Ubisoft commits to The Division Year 5, gives first look at spinoff Heartland
Heartland is a standalone, "free-to-play survival action shooter."
During Ubisoft's Forward showcase earlier today the company revealed its medium-term plans for the future of its post-apocalyptic looter shooter series, The Division.
The rest of 2021 will see Seasons 10 and 11 of the Division 2, with the former, "Price Power," launching on September 13. Price Power is set to include new difficulty levels for preexisting game modes, QoL changes, and apparel events. Season 11 looks a bit more substantial, with new manhunt targets, a fresh PvE mode, and a continuation of the game's main story.
Ubisoft also reiterated a "long term commitment to the future of the Division 2," more concretely promising a full Year 5 for the live service game.
The Division: Heartland is a standalone game from a separate studio, Red Storm Entertainment, and Ubisoft provided a brief first look at the game. Contrasting with the urban decay of the main series, Heartland will see players enacting their extralegal continuity of government mission in small town America. The game's creative director, Keith Evans, describes it as a "free-to-play survival action shooter," and it looks to sport similar third person shooter gameplay to the main games.
It will be interesting to see how Heartland differentiates itself from the Division 2. I'm particularly curious about its survival element, as well as what its multiplayer vs. solo play will look like. If you're interested in Heartland, you can sign up for upcoming playtests at the game's official website.