Incursions sound like a 'Division' take on 'Destiny' raids
One of the lingering questions chasing The Division -- especially among Destiny fans looking for a new loot grind to fixate on -- is what the endgame looks like. Now, finally, we have a better sense of things.
The New York City-set role-playing game allows players to level up, earning additional abilities and gear as they go. But once the story is over, where do you use all that sweet gear you fought so hard for?
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A new announcement on Ubisoft's post-release plans introduces Incursions, in which "[t]eams will be able to test their skills as they face seemingly unstoppable enemies to gain high-level weapons and equipment." While there are likely to be fundamental differences between the two, this sounds like The Division's take on a Destiny raid.
The game's first Incursions will be added in a free title update that's expected to launch in April. Also included in the April update is support for loot trading.
Also included in the April update is support for loot trading.
Loot trading in a game like this always introduces the danger of shiftier players taking to the Internet to sell the sweetest of their gear for real money.
It's not clear how The Division will skirt this danger, though the description -- "[Loot trading allows] players in the same group to trade loot collected during a co-op game session." -- suggests there are limits.
The April update will be followed by another free add-on to the game in May. This one, called "Conflict," adds a new Incursion, set in NYC's Columbus Circle.
Ubisoft's announcement also reiterates plans for The Division's paid post-release add-ons, which will be sold either individually or as a Season Pass bundle. The descriptions mirror what was previously revealed.
Announcements like this one help to position The Division as a "live" game, meaning there are always new activities to participate in. The "Dark Zone" offers an unusual take on competitive play, with teams heading into a specially marked portion of the city where players can fight over "contaminated" gear that needs to be extracted via chopper before it can be used.
The new announcement also reveals that The Division will feature some emphasis on daily and weekly challenges, which players of all experience levels will be able to tackle and benefit from.
We'll get a sense of how all of this fits together when the game launches on Mar. 8, but Ubisoft is definitely saying all the right things in its bid to appeal to a certain type of player -- and specifically Destiny fans.
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Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
