New game modes and three expansions

Last month Brett told you that Ubisoft has lofty expectations for The Division. Though the new loot-driven third-person shooter is releasing next week, it doesn't come as a huge surprise that Ubisoft is announcing its plans for what potential buyers will be able to play post-launch. Similar to Destiny, there looks to be a combination of free and paid content coming to the snowy, plague-y lands of New York.

Let's talk about free first. Incursion mode will be introduced a month after launch. This end-game content "developed specifically for squad play" will have teams battle against "seemingly unstoppable enemies" to gain high-level equipment. Loot trading between co-op players (which Ubisoft says is one of the most-requested features by the community) will also be part of this April update. May brings new features to the Dark Zone and a new Incursion in Columbus Circle.

Now for the paid content, which you can get through the Season Pass, Gold Edition, or Collector's Edition of the game. June heralds the first expansion, Underground, where players will explore the "uncharted underworld of New York City." The idea of an expansion based almost exclusively on subways makes my right eye twitch, but let's move on. Expansion numero dos, Survival, comes out this summer, but the description is fairly vague: "This expansion will challenge players to survive as long as possible by gathering essential supplies in a very hostile environment." Hmm. The final expansion (for this first year!) is called The Last Stand and brings a new threat next winter, where you and your squad must "prepare to defend against a relentless foe."

If The Division is as successful as Ubisoft is hoping, I'm sure we'll see a Year Two. There'll be all sorts of daily and weekly activities to keep things fresh as well. I'm still thinking about jumping in with a couple of friends, because I liked it well enough. The Division will be out on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on March 8.