The Division Update 1.02 Fully Detailed, Servers Offline Today for Three Hours

At 1am PT/4am ET/9am CET today, March 22, Ubisoft will be taking The Division servers offline for three hours due to the weekly scheduled maintenance. You can follow along to the progress in this Ubisoft thread.

During the maintenance, The Division update 1.02 will be deployed on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, taking up 2.3GB – 3GB, depending on your platform.

Some highlights in the update include named enemies dropping better loot in Challenge mode, NPCs no longer respawning in the open world (to prevent loot farming), and numerous improvements to the Dark Zone that see killed players dropping ammo, medkits, and grenades.

Here’s the full list of patch notes for today’s update:

Gameplay

Named enemies. will now drop better loot in Challenge mode than in Hard mode.

Added a cooldown period for the Static Turret stun attack in order to avoid a stunlock in PvP and PvE game modes.

Named NPCs will no longer respawn after being killed in the Open World. This will prevent situations where players were able to kill a same named NPC over and over again.

Fixed a speed run exploit for the Rooftop Comm Relay mission

Fixed an issue where weapons dealt no damage if the reload animation was interrupted by an agent’s skill

Fixed an issue where players became stuck in an emote animation if activated via chat while auto running

Fixed a bug where skill power would be increased permanently while using the Death by Proxy talent

Fixed a bug where experience was not being awarded for completing all side-missions in the Midtown East safe house

Fixed instances where the Seeker Mine with Airburst / Multi-mine mod would detonate too soon, miss targets or cause no damage

Fixed a bug where grenades would sometimes not display the blast radius warning before detonating

Fixed an issue where some NPCs in low cover would not react to being shot by the player

Fixed issues where emotes would cause the player model to behave oddly (missing guns, player stuck in emote animation, etc)

Fixed a bug where weapon mods and weapon skins would not show up on other players in the game world

Fixed an issue where DPS would not be calculated properly when purchasing a new weapon mod

Modifications to the weapon talent: Trained.

It can now only be rolled on Shotgun, Marksman rifles and Pistols

Its bonus has been reduced from 1%-5% to a constant 0.1%

For the Midas SMGs, Trained Talent has been replaced with Responsive Talent which increases damage when getting closer to the target. This applies to existing weapons as well as newly acquired ones

For all SMGs, LMGs, and Assault Rifles, it will be replaced with another randomly picked weapon talent. This applies to existing weapons as well as newly acquired ones

Dark Zone

Players can now heal other neutral players in the Dark zone, by using First Aid and Support Station skills

Players are now able to fast travel to Dark Zone checkpoints, but only when coming from outside the Dark Zone

The Dark Zone disconnect timer has been increased to 30 seconds, meaning players will remain in the game world longer when logging out while in the Dark Zone (this applies while not in combat)

Items extracted from the Dark Zone are now properly marked as “new” items when moved to the players inventory

Players killed in the Dark Zone now drop ammo, medkits and grenades. This loot is generated and not taken from the dying players’ inventory

Players killed in the Dark Zone will lose less Dark Zone Funds and Experience (Rogue and non-Rogue)

Dark Zone Funds and Experience rewards for surviving Rogue status have been improved

Dark Zone Funds and Experience rewards for killing Rogue agents have been improved

Increased drop rate of High-End items from lvl 31 and 32 named NPCs in the Dark Zone.

Increased drop rate of High-End Division Tech Material from lvl 32 named NPCs in the Dark Zone.

Improved Dark Zone Chests items quality: Rank 30 chests will now drop Superior (Purple) items instead of Specialized (Blue); Keys chests now have a chance to drop High-End (Gold) items

Dark Zone Funds drop rates and quantity on NPCs has been reduced.

Fixed a bug where the Wildfire and Fear Tactics talents were affecting neutral players in the Dark Zone.

Fixed instances where players would receive a DELTA error message when entering the Dark Zone

Fixed a bug where sometimes players could not loot anything after returning to the game following a network disconnection

Fixed Stage 1 Rogue timers not displaying correctly when Rogue players receive damage from another player

Graphics

Fixed a few lights that did not cast global illumination

UI

Added more information for Daily missions on the Map

Tutorials have received some UI polish

The Matchmaking menu now displays the mission difficulty rating more prominently

The mini-map mission tracker has been optimized to be less confusing to players

Fixed a bug where some of the attributes for high-end equipment were cut-off in the recalibration menu

Fixed a bug where the Matchmaking menu for a mission would not display correctly or kept disappearing

