Although PlayStation 4 players of The Division will have to wait until December for the “Survival” DLC, agents on the platform can enjoy the base 1.5 update today. The 1.5 patch includes a new World Tier bracket, new named armor, items with a higher maximum gear score, and much more. Other notable additions of the latest patch include a bigger stash, enemy armor damage functioning in PvP, and a handful of skill and weapon changes.

After a three-hour maintenance period, servers for The Division will go live with the 1.5 update. PlayStation 4 players in North America should see the servers return in the early morning, according to the official game forums. After players download and install the update, the features of 1.5 will be available to them. The download is expected to be between seven and nine gigabytes.

Maintenance to deploy Update 1.5 on PS4 Nov. 29th 9:30AM CET / 3:30AM EST / 12:30AM PST approx 3 hrs.



Details: https://t.co/9bjSmaY8xL pic.twitter.com/G01gc4T5ad — The Division (@TheDivisionGame) November 28, 2016

Most agents will benefit from the new, higher World Tier bracket unlocking with the 1.5 update. World Tier five offers players armor and weapons with a gear score up to a 256 maximum. This new gear score is the highest available in the game after the update. Players will need a gear score of at least 224 in order to access World Tier five. Enemies in World Tier five are level 34 and heroic Incursions are only available in the new bracket.

Players of The Division will also find new named armor pieces, the FrontLine set, and a number of new weapons in the 1.5 update. New high-end pieces of armor are available for each slot of armor that can be equipped. These unique pieces can only be found in World Tier five or in the “Survival” DLC. For example, Barrett’s bulletproof chest piece buffs the wearer when skills are cooling down. As expected, slaying the Barrett NPC is a good idea for players looking to obtain that piece of gear.

Heroic Incursions moved to World Tier five with the update [Image by Ubisoft]

The 1.5 patch notes, found on the game’s official website, include information on the other named gear pieces alongside general changes and fixes. Players that enjoy the Ballistic Shield skill in The Division might want to look for the new FrontLine set. This set provides extra protection against elite enemies, increases the Ballistic Shield’s health, and lets the wearer use an SMG while wielding the Ballistic Shield. Additionally, the update adds several new weapons like the MG5 LMG, M700 Marksman Rifles, UMP-45 SMGs, and Rhino pistols.

Also, dealing damage to enemy armor will now function in PvP, and players will be able to stagger each other in that type of combat. The stash size is increasing from 70 slots to 150, the Scavenger crate will now generate items based on the current World Tier, and most content in World Tier four is worth more credits and Phoenix Credits.

Again, update 1.5 on the PlayStation 4 does not include the “Survival” downloadable content as the Inquisitr reported. The second expansion DLC for The Division will release on December 20 on PlayStation 4. The DLC is already available on PC and Xbox One, but an exclusivity deal with Microsoft delays its release on the PlayStation 4.

The farther an agent progresses the more he or she is rewarded [Image by Ubisoft]

When “Survival” does release, PlayStation 4 players will be able to test their prowess in the new Survival mode. The session based mode is completely optional, giving players a chance to endure a harsher environment in either a PvE or PvP setting. Players will have to manage their warmth, health, and other factors while trying to reach the Dark Zone. In the Survival mode, players will also need to scavenge to find new weapons or use their skills since they start with nothing when the two-hour session begins.

At the end of a Survival session, players are assessed according to their performance and rewarded with caches. These caches contain gear for the normal game mode including set pieces, high-end armor, and more. Even if a player dies before reaching the center of the map, rewards are still distributed based on how The Division character progressed.

[Featured Image by Ubisoft]