The Division 2 Warlords of New York DLC hands-on preview

Coney Island, the home of the Cyclone roller coaster, mermaid parades, and Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog eating contest to name just a few of its attractions. It’s not really the kind of place you’d expect to be the backdrop for a showdown between the Division and a dangerous rogue agent. But, in a world where society has all but collapsed even fairgrounds can become wargrounds. And in the upcoming prologue to the third chapter of Division 2 DLC, Coney Island is just one of several new territories players will get to explore as the game heads towards a new narrative expansion called Warlords of New York. 

That’s right, the third episode of Division 2’s DLC will be taking players out of Washington, D.C. and back to where it all started: New York City. This time around, players will head to Lower Manhattan, which has recently been devastated by a hurricane that has left certain areas in disrepair and knocked a tanker ship ashore onto the Manhattan Bridge. Players will fight their way through territories like Chinatown to complete their latest missions.

In the Warlords of New York expansion, players will not only explore what is left of lower Manhattan but they’ll also hunt down a rogue agent named Aaron Keener and his defected squad. Keener has kidnapped a virologist who may hold the key to finding a cure to the disease that has ravaged the country or may be used to create an even more devastating virus. Players will have to take out Keener’s rogue agents on their way to the final showdown with the man himself.

As players take out Keener’s agents, they’ll get access to brand-new skills as well, such as the Decoy skill, which activates a hologram to draw enemy attention during combat. Each of the four new agents will offer up a different skill for players to earn through combat, including shock trap mines and the return of the sticky bomb from Division 1, but the Decoy skill was the only one we got a look at during our hands-on time with the upcoming DLC.

Overall, there will be 5 new main missions, 8 new side missions and control points, and 4 safe houses for players to test their skills against. A few factions from the first Division will be making a comeback in Warlords of New York including The Rikers and The Cleaners, and they’re all getting major improvements according to Ubisoft.

The devs have also been busy paying attention to fan feedback and figuring out how to implement several quality of life updates to Division 2. For example, players thought that the end game stats were too complex, so many of the RPG elements are getting a major overhaul and streamlining. For starters, they’re making loot more meaningful and players will be able to bring their loot back to a haven and recalibrate it in their stat book. They’re also changing how talents work on gears and weapons. Players can also expect new loot, exotic weapons and gear, along with new sets and additional named items.

Dark zones are being revitalized and their mechanics are being streamlined to make it easier to know how to engage. The Dark Zones themselves will be filled with new loot all of which will be contaminated at first. Levels will now cap at 40 instead of 30 and players can look forward to new end game content, including a new Legendary difficulty for veteran agents.

Another new feature that will be coming with the Warlords of New York DLC is the introduction of Seasons. Each season is a 3-month long mini-campaign with its own calendar of activities, manhunts, leagues and new global events for players to participate in. Seasons will also feature their own leveling system with unlockable rewards for players to earn and there will be the option to purchase a premium battle pass for each season.

And while they weren’t saying too much about it, Ubisoft did confirm that a brand-new raid is on the way. The Raid 2: The Foundry is set to launch sometime in spring, but there wasn’t really any information beyond that release window.

For now, players with early access will be able to get their hands on the Episode 3 prologue starting on Feb 12 with the rest of us getting access on Feb 19. From there, players can expect Division 2’s Warlords of New York DLC to drop March 3 on Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Uplay+ and is set to launch on Stadia later on in the month at a price point of $29.99 for each console. 

Blake Morse

Events Coordinator

Blake has been writing and making videos about pop-culture and games for over 10 years now. Although he'd probably prefer you thought of him as a musician and listened to his band, www.cartoonviolencemusic.com. If you see him on the street, buy him a taco or something. Follow him on twitter @ProfRobot