The Division: Heartland - What We Know So Far
Fans of Tom Clancy's "The Division" series are in for some good news. In addition to the two existing games in the franchise, there's another one on the way that will both stand alone and tie in with the existing timeline. Enter "The Division: Heartland," a game set to combine combat and exploration as a self-described survival action shooter.
When the original iteration of "The Division" launched in 2016, it had its issues, some of which were rectified by "The Division 2" when that game released in 2019. Since its successful launch, "The Division 2" has gone on to receive multiple updates and continues to capture the interest of gamers. Though it's largely the focus of fans these days, there's also still plenty to look back on and discover in the original "The Division," including plenty of fun easter eggs.
Though there are still a lot of questions remaining about "The Division: Heartland," everything that's been revealed so far will give fans at least a few answers to tide them over until more details are made known. Here's all the world knows about "The Division: Heartland" so far.
When does The Division: Heartland release?
At the moment, there's no official release date for "The Division: Heartland." In fact, the game's website lists only a mysterious "coming soon," offering players almost no frame of reference for what to expect. The fact that there's no firm release date aside, players may get a chance to try out "The Division: Heartland" before its eventual release. The game's website offers an opportunity to register for Closed Testing.
It should be noted that registering for Closed Testing isn't a guarantee, but it does give players a chance at a sneak peek at "The Division: Heartlands." For both the beta period and the game's unknown release, it'll be available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. Since Ubisoft mentions multiple Closed Testing opportunities, players can look forward to hearing reviews from those who participate even if they aren't selected themselves. There's also reason to expect quality control, since the developers are involving players in the development process.
What's in The Division: Heartland trailer?
There's not exactly an official trailer for "The Division: Heartland," but the minute-long developer intro from Sept. 10, 2022 is close enough for fans to get a taste of the upcoming title. The intro kicked off with an introduction from Red Storm Entertainment-based creative director Keith Evans, who shareds "we're so excited to show you 'Heartland,' an all-new standalone adventure in the 'Division' universe. The team's poured their heart into this game, and we can't wait to share it with you." Cuts of gameplay and development footage paint a picture of what's to come.
Evans next revealed the game's setting as Silver Creek, and elaborated on Red Storm's long-standing partnership with Massive Entertainment that's been in place since "Division" first launched. He explained the format of "Heartland" as a free-to-play, survival action shooter. There's a stunning world that players are free to explore and tasked with protecting from invaders, as well as a contamination threat. Evans also clarified that though "Heartland" stands on its own, it weaves into the current "Division" timeline. This information plus the sneak peeks of gameplay paint a promising picture of what's to come.
How does gameplay work in The Division: Heartland?
As players may be able to guess given the sparse information available thusfar, there aren't a ton of gameplay details available for "The Division: Heartland." The explanation and footage in the dev intro trailer give fans a fair idea of what's to come, though there are still a lot of unknown factors. That being said, the game's site did spill a few additional facts.
As shared by Ubisoft, "The Division Heartland is a free-to-play multiplayer survival-action shooter set in a fictional rural community in Middle America. Play as a trained Division agent from across the nation and answer the distress call to uncover the ever-evolving mysteries of a rural community in mid-crisis." In other words, players have strong reason to expect a unique and dynamic gameplay experience with elements of multiple genres weaved together in a novel way.
Silver Creek is the small town in question, where agents may fight together or as enemies depending on how the plot progresses. Players must fight to save the city and themselves. Given "The Division: Heartland" is free-to-play and the previous two games were successful despite being more expensive, there's strong reason to believe "Heartland" will be popular upon its launch. Until then, players can register for Closed Tests.