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While the subsection of the gaming population who still play The Division 2 have long been asking for some new content, I don’t think this is quite what they meant.
Instead of holding off on the release of the new mode - called Countdown - where you and seven friends can take control of a nuclear power plant, developer Ubisoft decided to stealthily drop it, perhaps hoping that the public at large wouldn’t notice. If you are wondering why Ubisoft would not be eager to promote this new game mode, even in an older title, then you may need to take a look at the similarities to current events.
If you like The Division 2, you can find out more about how the soundtrack and sound effects were made in the video below.
At the end of February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine and swiftly sought to take control of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant - the site of the worst nuclear disaster in history in 1986. While troops have now left the area, reportedly due to residual radioactivity, control of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants is one of the methods Russia is using in its attempts to seize power.
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Russia currently has control of Zaporizhzhia, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. Troops are also stationed near a power plant in Yuzhnoukrainsk hoping to seize another of Ukraine’s energy sources. With these ongoing real-world events, it is understandable that the release of this new game mode is being seen as very poorly timed.
The new game mode was announced in a tweet via the game’s official account. However, it did not reveal exactly what the game mode included. Instead fans had to go to Ubisoft’s blog and read the patch notes to see what content had been added. Defending its decision, Ubisoft told Kotaku: “The new mode, titled Countdown, in The Division 2 had been in development since early 2021. Similar to the base game, the mode is a work of fiction and is unintentional to today’s current events.”
The new game mode Countdown released last week on 1 April, but the timing is anything but a joke.
Topics: Ubisoft