Tom Clancy's The Division 2
A cover-based shooter set in post-pandemic Washington, D.C.
Tom Clancy's The Division 2 is an online-only action role-playing game that came out in 2019. It was made by Massive Entertainment and published by Ubisoft. As the follow-up to the 2016 original, the story takes place in a near-future Washington, D.C., after a man-made virus called "Green Poison" has been unleashed. Players control an agent from the Strategic Homeland Division, working to restore order in the city. The gameplay is a third-person shooter that mixes in role-playing mechanics, and it offers both cooperative play and player-versus-player multiplayer.
The development team at Massive worked with several other Ubisoft studios—Reflections, Red Storm, and branches in Annecy, Paris, Bucharest, and Shanghai. They listened to feedback from players of the first game and made sure to include more substantial endgame content from the start. Other cities were considered for the setting, but Washington, D.C., was chosen because of its varied environments and famous landmarks that could be recreated. Real-life disasters inspired the post-apocalyptic look, and the developers consulted first responders and emergency management experts. The game launched on PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on March 15, 2019.
Critics generally liked the game, calling it an improvement over the first in terms of setting, gameplay, visuals, combat, level design, and the amount of content available at launch. The story, however, received some criticism. Commercially, it did well, selling over 10 million copies worldwide, though it didn't meet initial sales expectations. It was nominated for Best Multiplayer at both The Game Awards and the BAFTA Game Awards. As a live service title, Ubisoft kept adding downloadable content packs and free updates, including two major expansions: *Warlords of New York* (2020) and *Battle for Brooklyn* (2025). A third game, *Tom Clancy's The Division 3*, is currently in development.
**Gameplay**
The game is a cover-based third-person shooter where up to four players can team up for missions. It's set in Washington, D.C., seven months after the first game, with a civil war raging between survivors and hostile gangs. Players start by creating their own Division agent, choosing gender and appearance. They get explosives like grenades and a range of firearms—assault rifles, sniper rifles, submachine guns—which are sorted by tier and rarity.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Tom Clancy's The Division 2
- Developer
- Massive Entertainment
- Publisher
- Ubisoft
- Series
- Tom Clancy's
- Engine
- Snowdrop
- Platforms
- PlayStation 4 · Windows · Xbox One · Stadia
- Released
- March 15, 2019The Gold and Ultimate Editions were released on March 12, 2019, while the Standard Edition was released on March 15. The Stadia version was released on March 17, 2020.
- Genre
- Action role-playing, third-person shooter
- Modes
- Multiplayer
- Producer
- Cristian Pana
- Director
- Julian Gerighty · Mathias Karlson
- Programmer
- Carl Johan Lejdfors
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game takes place seven months after the events of its predecessor, in a Washington, D.C. where a civil war between survivors and villainous bands of marauders has broken out. Players create a Division agent by customizing gender and appearance, then use firearms (assault rifles, sniper rifles, submachine guns), explosives, and gadgets to fight enemy factions. Weapons are classified into tiers and rarity, with high-quality guns having better statistics and 'talents' that boost performance. Gear from the same brand provides a small performance boost. As players complete missions, they gain experience points and SHD Tech, a currency used to unlock skills such as turrets, shields, combat drones, seeker mines, and chemical launchers. The open world of Washington, D.C. includes settlements that can be upgraded, safehouses, control points, and world events like public executions and resource convoys. Three Dark Zones offer player-versus-player conflict over valuable loot, with a rogue system that marks players who attack others. Endgame content includes world tiers, a new enemy faction called Black Tusk, invaded missions, 52 bosses (the Deck of 52), specializations with signature weapons, and eight-player raids.
Reader's Guide
Tom Clancy's The Division 2 received generally favorable reviews from critics, who noted it as an improvement over the first installment for its setting, gameplay, visuals, combat, level design, and wealth of content at launch, though its narrative received criticism. The game was a commercial success, selling over 10 million copies worldwide despite not meeting expectations at launch. It was nominated for Best Multiplayer at The Game Awards and the BAFTA Game Awards. As a live service game, Ubisoft supported it with downloadable content packs and free updates, releasing two expansion packs: Warlords of New York (2020) and Battle for Brooklyn (2025). The developers evaluated feedback from players of the first game and decided to have more-robust endgame content at launch. They explored other cities as the game's setting, ultimately choosing Washington, D.C., due to its diverse environments, landmarks, and monuments. The developers were inspired by real-life disasters while creating the post-apocalyptic world and consulted first responders and experts in emergency management. A sequel titled Tom Clancy's The Division 3 is in development.
Did You Know?
- The game's setting was chosen for Washington, D.C.'s diverse environments, landmarks, and monuments.
- Developers consulted first responders and emergency management experts while creating the post-apocalyptic world.
- The endgame features 52 bosses collectively known as the Deck of 52.
- The game sold over 10 million copies worldwide despite not meeting launch expectations.
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