.jpg?q=50&fit=contain&w=1140&h=&dpr=1.5)
After Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment promised that there'd be more content coming to The Division 2 over a year ago, players were unsure what to expect, as the game had basically entered end-of-life maintenance mode by that point in time. Up until now, the developers didn't want to share too much information, short of telling players not to set themselves up for disappointment by having unrealistic expectations.
At long last, however, Massive is finally releasing more information about The Division 2's next major content drop, and the good news is that it's supposed to be coming in just a few days. Season 9: Hidden Alliance will feature a continuation of the game's ongoing seasonal narrative, a new endgame feature, a new 8-player game mode, and plenty more.
Much as was the case with the release of Division 2 Season 8 in February, Hidden Alliance too is a relatively small and contained release, in that it's not nearly the size of the Warlords of New York expansion. Players are getting a new big bad they'll be fighting against, Captain Lewis of True Sons, and his faction is now going to be able to invade and take over certain existing campaign missions. The seasonal narrative will be bolstered further by Countdown, a special 8-player PvE mode where players fight against time to prevent a nuclear meltdown.
Season 9 is also introducing the Expertise system to The Division 2, which is effectively an endgame-level min-maxing tool that allows players to upgrade the various base values of virtually all of their gear. Players can also expect a variety of new weapons and armor pieces to begin dropping alongside Season 9, as well as a few Exotics and season pass cosmetics.
Season 9: Hidden Alliance is set to launch on May 12 and will be the first of the three season pass releases slated for 2022, meaning now might be the right time for new players to try their hand at the game. For some players, The Division 2 is no Destiny killer, but the game still has plenty to offer, and the new releases are sure to get the community back together - even if only for a little while.
While the fact that it will get three more seasonal content drops through 2022 is sure to get the fans excited, The Division 2's vague announcement of revival initially suggested a potentially more substantial release, and the community had been hoping to see another Warlords of New York level DLC instead of seasons. Still, new content is new content, and the promises of big new endgame-level features and game modes are welcomed by the player base.
The Division 2 is now available on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.