The Division 2 dev admits last-gen console constraints: "We aren't free"
The Division 2 is a good-looking game, but Creative Director Yannick Banchereau touched on the challenges of developing for two console generations in an interview with GGRecon.
20th Apr 2023 19:30
Images courtesy of Ubisoft
The Division 2 dev admits last-gen console constraints: "We aren't free"
The Division 2 is a good-looking game, but Creative Director Yannick Banchereau touched on the challenges of developing for two console generations in an interview with GGRecon.
20th Apr 2023 19:30
Images courtesy of Ubisoft
The Division 2 launched on PS4, Xbox One, and PC back in 2019. Now, four years and a new console generation later, Ubisoft is preparing to roll out a fifth year of seasonal content across PS5 and Xbox Series S|X, too.
The Division Heartland will also see a fresh experience come to both console generations, too, and The Division Resurgence will bring the franchise to mobile.
With all those platforms, we asked Yannick Banchereau, the Creative Director on The Division 2, if the team feels constrained by maintaining the game on PS4 and Xbox One.
The Division 2 dev talks PS4 and Xbox One versions
As part of a wider interview about the Year 5 roadmap. Banchereau had the following to say.
"The reality is, with next-gen consoles now out there, we aren’t free to do everything that the engine would allow us to do because we still need to make sure that the game can still run smoothly on the previous generation of consoles," Banchereau explains.
"We still have a lot of players who are playing on previous generation consoles, and we’re very loyal to those players."
Still, Banchereau is confident that even previous-gen gamers are getting a great experience - and he wouldn't comment on the possibility of a third title in The Division series, either.
"The game still looks fantastic regardless of which platform you’re playing on," he says.
"Of course, there are many things we can do if we were on new gen, but we aren’t going to change plans based on the new consoles that are out there."
Looking for more Division 2 content? Check out our interview where Banchereau discusses the origins of the new roguelite Descent mode coming as part of the game's next season in June 2023.
About The Author
Lloyd Coombes
Lloyd is GGRecon's Editor-in-Chief, having previously worked at Dexerto and Gfinity, and occasionally appears in The Daily Star newspaper. A big fan of loot-based games including Destiny 2 and Diablo 4, when he's not working you'll find him at the gym or trying to play Magic The Gathering.