The Division 2 Spotted With "New Mode" & 10th Anniversary Merch at FPSDay Japan
Ten years after we first stepped into a snowy, viral-ridden New York, Ubisoft is seemingly cooking up something fresh for The Division at a convention in Japan.
I honestly didn't think I would be writing about The Division in 2026, yet here we are. While everyone was busy looking at Rainbow Six Siege or XDefiant at the FPSDay event in Shinjuku, a rather interesting signboard caught some eyes in the corner. It wasn't a massive billboard or a flashy trailer drop. It was a humble, stand-up placard that might just confirm Ubisoft is planning a birthday party for the franchise.
The sign is explicitly for The Division 2, but the devil is in the details, specifically the merchandise. The "A Prize" hoodie and "B Prize" T-shirt are stamped with "10th Anniversary." Considering the original game launched in March 2016, we are staring right down the barrel of a decade of looting and shooting.
The Writing on the Wall
If you don't read Japanese, you might have missed the most intriguing part of the sign. It advertises a "Trial Area" for a "New Mode." The text invites attendees to play this new slice of content for about 15 minutes and then enter a "no-lose lottery" to win some swag.
I have seen plenty of these conventions before. Usually, "New Mode" is marketing speak for "we tweaked the lighting" or "here is a slightly harder version of a mission you have played five hundred times." But a 15-minute demo specifically for an event like this implies something playable is actually ready to go. It is substantial enough to warrant a queue but short enough to keep the line moving.
The merch situation is what really lends credibility to this being more than just a throwaway event. You don't print "10th Anniversary" on a run of hoodies unless you are acknowledging the milestone. Ubisoft is signaling that they remember where this franchise started, even if the current focus is ostensibly on the sequel.
What Does "New Mode" Actually Mean?
Naturally, my brain goes straight to the speculation gutter. The internet is already whispering about the Switch 2. A port of The Division to Nintendo's new hardware would make a scary amount of sense. The game is old enough to run on a toaster by modern standards, and a portable version of that snowy New York atmosphere would sell like hotcakes.
However, the sign says The Division 2. This suggests the "New Mode" is likely an update to the current live-service ecosystem rather than a standalone remaster of the first game. Ubisoft has kept Division 2 on life support for seven years now. They are terrifyingly committed to keeping these servers live.
There is also the dream scenario: an offline patch. The community has been begging for a way to preserve these worlds when the servers eventually go dark. Seeing The Crew 2 and Motorfest get offline modes recently gives me a sliver of hope. If this "New Mode" is some sort of solo, offline-capable remix of the game meant to preserve it for the future, that would be the best anniversary gift they could give us.
Don't Get Your Hopes Up Too High
Let's be realistic for a second. This is Ubisoft. It is entirely possible this "New Mode" is just a new seasonal event where we shoot guys wearing slightly different hats. The "10th Anniversary" branding could simply be a way to sell us a nostalgia pack in the in-game store for twenty bucks.
But the timing is suspicious. With the actual anniversary landing in March, this event in January feels like a soft launch for a year of celebration. I am not saying you should expect The Division 3 announcement tomorrow. I am just saying you should probably keep an eye on the patch notes over the next few months.
At the very least, those hoodies look decent. It is a shame I have to fly to Tokyo and win a lottery to get one.
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