The upcoming first-person arena-shooterXDefianthas gained considerable traction during its closed beta, standing out for its solid shooting mechanics, objective-based gameplay, and a roster of factions from Ubisoft’s suite of hit franchises - includingThe Division. Its surge in popularity combined with the impending release ofThe Division Heartlandcould prove a perfect generator of demand forThe Division 3.
XDefiantis a clever blend of several popular shooters that has seen over a million players since the start of its latest closed beta. With clear influence from the shooting mechanics ofCall of Duty, beta testers' word of mouth has made it to the center of discussion. Ubisoft is no stranger to the shooter genre or live-service titles, but while several of its recent multiplayer titles have underperformed,XDefianthas a real shot at reversing the trend for the publisher.
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XDefiant Could Prop Up Other Ubisoft Brands
Featuring characters from the worlds ofFar Cry, Watch Dogs, Splinter Cell,andThe Division,ifXDefianttakes off it could provide invaluable cross-promotion for future Ubisoft games. The potential synergy between Ubisoft’s franchises could be a windfall for the publisher, providing cosmetics inXDefiantfor preordering other games, advertising them on banners inXDefiant’s maps, or any number of similar sales tactics. With the lessons learned from the pitfalls ofHyperscape,Roller Champions, andthe canceledGhost Recon Frontlines, hopefully the publisher is going all-in on the attention and resources thatXDefiantneeds to thrive.
Due out sometime in 2023 isThe Division Heartland,which will mark a side-entry for the series set in a more rural area. A recent developer deep-dive video highlighted its narrowed focus compared toThe DivisionandThe Division 2. In many ways,The Division Heartlandappears to be the evolution of the first game’s Survival mode, with players needing to scavenge food and water, as well as craftable respirators to survive infected zones - all the while contending with the threat of other players trying to do the same. While Ubisoft is surely trying to create a successful new entry in the series, one that is capitalizing on the recent trend of extraction shooters,The Division Heartlandcan also act as a bridge between mainline entries in the series, building hype in anticipation ofThe Division 3’s potential announcement.
Building Anticipation For The Division 3
The lead development team for bothThe Divisiongames, Massive Entertainment, currently has a full docket as itfinishes work onAvatar: Frontiers of Pandora, with a secretive and untitledStar Warsproject next on its slate. A theoreticalThe Division 3could be developed by Massive, but that scenario places it years away from being the team’s main focus. A more likely Ubisoft studio to take the reins would be Red Storm, who is responsible forThe Division Heartlandand had a hand onThe Division 2. IfHeartlandends up being a hit, chances are good that Ubisoft would trust the studio with the IP’s future, and an announcement from the team forThe Division 3could come sometime in 2024.
For some fans,The Division 3is already at the top of their wishlists, with the series' unparalleled settings, addictive loot treadmill, and the always-thrilling Dark Zone. For other more casual fans ofThe Division,Ubisoft’s new arena shooterXDefiantcould remind players of the semi-apocalyptic looter shooter that has been missing from their lives, asThe Division Heartlandlands later in the year to reinforce that reminder. Either way, with so much attention onXDefiant’s closed beta, there is plenty of opportunity for Ubisoft’s marketing team to capitalize.
The Division Heartlandis currently in development for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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