The Division 2 gets surprise Realism Mode to celebrate franchise’s 10th anniversary

March 2026 marks the 10th anniversary of Ubisoft’s The Division franchise, and while it failed to meet expectations in some ways, the series still found a dedicated audience who enjoyed the game’s mix of realistic aesthetics with RPG mechanics. For those who wished that The Division was a more hardcore shooter however, Ubisoft have announced a surprise update coming to The Division 2 in a few months – with the new Realism mode offering a more classic shooter experience.

Set to launch in March alongside the franchise’s 10th anniversary, The Division 2’s Realism mode will be available to all those who own the Warlords of New York Expansion. Unlike the traditional Division experience, this new realism mode removes all XP and levelling, instead focusing on horizontal progression.

Alongside this, the mode is said to reduce HUD elements including the removal of the map and hitmarkers. Additionally, all weapons and gear have been rebalanced, with player health also being reworked so that limb shots are far less effective when compared to headshots – an important feature given that ammo drops have now been reduced.

For many, this realism mode represents what fans wanted from The Division in the first place and so it is encouraging to see Ubisoft addressing this side of the audience. Unfortunately, the realism mode will be a limited-time affair, only going on for the duration of the franchise’s anniversary.

That said, assuming the mode is a success, hopefully Ubisoft are able to learn from this mode, and possibly implement it into the currently-in-development Division 3.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this new mode? Should The Division have always played like this? Is it too little too late? Let us know down below.

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