Tom Clancy's The Division

Tom Clancy’s The Division is an online third-person shooter with role-playing and loot systems. A devastating pandemic causes public order to collapse in New York. Players take on the role of an agent of the Strategic Homeland Division and fight armed groups in Manhattan to restore supplies and security.

The open world combines cover-based combat, cooperative missions, the hunt for stronger gear and competitive encounters with other agents in the Dark Zone.

Tom Clancy’s The Division was released on Mar 8, 2016 for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The Steam store lists the PC version as March 7 in some regions. Massive Entertainment developed the game and Ubisoft published it.

The three major expansions Underground, Survival and Last Stand were released after launch.

The game launched natively for Windows PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. On PS5 and Xbox Series, the respective older console version can be played through backward compatibility. Standalone PS5 or Xbox Series versions of the original The Division were not released.

A Ubisoft account is required on PC. Even for the single-player campaign, a connection to the online services is part of the game requirements.

Combat takes place from the over-the-shoulder perspective and requires switching between cover, aimed shots and the use of technical skills. Agents use turrets, seeker mines and support skills, among others. Better gear changes your character's stats and options.

Weapons, armor, talents and gear sets form the basis for different playstyles. Groups can align their skills, for example to control enemies or supply team members.

Underground takes agents into Manhattan's subway and tunnel systems and offers changing missions for groups. Survival focuses on gathering scarce resources under harsh conditions and reaching an evacuation point. Last Stand expands the Dark Zone with large-scale battles over strategic positions.

All three expansions are part of the Season Pass. Cosmetic add-on packs change neither the main story nor the number of the three major expansions.

The Windows version requires at least an Intel Core i5-2400 or AMD FX-6100, 6 GB RAM, a GeForce GTX 560 with 2 GB graphics memory or Radeon HD 7770, DirectX 11 and 40 GB of free storage. A broadband internet connection is required.

For better hardware, Ubisoft lists an Intel Core i7-3770 or AMD FX-8350, 8 GB RAM and a GeForce GTX 970 or Radeon R9 290. The older Windows versions originally listed refer to the release period.

The story is set in New York after public services have collapsed. The streets of Manhattan are shaped by abandoned vehicles, emergency shelters and checkpoints. Players explore neighborhoods, help survivors, secure supplies and take on various hostile factions.

The operations base is expanded as the story progresses and unlocks further skills and perks.

The campaign takes you through different districts of Manhattan and focuses on the search for the origin of the pandemic, restoring important facilities and fighting armed groups. Alongside main missions, there are encounters, side missions and repeatable challenges.

The story missions can be played alone or together with other agents.

The Dark Zone combines PvE battles with encounters between human players. Dangerous enemies and especially valuable gear wait there. Loot must be extracted at extraction points. Other agents can help, stay neutral or attack your own group.

The risk of recovering gear and the chance of being marked as a rogue agent clearly set the Dark Zone apart from the cooperative campaign.

Up to four agents can play together in the campaign. Matchmaking and playing together connect groups for missions and repeatable activities. In the Dark Zone, teams also meet other players.

Later, Skirmish was added as a standalone PvP mode in which two teams of four face each other. Last Stand offers objective-based PvP with up to 16 participants.

After the campaign, more activities are available for experienced agents. These include harder mission variants, missions against especially dangerous enemies, and Incursions, where coordinated teams with high-quality gear have an advantage.

The later-added area West Side Pier adds to the cooperative Resistance wave mode and the PvP mode Skirmish. These modes are part of the game's permanent additions.

Agents combine active skills and gear bonuses. Skills are used for reconnaissance, controlling enemies and supplying the team. Expanding your operations base opens up more options across the three development areas: Medical, Technical and Security.

There is no fixed class system. The mix of gear decides which role an agent takes in the group.

The PC version offers full German on-screen text, subtitles and voice audio on Steam. It also includes English, French, Italian, Japanese and Spanish language versions, among others. The available language options may vary depending on the platform and region you buy in.

The Division connects its open world and campaign with Ubisoft's online services. On PC, a Ubisoft account is required. The Steam version supports achievements and offers online co-op and PvP.

The game is not equivalent to a fully offline single-player shooter.