If there's one thing I've learned from the emergence of games as a service, it's that the holidays allow for even the most thematically challenging of the lot to pull back the veil of drama for a chance to get, dare I say, a little silly.
Even The Division 2, a game about militarized factions vying for power over the remnants of a post-apocalyptic Washington D.C, can benefit from the frivolity of Christmas.
As part of this year's holiday event, titled "Situation: Snowball", agents will see a dramatic shift in the otherwise not-so-pleasant vibe that's long since been a downer for America's former capital - ya know, after society crumbled and all. Instead, the city will be receiving a festive makeover that will surely raise the spirits of even the most battle-hardened thug or demoralized refugee.
Players can show their Christmas spirt by donning the quintessential santa hat, and will have an opportunity to pick up a new, holiday-themed weapon, aptly named "The Sleigher". It's like a grenade launcher, except it shoots non-lethal snowballs - because of course it does - that confuse enemies on impact.
As for perma-death, a new mode is in the works that aims to put players wits and skills to the test - or else. In Hardcore mode, as it is being called, permanent death isn't the only thing agents will have to contend with, as access to the player's stash has also been restricted. As one might expect, a death in Hardcore Mode results in the loss of that character, as well as the items they were carrying.
Needless to say, life expectancy isn't especially high and the stakes are significantly higher, so anyone who manages to survive long enough to hit level 2 will receive an exclusive, highly appropriate YOLO hat as a reward for their efforts.
Hardcore Mode will initially be released in a stripped down beta form, and the team plans on incrementally improving it while adding features as time goes on. According to today's State of the Game recap, players are advised not to expect perfection right out of the gate.
More work is still needed on Hardcore Mode, but the we are releasing it in beta because they feel that it's already a fun addition to the game, and adds something new for players to experience. Some things haven't yet been implemented as fully envisioned by the team, and there are planned features that haven't yet been added.
Both Situation: Snowball and Hardcore Mode are scheduled to go live alongside the upcoming 6.1 update, which will also be bringing an assortment of quality-of-life improvements and fixes to the game. The full list of of items can be found here.
