Near the beginning of the year, Ubisoft shared plans to bring a Realism Mode to The Division 2 as part of its 10th anniversary celebration. It’s designed to make the game even tougher by removing some of the game’s more advantageous features, and it’s only sticking around for a short time.
As laid out by the game’s developers, Realism Mode is only available through the Warlords of New York expansion. But from today to April 2, that expansion will be open to all players so they can have a chance to experience it themselves.
Realism Mode drops most of the video game conventions like the HUD, the map, and hitmarkers. The combat has also been completely re-balanced, and old strategies like shooting limbs aren’t going to as effective in this mode.
Players can get killed a lot easier in Realism Mode than in the game’s normal settings. There are also longer cooldowns for skills, and heavier gear will slow the player’s character down. Players do have the option of opting for lighter body armor, which will increase their speed at the cost of protection.
Ammo will need to be secured directly from fallen enemies, and it’s going to be rarer in this mode. The goal is to make every shot count, and if you’re good enough to nail headshots, you’ll be happy to hear that those are still very effective in Realism Mode.
Ubisoft also shared details about the Anniversary Season’s Event Pass, which will feature crossover outfits from across the company’s Tom Clancy universe. The new outfits are inspired by Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell, and Rainbow Six Siege.
Last month, Ubisoft shadow dropped The Division Definitive Edition. It’s not a remaster of the original game, but it does come with all of the previously released expansions, Underground, Survival, and Last Stand, along with weapon skins and gear sets.
Former Division boss Julian Gerighty has teased that The Division 3 is going to be a “monster.” However, Gerighty has since left Ubisoft and joined EA’s Battlefield team. There’s currently no release window for The Division 3.