‘The Division’ 1.3 ‘Underground’ Update Detailed, Xbox One And PC Only Tomorrow

The first paid DLC for Ubisoft’s The Division is set to drop for the Xbox One and PC versions of the online shooter Tuesday, June 28. The developer shared patch notes for the Underground expansion that will be released, but PlayStation 4 fans will have to wait.

The Underground DLC will go live for the Xbox One and PC at approximately 6 a.m. ET/3 a.m. PT the morning of Tuesday, June 28. The game’s servers will go offline three hours beforehand for maintenance to support the release of the expansion plus the 1.3 update.

PlayStation 4 owners will receive the Underground add-on on August 2, but the 1.3 update has been delayed for the console. Ubisoft has yet not announced a release date for the PS4 patch.

Those owners of The Division who did pay for the Underground expansion will receive an all-new set of missions set beneath the streets of New York City. Ubisoft Massive is adding some welcome variability to Operations with randomly generated levels with different environmental hazards, traps, enemies, and objectives with each play through.

The new Underground content also includes Directives, which will “change the rules of engagement for both your enemies and your own team and combine more Directives to grant more experience towards your Underground Rank and unlock better rewards.” These are similar to “skulls” from Halo or modifiers from Destiny.

Some of the Directives include removing the mini-map (“Fog of War”), grant lower starting and lose any rounds left in a magazine when reloading (“Waste Not Want Not”), putting all skills on cooldown with the use of one (“Mad Skills”), allow enemies to use fire and explosive ammo (“Special Forces”), and a permanent health drain on a character (“Sickness”).

Players will be able to access the Underground through an elevator in their base, which goes to an all new base area/lobby. This is where players will prep and select their Underground Operations along with any Directives to modify the encounters.

Additionally, there will be certain vendors in the Underground Base. Functionally, these are similar to the Dark Zone vendors in that players need to be a certain Underground Rank to purchase weapons and gear from them.

A new Incursion called “Dragon’s Nest” is included as well. Cleaners have begun building a new weapon in Hell’s Kitchen, and Division Agents are needed to put a stop to their plans. These are obviously geared towards higher-level players, with the Heroic Mode version of the Incursion coming next week.

Interestingly, a new weapon called the B.L.I.N.D. System MDR Rifle is being added to The Division, but it will not be available to pick up until a future update. Four new Gear Sets are also included the following.

• L.I.N.D. – Control the battlefield with an improved Pulse skill and flashbangs with this hybrid gear set.
• DeadEYE – Dictate long-range engagements with powerful critical strikes or accurate headshots.
• FireCrest – Set your enemies ablaze with this offensive gear set.
• Reclaimer – Boost your entire group with the ultimate support set

For those who do not purchase The Division’s Underground DLC, there is still plenty of new items and features. The Base of Operations has been extended with a new shared social space located next to the Reward Claim vendor along with all new vendors.

Meanwhile, the player cache will be expanded to hold 70 items, and players will be able to convert High-End Division Tech to any High-End crafting material. These are welcome changes as new Challenge and Heroic mode difficulties for PVE missions will bring the opportunity to earn nine new high-end weapon types and a high-end shotgun called “The Showstopper.”

There are a ton of gameplay balance changes to weapons and abilities along with a new 231+ Dark Zone bracket included with The Division 1.3 update. Check out the official patch notes for the full run-down, as it is far too long to list in this article.

Will you be giving the Underground and its procedurally-generated missions a try in The Division when it releases to the Xbox One and PC? Sound off in the comments below.

[Image via Ubisoft]