Say what you will about Penny Arcade and their webcomic, but you must admit they really do know how to throw an incredible video game convention. Such was the case last weekend with the annual Pax West convention in Seattle Washington. Much like the east coast version aptly named Pax East, the convention allows video game fans from across the world to get a first look at some of the major titles on the horizon. This year was no different as all sorts of developers both indie and mainstream came together to show off their work. Ubisoft joined the sea of developers to among other things showcase some new Division 2 gameplay.

Ubisoft dedicated about an hour of their 5-hour live stream during the event to The Division 2 and what fans can expect from the upcoming title. From what was shown, the developers look to be solving the issue of content drought, something that is becoming increasingly common for 3rd person shooter RPGs. One of the solutions they came up with came in the form of specializations. Now in addition to your main class setup, once you reach level 30 you will then unlock a specialization that gives you access to a specialized weapon. These specialized weapons range from snipers to crossbows and grenade launchers. It’s an idea that sounds cool in theory but unless they offer up some cooler weapons it might fall flat.  Sure, unlocking a .50 caliber sniper after 30 levels, sounds cool but aside from that choice it’s hard to imagine unlocking a crossbow after 30 levels being a worthy achievement. However, it’s not all bad because with the specializations come more progressions which means at the very least you will have lots more to do once you hit the level 30 mark. Another plus is that the new world players will inhabit looks massive! The map has greatly expanded with lots of diverse environments and areas. This is a much-needed improvement from the first game as players will be able to battle it out in a much bigger variety of places and there will be so much more to explore.

The best part of RPGs is being able to traverse immense landscapes and take part in battles and exploration with your closest friends. The Division 2 looks like it will provide players with this feeling. Ultimately like most games in this budding genre, the key factor that will make or break The Division 2 is simply whether players will run out of content too quickly. If players can get through everything the game has to offer in a month, then the hype will soon fade away and frustration and anger will reach a boiling point. So, if Ubisoft is prepared to keep their player base entertained for the next two years it looks like the Division 2 will be a major hit.