Ubisoft has announced that the main campaign for Tom Clancy’s The Division takes place in Manhattan, New York, although has not ruled out the possibility of adding additional locations in later down the line.
The action-shooter’s game world will take up 33.7 square miles, and has been described by the developer as a ‘sizeable open-world.’ The Division’s Creative Director, Magnus Jensen, had this to say on the post-pandemic Manhattan location:
“For Tom Clancy’s The Division we are going with Midtown Manhattan. It is because of the 1 to 1 re-creation and the way the pandemic has [happened]. Basically, everything has been hit and there are no more resources because everyone tried to get out. There is no more gasoline in the cars, there is no traffic, you’re on foot.
“With the level of detail we have, doing Midtown Manhattan is a huge open-world experience and more than enough to sink your teeth into. It is a very sizable open-world game.”
You can check out a screenshot of The Division map below. The environment itself is comprised of multiple districts, with each one featuring a Safe House, which are unlocked to access fast travel and Joint Task Force activities. The Dark Zone makes up one third of the whole map.
Developed by Ubisoft Massive in conjunction with the industry giant’s Annecy and Reflections studios, The Division takes place in New York City, U.S., following the outbreak of a mysterious diseases on Black Friday. In just five days, the government collapses as the pandemic spreads, with supplies such as food and water cut off to survivors, resulting in widespread chaos.
Players form part of the Strategic Homeland Division (SHD), a specialised group who live seemingly ordinary lives but are given authority by the United States government to combat various threats caused by the disease, and help to get society back on its feet by whatever means necessary. The game is scheduled for release on March 8 for PS4, PC, and Xbox One, with the PS4 beta going live on January 29.