Navigating The Division 2's New Dawn: Embracing Change and The Seasonal Shuffle

In The Division 2, as the game world evolves, its dedicated player base is on the verge of a new kind of apocalypse. A series of changes with the incoming Seasons 2.0 update has touched off a firestorm of anger and hopes in the community surrounding the game. But are these flames a warning about unwelcome change, or the kindling of a new roguelike renaissance for vets and newbies alike? Let’s look at what’s happening and what it means to embrace the rogue spirit in gaming.

THE ROGUE WAVE OF SEASONAL CHARACTERS

The Division 2’s seasonal characters from Massive Entertainment is not a new formula for veterans of the Diablo franchise. Each season, players have to start anew at level 1, follow the season’s narratives, and at the end of the season bring their hard-earned loot back to their main characters. This pivot away from using a well-geared main character for seasonal content has left the community divided.

A ROGUE OUTCRY: Premature or Justified?

Voices clash despite a massive rework still months away: is the racket premature, or are these complaints valid? Seen through the lens of a rogue, the possibilities for a new, exciting player experience are immense. But the fear of sidelined fan-favourite characters, the loss of powerful builds, and an overhaul of how players interface with the game through seasonal content also merit a second glance. Yet if we focus solely on the presence (or absence) of characters, builds and content, then perhaps we’re missing the wider implications of gameplay and narrative development.

ROGUE CHALLENGES: A Fresh Start Every Season

But what makes The Division 2 special is its combination of immense build power and obsessive character grinding, which has been going on for years. In fact, despite the ludicrous DK armor builds, the most interesting thing about The Division 2 isn’t what the player has made, but its ability to add new narratives, goals, and experiences to the player. The seasonal characters add in a rogue factor – a way to test your hard-earned skills, to start from scratch every season, and to re-learn fun and progression all over again. Maybe this is how you sustain a game.

BETWEEN A ROCK AND A ROGUE PLACE: Balancing Players' Concerns

In a sea of rogue waves, a measured approach might calm the waters. Instant access to every season’s rewards could be the middle ground that retains the continuity and sense of progression that players crave while also allowing them to break away from the confines of their main character’s progression if they so desire. And reaching level 40 more quickly could ensure that this fresh start remains anything but a grind, keeping the fun and excitement of a rogue – an alternative, a fresh start – a rogue.

ROGUE MICROTRANSACTIONS: A Thorn in the Side

The treatment of microtransactions in the live service surrounding The Division 2 has muddied the waters. Supporting live-service development is one thing, but the potential for extracting value from players’ impetuousness and fear of missing out strays into compromising the integrity of the game. It’s too early to say what will happen as The Division 2 moves into its second year of support.

UNDERSTANDING THE ROGUE ESSENCE

In gaming at least, this legacy survives in the rogue archetype, who is often portrayed as a flexible, adaptable character who does what it takes to overcome the challenges thrown her way. So the community could do worse than to approach these changes in the spirit of the rogue, to see it as an opportunity to adapt and overcome and just have fun. It might yet be a more interesting game for it.

In the days ahead, it’s up to the developers at Massive Entertainment and the player community to work out some kind of compromise that honours the heritage of The Division 2 while exploding into unchartered territories. Will this rogue wave crash upon the shores of resistance or wash over the community, cleansing The Division 2 world and leaving it floating, breathless in the waves?

​​​​​​​There is no easy way to go through change, especially in a game that holds the affection of so many people, but there is also discovery to be had and growth and rebirth. As we barrel towards the launch of Seasons 2.0, let’s all come together and share the love for The Division 2 and face the rogue wave we now face together.