After being announced earlier this year, The Division 2 quickly rocketed up the charts as one of the most anticipated games of E3 2018. The initial press release was light on details, though rumors and potential leaks attempted to fill in many of the gaps including the location for this latest entry in the franchise. Thanks to the Microsoft E3 2018 press conference, fans finally got confirmation on what the sequel will be bringing to the table.
As it turns out, those leaks were spot on as The Division 2 does in fact take place in Washington DC, moving south from it's original Manhattan location. The trailer reveals what exactly happened in the wake of the outbreak. The trailer takes inspiration from the very first trailer Ubisoft revealed for the previous game, detailing the story through imagery, infographics, and additional hints at what's to come.
As explained in the trailer, the outbreak from patient zero brings Washington DC to its knees after 27 days. Riots, shootings, and chaos erupted pushing the city to the brink of collapse. With Urban Warfare breaking out on the streets, Division agents are called in to try and restore order. An ominous message at the end of the trailer teases that the true enemy may be hiding from within the agencies working to restore order.
Following the cinematic trailer, six minutes of gameplay also premiered using a familiar party chat audio technique that Ubisoft has done for some other trailers like Ghost Recon Wildlands. The gameplay opens up in a lush forested area, quite different from anything players saw in the urban streets of Manhattan. Other new features shown in the footage are new weapons like the Chem Launcher and crossbow, new mission types like Control Point, and the ability to blow armor pieces off of some heavy enemies.
The Division 2 launches March 15, 2019 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.