18 June 2024

13 min - lecture

Seasons 2.0 FAQ

Agents, we've heard your concerns regarding the introduction of seasonal characters in The Division 2 with Seasons 2.0 later this year. We want to clarify how seasonal characters will impact your existing main characters and answer a few questions about Seasons 2.0.

The main idea behind Seasons 2.0 is to break away from the current repetitive seasonal model by transforming the entire experience. With your main characters, we need to consider various progressions and power levels, making it nearly impossible to create a well-balanced experience that is enjoyable for all. Starting all players at level 1 ensures that we have a clear understanding of where they are in their progression journey when faced with specific challenges. To put it simply, in order to craft challenges with precision, we need a fresh start.

Additionally, seasonal resets bring another layer of excitement since modifiers are phased out at the end of each Season, giving us the freedom to impact gameplay far beyond what permanent mechanics would allow.

We omitted one important detail from the year 6 introduction. With the revamped seasonal progression, you will have the opportunity to bring your main character into the last two weeks of each season, known as the Intermission. The Intermission allows you to revisit your main character with new content and seasonal progression, using your current arsenal for experimentation, strategy, and dominance. At the start of the Intermission, all rewards earned with the seasonal character including SHD levels, Proficiency Ranks, Stash items, and collectibles will be transferred to your main character. This transfer ensures that your main character will be more powerful than ever and prepared to tackle the season's Climax (Normal or Master difficulty) should you choose to experience the remainder of the season with your main Agent. Get ready to see your favorites in a whole new way!

During this time, the seasonal character will be added to your roster, giving you the option to play the season's Climax Mission with either the seasonal character or your preferred main character.

In Seasons 2.0, seasonal character progression is significantly sped-up, allowing you to reach level 40 more quickly and gain SHD levels at a faster rate. This progress will be shared with your main character at the start of the Intermission. Expertise upgrades will not be available for Seasonal characters. Instead, the SHD Watch bonuses will be increased to account for the missing power coming from Expertise. Proficiency can still be earned by seasonal characters and will be merged at the end of the season. Please note that proficiency alone does not impact gameplay.

Finally, as a seasonal character progresses to level 40, they will not have to complete the entire campaign again. Instead, they will have the freedom to choose which content they experience without worrying about completing certain missions for specific unlocks.

However, there is more to the upcoming changes than just transitioning to seasonal characters. To guide you through these changes, we'll share more information in the coming months by hosting live Q&A sessions, various livestreams and the PTS. We also encourage you to explore our Year 6 Season 1 "First Rogue" page, as it may answer some of your questions.

WONY EXPANSION

Q: Is Warlords of New York Expansion now free for new players?

A: The WONY DLC continues to be paid content. The key change that came with the One Endgame update is that owning WONY is no longer a requirement to reach Level 40 and access endgame content, such as gear, game modes, and Manhunts.

Q: What content remains locked behind the WONY Expansion?

A: Skills, story missions and New York map remain exclusive to the Expansion.

Playing Legacy Manhunt Missions won't grant access to Skill variants for Repair Trap, Shrapnel Trap, or EMP Sticky. These skills are tied to specific bosses in the WONY Expansion, and players must unlock the Skill platform in WONY to use them. The only difference is the Climax Mission, where defeating Faye Lau and earning the Achilles Pulse Skill variant will be accessible regardless of WONY ownership, provided you already have the Pulse unlocked through the main game.

Q: Will the New York map remain accessible for playing Legacy Manhunt?

A: Players without ownership of WONY will not be able to access the Legacy Manhunt missions set in New York. If they attempt to fast travel to the climax location, they will receive an in-game notification.

SEASONAL AND NON-SEASONAL CHARACTERS

Q: Will we be given extra stash space and/or extra character slots?

A: An additional character slot will be added to support Seasons 2.0, along with extra storage space. However, it is worth noting that no extra slots will be added for each individual Season.

Q: Do I need to delete a character when a new season starts when all my slots are occupied?

A: As additional slots will not be provided for each Season, you will need to choose which character to retain in your main roster. Starting with Year 6 Season 2, you can have up to 5 characters. For instance, in the beginning of Year 6 Season 2, if you already have 4 characters, you can utilize the additional slot to add a fifth character for the Season. However, if you have 5 characters at the end of Year 6 Season 2, you will need to remove one character to make room for the new seasonal character.

Q: What is the point of keeping your main character if you can't use them for 90% of future content coming to the game?

A: We have taken measures to ensure that both seasonal and non-seasonal characters have meaningful roles and cool things to do in the game. The current model reinforces the way a lot of players are using some characters as support for their main character at the account level. Seasonal characters serve a similar purpose, on top of facilitating an awesome experience in the season through manhunts and modifiers. Additionally, seasonal characters also contribute to the overall account progression, which is represented through the power level of the main character.

The main character remains the foundation of the account, enabling players to take on challenges at the highest power and difficulty levels. Furthermore, upcoming DLCs will present a chance to take on challenges with your primary character and its corresponding power level. Additionally, only non-seasonal characters will have access to Legacy Manhunts.

Q: Will there be any new content for the main non-seasonal characters?

A: Non-seasonal characters will continue to have access to all existing game content, including both WONY and the upcoming DLC. Right now, there are no intentions to introduce another Incursion or Raid.

Q: Will seasonal characters have access to their existing Recalibration Library?

A: The Recalibration Library will be shared between Seasonal and Non-seasonal characters, the only exception being Season-specific gear. During the Season, you can transfer Season-specific gear talents to the Library, where they will become accessible to your main character at the beginning of the Intermission.

Q: Will seasonal characters be able to use the account-wide resources/materials?

