The Division 2 is heading into darker territory with the launch of Echoes of Central Park, a new expansion that takes agents into one of New York City’s most recognisable locations. For the first time in the franchise, players can explore Central Park and the Upper West Side, uncovering a disturbing mystery involving missing people, gruesome deaths and rumours of a new virus variant.
This is also the biggest new experience for The Division 2 since Warlords of New York, with a larger map than Battle for Brooklyn and a noticeably different approach to storytelling. Taking inspiration from horror, Echoes of Central Park puts fear and paranoia at the centre of its story.
A Darker Story for The Division 2
Something is seriously wrong in the Upper West Side. Citizens are terrified as members of enemy factions, friends and family begin disappearing or turning up dead in horrific circumstances. Rumours of another virus variant only add to the panic, with all signs pointing towards something lurking inside Central Park.
The story explores how fear can spread through a community until rumours become accepted as fact. It’s presented through a flashback-style narrative, with a narrator guiding players through her version of events. However, not everything should necessarily be taken at face value, and agents must separate the truth from the growing paranoia before confronting the threat inside the park.
Echoes of Central Park can be played solo or in co-op. Players below level 40 will also receive a level boost, allowing them to jump straight into the new adventure without having to grind through the earlier progression first.
Explore the Upper West Side and Central Park
The expansion begins in New York’s Upper West Side, taking players through locations stretching from Lincoln Square to the Dakota District. Among the landmarks featured is the Natural History Museum, giving agents a new part of the city to explore and fight through.
Eventually, the investigation leads into Central Park itself. Once a symbol of New York, the park has become a decaying and dangerous place, filled with mystery and something far more threatening than the usual enemy patrols.
During the initial outbreak, Central Park was used as a mass burial ground. Now, with its last known presence having disappeared, a new apex threat has taken up residence. Set during the summer following the events of Warlords of New York, the expansion brings agents face-to-face with this formidable enemy while also revisiting familiar foes.
Three New Companions Join the Fight
Taking on Central Park alone is possible, but Echoes of Central Park introduces three companions who can provide valuable combat support. Each has their own background, personality and fighting style, and earning their trust is part of the new story.
The three companions are:
- Brayleigh Callahan: A sniper, MIT graduate and Olympic shooting medallist.
- Elwood Franklin: A protector and former mall security guard who dreams of becoming an NYPD officer.
- Morse Feeney: An assault specialist, rugged veteran and former First Wave Division agent with a mysterious past.
Only one companion can accompany you at a time, so choosing who joins your party will influence the support available during combat. They also react differently to situations, offering their own dialogue and perspectives as the story unfolds.
Missions can be replayed with different companions, providing alternative conversations and tactical approaches. The Echoes of Central Park Deluxe Edition also includes outfits inspired by the new characters and a skin for the expansion’s new exotic weapon.
Central Park Is Designed to Be Played Again
Surviving the first trip into Central Park won’t be easy. The expansion removes GPS assistance inside the park, leaving players to navigate while being hunted by relentless waves of enemies. Initially, the experience is about survival, but progressing through the story and collecting new equipment gradually changes the balance of power.
As agents become better equipped and learn more about the threat, they can begin turning the tables and become the hunters rather than the hunted.
There is also a reason to keep returning beyond simply improving your gear. The outcome of enemy encounters can affect what happens after each battle. Perform well and you can earn exclusive rewards to help with the next challenge, while a poor performance can leave you facing disadvantages.
Combined with the different combat buffs and approaches offered by companions, these changing encounters are intended to make repeated runs feel different rather than simply repeating the same missions.
New Skills, Weapons and Gear
There is plenty of new equipment to work towards, including six new skill variants inspired by the horrors found within Central Park. Two of the skills highlighted at launch are:
- Corrosive Trap
- The Gas Bomber
Agents can also earn a new exotic weapon, the Ratel, alongside a new Gear Set.
One important detail for players chasing the latest equipment is that Prototype Gear will initially be normalised within Echoes of Central Park. This is intended to preserve the expansion’s difficulty, tension and sense of danger.
The developers have confirmed that Prototype Gear’s full strength will be enabled within the DLC at a later date, bringing it into line with how it works elsewhere in The Division 2.
A Different Kind of Division 2 Experience
Echoes of Central Park looks to offer a substantial new chapter for The Division 2, taking the familiar looter-shooter formula into much darker territory. Between the new locations, horror-inspired storytelling, companions, changing encounters and additional equipment, there is plenty here for agents to get stuck into.
Central Park is no longer somewhere to enjoy a quiet walk. It’s somewhere to survive.
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