Fixed missing item icons in the Reward Claim Vendor’s inventory

Fixed incorrect side-missions being displayed in the Map legend

Audio

Fixed a bug where the helicopter crash SFX would be missing from the Brooklyn end cinematic

Fixed a bug where the Zapper Turret mod had no sound

Fixed a bug where the audio for entering a contaminated area would be cut-off

Fixed a bug where audio would not play when scrolling through vanity items

Localization

Fixed Ubisoft CLUB reward descriptions in Korean and Traditional Chinese

In-game localization bug fixes

PS4 Only

Added an option to disable the PlayStation 4 controller speaker

Improved textures and models streaming speed

Fixed an issue where ISAC volume could get too loud when playing with headsets

In April, Ubisoft will add an incursion and more as part of The Division’s first content update.

Which Dark Zone change are happiest to see today?

[Source: Ubisoft (1), (2), (3)]

The Division Everything You Need to Know

The Division - Everything You Need to Know
Year One DLC Plans and Loot Trading
Offering further details on their post-launch plans for The Division, Ubisoft announced that free updates in April and May will add new incursions, new features to the Dark Zone, loot trading, and more:

Incursions (April 2016)
- The first free update will introduce the first incursion, a new challenging end-game activity developed specifically for squad play. Teams will be able to test their skills as they face seemingly unstoppable enemies to gain high-level weapons and equipment. This update will also add one of the community’s most-wanted feature, loot trading; allowing players in the same group to trade loot collected during a co-op game session.
Conflict (May 2016)
- The second free update will add new features to the Dark Zone and add a new incursion in the iconic Columbus Circle.
More details about the expansion pack can be seen here.
We Played It at E3 and Here's What We Thought Then

Did the game improve compared to last year's E3 build? Check out our hands-on preview to find out.
Here's What to Expect in the Dark Zone and Going

If you weren't able to partake in the beta, The Division will have a "Dark Zone" in the game where players can be bullies or help out others. Exec Producer Fred Rundqvist explains it as:

You can play on your own, absolutely, or as part of a team. If you want to play alongside others, you can hook up with people inside the game world and form a group, or go through matchmaking and start as part of a team. If you’re playing solo you won’t get totally overwhelmed — enemies scale to give a challenge to just one person or to a larger team.

Check out his full explanation of the Dark Zone here.

In related news, Senior Game Designer Matthieu Delisle explains going "rogue" status in the Dark Zone and PvP:

When you turn Rogue, you get a bounty on your head and all the players can see it. The more you kill, the bigger the bounty. You climb the levels of Rogue by killing other players. If you are a level one Rogue, you’re Rogue for two minutes. But if you kill more players, you’re Rogue for a longer period of time. Every time you kill a player you refresh that counter and it increases up to five minutes. If you manage to survive your Rogue status – which is pretty difficult because all the players want to kill you and can see you on the map – then you receive your own bounty. So you can progress in the Dark Zone by being a Rogue, but it’s pretty risky and difficult.
You'll Be Able to Create Four Characters

Ubisoft has revealed that players will be able to have up to four characters on a single account in Tom Clancy’s The Division. All we have to do is pick who we want from the Start menu. As to why you should consider that and the other advantages to having multiplayer characters, Associate Lead UI Artist Lars Vincent explains it in this video.
Player to Player Trading Won't Be Available on Day One

Player-to-player trading won't be possible once The Division launches, but it's been confirmed to be available very, very soon after launch.
Don't Expect Day One Reviews and Here's Why

While PlayStation LifeStyle will do its best to have a review up of The Division on the site as soon as possible, don't expect it on day one. Reason being is that Ubisoft is giving out review code on the day the game is out, so reviewers will be able to play the same game the gaming public plays.

Check out the publisher's full explanation here.
Check Out This

Want to know how fast civilization can crumble when faced with an apocalyptic epidemic? Check out how fast your city will deteriorate with Ubisoft's "Collapse" simulator.
Ubisoft Says the Game Won't Have Micro-Transactions

No micro-transactions and no to p2w. But why are players still nervous? Read on to find out.
Don't Expect Split-Screen Multiplayer

Nope. The Division won't be like yesteryear's games where you can co-op with buddy on the couch.

Check out what Creative Director Magnus Jansén had to say and why they omitted it.
Expect DLC to Be Exclusive to Xbox for a Month

Unfortunately, The Division is one of those games with timed exclusivity agreements in place when it comes to post-release content. So expect DLC for The Division to appear on PS4 after 30 days from its Xbox One availability.
Ubisoft Released a Bunch of The Division

Learn the ropes by watching Ubisoft's video guides on UI customization, map matchmaking, the consumable wheel, and Dark Zone currency. 1
Season Pass Content Includes Three Major Expansions

The three expansions will arrive over the course of the year and add new content, gear, and gameplay.