A: Seasonal characters will have their own separate pool of shared resources and materials, which will not be shared with the non-seasonal characters' pool.

Q: When I have all my inventory and stash maxed out will I lose the loot after the season ends and the seasonal character is merged with my regular roster?

A: Once the Season ends and Intermission begins, you will be awarded a temporary stash to facilitate the transition of the Seasonal items to the main pool. It is up to you to decide what to keep and what to discard or deconstruct during that process. However, please note that starting from Y6S3, if you still have items in your temporary stash, you will be unable to create a new seasonal character

Q: How will my Hardcore characters be impacted?

A: At the start of each Season, you will have the option to select either a Hardcore or regular Seasonal character. This choice provides the opportunity to add an additional Hardcore character to your roster at the end of the Season when the seasonal and main characters combine. Your existing Hardcore character will retain its progression, which can be shared at the beginning of the Intermission period (the final 2 weeks before the Season concludes).

Q: Will Seasonal characters have access to Global Events?

A: Global Events as they are right now will remain exclusive to non-seasonal characters due to their incompatibility with seasonal progression and modifiers in their current state. They will adhere to the established rotation model already present in the game. Seasonal characters may eventually receive their own version of Global Events tailored to enhance the seasonal experience, but this implementation will occur at a later time.

MANHUNT 2.0

Q: Will the new Master difficulty be in any way available for non-seasonal characters?

A: Yes, Climax Mission on Master difficulty will be available for both seasonal and non-seasonal characters during the Intermission - a two-weeks period between the Seasons.

Q: Why tie the Manhunt to the Seasonal character's participation?

A: In Seasons 2.0, the optimal way to experience the story is through the seasonal structure, utilizing a character with the appropriate power level to capitalize on features such as gameplay modifiers and seasonal items. The story will be adjusted to accommodate this new dynamic, with multiple agents fulfilling their roles throughout the season.

Moreover, after the season ends, players can opt for the Climax mission using either their seasonal or primary character.

SEASONAL JOURNEY

Q: What will Seasons 2.0 consist of?

A: There are 15 weeks of varied activities such as Seasonal Missions, Seasonal Projects, Manhunt Scouts and Priority Objectives to be completed with your seasonal character, followed by a 2-week Intermission period during which you can utilize your main character. Your non-seasonal character can be accessed at any time during the Season, but with no access to Seasonal content except for the two-weeks Intermission.

Q: Approximately how long is the accelerated grind to LVL 40 expected to take?

A: Non-seasonal characters will require approximately 45 hours to complete, while Seasonal characters are expected to take around 15 hours for the same activities.

Q: Will the seasonal grind to LVL 40 consist of the same current activities? Or will it be different each Season?

A: To reach level 40, the seasonal journey will act as a guide, providing simple and quick challenges that offer great completion rewards, while also aiding the player through unlocking key game systems. Additionally, at every point players can complete a variety of other activities in the game at an increased progression rate. Each Season will feature unique Seasonal Modifiers that affect both players and enemy NPCs, providing a different experience in previously played content.

Q: Will the seasonal story beats be introduced during the LVL 1-40 grind, or will players need to reach LVL 40 to experience them?

A: The updated seasonal journey in Year 6 Season 2 will allow all players the opportunity to experience the story, irrespective of their level. In other words, new story content is no longer locked behind level 40 characters.

Q: Will players have to reach LVL 40 to start collecting Season rewards?

A: Seasonal rewards are not restricted to level 40; various rewards unlocked through the Seasonal Journey, Season Pass, and other in-game systems are granted while leveling from 1 to 40. The Manhunt story will also gradually unfold through collectibles, allowing players to progress step by step.

Q: What happens with seasonal collectibles?

A: During the Intermission period, which occurs in the final two weeks before the end of the Season, all rewards obtained with the seasonal character, such as SHD levels, Proficiency Ranks, Stash items, and collectibles, will be transferred to your main character.

Q: Will we get access to the SHD watch?

A: In Seasons 2.0, seasonal character progression is significantly sped-up, allowing you to reach level 40 more quickly and gain SHD levels at a faster rate. This progress will be shared with your main character at the end of the season. However, fast progression will only be possible up until a certain level. Upon reaching it, the SHD Watch progression will resume at a normal speed.

Q: Why can't my existing LVL 40 character engage in the seasonal content?

A: The main objective of Seasons 2.0 is to ensure that all players can participate in endgame content on a level playing field, as well as allowing us to fine-tune the experience based on more controlled progression. Additionally, modifiers and season resets provide levers to ramp up gameplay challenges far beyond what any permanent mechanics would allow, thus avoiding long-term consequences.

PVP

Q: How will the introduction of Seasonal characters affect the PVP?
A: Seasonal characters will only be able to matchmake with other seasonal characters at an appropriate power level, accounting for the level playing field the seasonal reset brings.\

Q: Will modifiers work both in PvE and PvP?
A: Modifiers are PvE exclusive.\

Q: Will Seasonal characters have a separate DZ?
A: Yes, DZ pools are separate between seasonal and non-seasonal.

MULTIPLAYER AND MATCHMAKING

Q: How will matchmaking change with the introduction of seasonal characters?

A: Seasonal characters will only be able to matchmake with other seasonal characters at an appropriate power level, accounting for the level playing field the seasonal reset brings.

Q: How do you plan to balance seasonal and non-seasonal instances?

A: If old gear aligns with a seasonal theme, we may rebalance and revamp it. Any changes that are deemed appropriate will also be applied to non-seasonal gear. Our aim is to maintain a balance between seasonal modifiers and seasonal gear. We encourage players to find powerful builds each Season.

/THE DIVISION 2 TEAM