Additions, changes, balance, and more are represented.
Below are cliff notes of the major elements it'll include:
- The Northern Front
- Contamination Events
- Dark Zone Leaderboards
- Legendary Difficulty
- Exotic Items and New Set Gear
- Gear Set Changes
- Armor and Resistance Changes
- Skill Power and Skills Change
- PvP Balancing
- Economy Changes
- In-Game Store Revamp
Reception to the update reveal has been incredibly positive, with emphasis placed on build diversity, gameplay quality of life alterations, and new content.
This is not too dissimilar to Final Fantasy XV, which similarly saw divisive reception at launch, but has notable additions and changes coming in post-release content.
The 1.6 update will be accompanied by the release of Last Stand, the third and final expansion included as part of The Division's season pass. With this, The Division will be considered a highly recommendable game by many. Sadly, its rough reputation earned at launch will likely keep many consumers at bay, consumers that may have found themselves surprisingly addicted to what is certainly one of this generation's most beautiful and ambitious titles.
