The Division Surpasses 50 Million Players – And Division 3 Is Officially In Development

Ten years after the launch of the looter-shooter series, Massive Entertainment reports an impressive figure: more than 50 million players have played games in The Division series to date. The announcement comes fittingly for the series' tenth anniversary – and sends a clear signal: Massive and Ubisoft are far from done with the franchise.

What's Behind the 50 Million Players?

The figure refers to all games in the series combined. The Division launched in 2016, three years after its spectacular reveal at Ubisoft's E3 conference in 2013, which at the time surpassed expectations for next-gen graphics. The Division 2 followed in 2019. However, according to IGN, its sales fell short of Ubisoft's expectations. Additionally, several spin-offs were released, some of which have since disappeared.

Interestingly: The 50-million mark doesn't come out of nowhere; it's the result of a series that has been kept alive for years with updates, DLCs, and a loyal community.

What's Next for Division 2?

At a Community Panel during Gamescom, Massive announced the DLC Echoes of Central Park. It will be released on November 3rd and brings, among other things:

• a horror-tinged flashback campaign
• more stash space
• a level boost

This makes it the ideal entry point for returning players – and also for newcomers who have become curious after the anniversary announcements.

How Far Along Is The Division 3?

Tom Clancy’s The Division 3 is officially in production at Massive. A release date has not been set. However, the development has seen a change: Executive Producer Julian Gerighty, who was also responsible for Star Wars Outlaws and The Division 2, has left Ubisoft. Shortly before, he had hyped the third installment as a “monster” in a livestream. The new lead is Creative Director Mathias Karlson, previously Game Director for Division 2. Gerighty is now working at Battlefield developer DICE. Massive emphasizes that the team continues to work with “unwavering commitment.”

Our Take:

From our perspective, the number is primarily an internal argument: Ubisoft can use it to justify why Division 3 is moving forward, even if Part 2 missed its internal targets. For players, this means: those waiting for the next installment will have to be patient, but will get fresh content with Echoes of Central Park beforehand. And the fact that an experienced producer is moving specifically to DICE should also make Battlefield fans take notice – what exactly he’s doing there is not yet known.

Source: IGN

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