Expansion I will be called "Underground," expansion 2 named "Survival, and expansion 3 is to be titled "Last Stand." More details can be found here.

There's also free content launching in Year One, including the ability for players to trade loot with party members.
Details on Level Cap, Micro-Transactions, Skills, Customization and More

Answering the most popular questions on the official Ubisoft blog, new details on loot, experience, skills, talents, and customization were given.

The skill system is what defines an agent's role. Here's a load of info on character progression, the experience system, and skills.
Lag sucks, So The Division Will Prioritize Ping and Connection

Creative Director Magnus Jansen wants players to "notice matchmaking as little as possible." Therefore, Ubisoft Massive has dropped demographic matchmaking for a smoother experience.
Customize, Upgrade, and Specialize Your Agent With the Skill Tree

Ubisoft put together a thorough video walkthrough of the skill tree system implemented in The Division. Included is an example of how skills can be combined, so be sure to give it a watch.
Find Out Why the Game is Set in a Mid-Crisis Manhattan

Ubisoft claims that in-game Manhattan will be "a 1 to 1 scale recreation," and "more than enough to sink your teeth into."

For those wanting to take a closer look at the The Division's render of Midtown Manhattan, check out this interactive map.
It's Making the Most Out of Each Gaming Platform

Rather than aiming for parity across all systems that The Division is releasing on, Ubisoft Massive is instead trying to get the most out of each platform, with some versions possessing features that the others do not.
The Beta Was a Massive Success

With 6.4 million people taking part in The Division open beta on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, a new record was set.

A list of other stats from the beta were also provided by (an ecstatic) Ubisoft Massive.
Read Our Impressions of the Beta

"The Division is coming along at a time when it feels like it will steal many of what used to be Destiny’s audience. It has the same kind of appeal, taking a typical console game genre and building it into an MMORPG..."

Read our full preview here.
Top 5 Tweaks We Want to See Based on the Beta

After a busy weekend playing as much of the beta as possible, we put together a Top 5 video listing the changes we wanted to see implemented before launch.
Ubisoft Massive Q&A Provided Info on Changes Since Beta and Missing Features

Game Director Petter Mannerfelt opened up an IGN Q&A saying, “Player feedback is important to us. Based on the closed and open beta feedback, we did, for example, make some adjustments in the Dark Zone.”

He then went on to give details on the bigger changes made since the open beta, and features that are missing.
It Debuted Our Trailer Parody Series

Sometimes we do silly things, and this trailer parody is one of them. Click to watch us light-heartedly poke fun at The Division and the controversies that have surrounded it since its reveal.
There's a 10-Minute Live-Action Short Film

Ubisoft partnered up with Amazon and YouTubers to put together a pretty damn epic live-action short film entitled "Agent Origins: Escape." Watch it!
It Inspired Our Top 5 Post-Apocalyptic Games Video

Get in the mood for mass death and destruction as we count down the Top 5 Post-Apocalyptic Games.
Ubisoft Prepares You for Launch
Over on the official The Division site, Ubisoft has rounded up some of the launch info that people might want to know.

We've plucked the info on what we think are the most important stuff which you can below.

Client Size: From 26.9GB to 34.4GB depending on your platform and region.

When the Servers Go Live:

Retail:
- Xbox One and PlayStation®4 will be available as soon as the servers open on Tuesday, March 8, 00:01AM Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) (March 7 at 2 pm CET/8 am EST/5 am PST)
- PC will be available worldwide on March 8 at 6 am CET/12 am EST/March 7, 9 pm PST
Digital:
- Xbox One will be available on March 8 at 00:01 am in each country's local time (00:01 am EST for USA and Canada).
- PlayStation®4 will be available on March 8 starting from 00:01 am in each country’s local time (00:01 EST for USA and Canada).
- PC will be available worldwide on March 8 at 6 am CET / 12 am EST / March 7, 9 pm PST.
Also of note, Ubisoft will host a live-stream of the game over on the game's official Twitch channel.
The Collector's Edition Costs $160

Yeah, it's pricey but might be worth it. The Collector’s Edition, that’s priced at $159.99 USD and includes the game, Season Pass, real agent watch, poster, artbook, and armband.

Check out the complete report on it here.