When developer Ubisoft Massive officially revealed The Division 2, the studio had a lot to say about the upcoming game. Creative Director Julian Gerighty promised that all of the DLC add-ons would be free, revealed that the sequel would feature 8-player raids, and eventually confirmed a release date. However, what wasn’t talked about was the game’s Dark Zone, or whether or not there would be one.

While it might have slipped by unnoticed, Ubisoft Red Storm Creative Director Terry Spier took to Twitter to confirm that The Division 2 team did announce a “Dark Zone experience” at E3. Where exactly that announcement took place, but it wasn’t part of Ubisoft’s E3 press conference and there weren’t many details about said Dark Zone experience.

Given that one of The Division’s major selling points was the PvE/PvP Dark Zone, it only makes sense that the sequel would bring it back. It’s one element that The Division has that very few looter shooters have, and it makes for an unpredictable and tense environment.

At the same time, it’s hard not to notice that Spier said “Dark Zone experience” and not just Dark Zone. Could that mean that The Division 2 is offering something similar to the Dark Zone but not exactly like what was seen in Division 1? Obviously, fans expect there to be changes/improvements to the Dark Zone but it’s also possible that Ubisoft is reworking the area entirely.

Over time, Ubisoft Massive made a lot of changes to the Dark Zone to try to make it a more enticing place for players. There were ebbs and flows of popularity where interest would fluctuate based on how many griefers and trolls roamed the area. At first, there was no incentive to go Rogue, but eventually going Rogue became too popular, and those that wanted to collect gear felt the risk was not worth the reward.

But the biggest struggle with the Dark Zone was its impact on the rest of the game. Because Ubisoft had to balance the Dark Zone so that it felt fair to Division players, there was a lot of effort taken to nerf overpowered weapons and gear sets. However, those nerfs also impacted the PvE side of The Division, which frustrated players that didn’t care about PvP. One could make the argument that without the Dark Zone, Division could embrace OP weapons, perks, and gear sets, and potentially even deliver more fun.

Whatever form the Dark Zone takes in Division 2, the hope is that Ubisoft can find a balance based on past experience in Division 1. And if there are significant changes, hopefully they go towards making the game more fun.

The Division 2 releases March 15, 2019 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.