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The Division 2’s Warlords of New York expansion takes players back to beginning

The Division 2 is getting a makeover. Ubisoft revealed a new paid expansion for the looter-shooter called Warlords of New York, which will bring major changes to the game.

The DLC will bring players back to New York City, where the original Division game took place. The story revolves around Aaron Keener, the former Division agent who was a primary villain in the series’ first outing. Keener has assembled a group of four other rogue agents, who are wandering the streets of New York. Each time a player defeats one, they’ll gain a new special ability in classic Mega Man fashion.

Tom Clancy’s The Division 2: Warlords of New York: Story & Character Trailer | Ubisoft [NA]

Despite the familiar names and places, the story will take players to areas that were not available in the first game’s version of Manhattan. Players will explore Lower Manhattan in this one, which Ubisoft says is “faithfully reproduced at a 1:1 scale.”

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Fundamental changes

While the new story and location are the focal point of the update, Warlords of New York will introduce more fundamental changes to The Division 2. The game’s level cap will rise from 30 to 40. Players at the current cap can start the expansion’s story at launch. New editions of the game let players jump straight to level 30 so they can get right to the story, as well.

Despite the level 40 cap, the new update will introduce an “infinite-progression system,” which will allow players to keep improving stats after hitting that limit.

Progression isn’t the only feature getting a revamp. The series’ signature dark zones will receive an update, which will focus on rewarding players who help each other in the PVP space.

The new DLC brings changes to the game’s UI, adds a new tier system that shows how gear impacts skill power, and brings a host of new loot and weapons.

Tom Clancy’s The Division 2: Warlords of New York: Gameplay Overview Trailer | Ubisoft [NA]

Warlords of New York also delivers a fundamental change to how content is rolled out in The Division. Ubisoft is adopting a season system, similar to Destiny 2’s model. Each season will add global events, loot, and new targets to track down. The game will also introduce a season pass alongside the update, which will feature both free and premium tiers that give players apparel, resources, and equipment.

To prepare players for the expansion, Ubisoft will release two new missions set in Coney Island and dubbed Episode 3. The free update will be available to year one pass holders on February 12 and to all players on February 19.

It’s already been a busy year for service games. Fallout 76 is getting a major piece of DLC soon and BioWare recently announced that is completely overhauling Anthem.

Warlords of New York will be available on March 3 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC as a $30 add-on. Players who don’t already own The Division 2 can currently get the game for the extremely low price of $3 on Uplay, as well as the Playstation and Microsoft stores.

Giovanni Colantonio
As Digital Trends' Senior Gaming Editor, Giovanni Colantonio oversees all things video games at Digital Trends. As a veteran…
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