The Division 2 Descent game mode: Start date, rewards, and more

Ubisoft made some major announcements pertaining to Tom Clancy's The Division 2 during the Division Day stream on April 20. The developers detailed out their entire Year 5 roadmap during the stream, including plans to introduce a new DLC story, new cosmetics, and some new activities.

The Descent game mode is a brand new game mode that will go live during The Division 2 Year 5 Season 1. It's quite different from the game modes that are already present in the title and has a rogue-lite twist to it.

Having said that, here's everything that players need to know about the new game mode and how to go about it.

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When does the Descent game mode go live in The Division 2?

Based on the information revealed during the Division Day stream, the Descent game mode is scheduled to go live on the very day Year 5 Season 1 begins in The Division 2.

Although there isn't a proper start date for it, it's supposed to begin sometime during the first week of June. This is going to be a free update, and it's believed that players won't have to buy or own the Warlords of New York expansion to play this mode.

However, players will be able to access the Descent game mode on The Division 2 Public Test Servers starting April 21. Any rewards that they earn on these test servers won't carry over to the main game, but it's a nice way to get a hang of the activity to begin with.

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What do you have to do in the Descent game mode?

This game mode is being dubbed a rogue-lite game mode. Builds won't matter in this mode, and players will be allowed to pick a set of perks and weapons before the game begins. Unlike most of the game modes in The Division 2, the Descent game mode takes place in a simulation, where the ultimate goal is to survive.

Players can either participate in teams or go solo and enjoy this game mode. Truth be told, this is quite similar to The Summit, where players have to ascend through levels by defeating enemies and completing objectives.

As players progress through the rooms, they will be given the option to pick up perks that resonate with their playstyle. These perks also have the potential to make the overall activity easier for players.

As players advance through the activity, it keeps getting more difficult. In every fifth room, players need to complete a boss fight to advance to the next. Overall, this is a very interesting game mode and will probably be the main highlight of Year 5 of The Division 2.

Lore-wise, this is a simulation that's used to train Division agents. The loot drops from this mode are currently unclear, so players will have to wait for the mode to go live in the game in order to figure out what gear they can acquire by effectively beating this mode.