The Dark Zone was easily the most memorable thing about Tom Clancy’s The Division when it launched in 2016. Never knowing whether another squad of agents was going to leave you to enjoy your hard-earned PvE loot or kill you and take it for themselves was a constant source of tension – something no multiplayer game has quite managed to recreate since.
So it’s no surprise that Ubisoft Massive is doubling down on the Dark Zone for The Division 2 – or perhaps that should be tripling down, because the game’s recreation of Washington D.C comes complete with a trio of Dark Zones in which to betray your fellow agents. These are situated to the East, West and South of the game’s map, with each boasting its own layout and associated tactical options.
It’s a big change to be sure, but don’t take that to mean The Division 2 is tearing up an established take on PvP and starting from scratch. As I discovered during the few hours I spent with the game in Ubisoft Massive’s offices in Malmo, The Division 2’s multiplayer is very much an exercise in refinement, with most of the big changes taking place under the hood, rather than with the game’s mechanics themselves.
