‘Battle for Brooklyn’ DLC Brings The Division 2 Back Home

In 2016,  Ubisoft introduced us to The Division, a game that introduced us to a post-cataclysmic NYC, trying to recover from a viral attack with global ramifications. Where, specially trained government sleeper agents, were fighting to bring back stability to a city that looked like the scripts of The Last of Us and The Warriors got shuffled together. IN 2019 We were introduced to The Division 2 and the setting moved to Washington, DC. A few years later, we were brought back to NYC. And here we are, almost 10 years later, and we are back to where it all began, in Brooklyn. The original Division began in Brooklyn. Back before Capitol Hill, before Warlords of New York, before the DZ was overrun with rogues thirstier than Twitter on a Friday night. And now, with the Battle for Brooklyn DLC, we’re finally back.

As soon as the game loaded and that familiar post-pandemic haze washed over the pixel-perfect brownstones, bodegas, and busted-up MTA entrances—I felt it. That nostalgic gut-punch only a New Yorker who has been down south for a summer could understand.  And honestly, Brooklyn ain’t never looked so good. Well, except for the rats. Those still look like PS3 leftovers.

The Good

BK All Day

Ubisoft nailed the vibe. The main areas this time are Dumbo and Brooklyn Heights and if we can give kudos anywhere, it’s that this has always been their superpower: taking these worlds and creating playgrounds that still feel lived in. Brooklyn feels and looks real. You can almost smell the halal from that cart across from Cadman Plaza, or hear your aunt yelling from a brownstone stoop. It isn’t just some generic COD urban warzone—it’s our warzone. It’s home.

I found myself wandering through the game like I was just roaming around during the summer. That seating area on Pearl with the weird art on the ground? It’s in there. The Promenade, with that dreamy skyline view. In there. Even, the Mexican spot near the fencing school on Water Street made the cut. And while I don’t want to give away too much, let me say, The Brooklyn Museum…. It made me want to go check it out this summer. 

Tactics? We’re talking about Tactics?

These new Cleaners and Rikers ain’t just cannon fodder—they’re smarter, scrappier, and come correct with some mean hardware, like the Purple Flame, which as soon as I heard it, I wondered if it was created by a Cleaner who had went to Spike Lee’s Annual Prince party. And the battles feel more claustrophobic. The Urban warfare in Brooklyn Heightts and Dumbo’s cramped alleys and tighter spaces finally gave that CQB (Close quarters Combat)  eperience that I felt was missing outright  or only sprinkled in previous game play. The alleyways, brownstone blocks, tight interiors, every setting feels too small and too tight; every fight feels more intimate, more urgent. It’s a tactical shooter with actual tactics again—especially with the Smart Cover system making a comeback.

Community Resurrection:

One of the more beautiful things about this DLC is watching the community come alive again. I logged in and saw people I hadn’t played with since lockdown. OG agents, dusting off their gear sets, new kids, fresh outta Warzone or Destiny, wide-eyed and asking “Wait… what’s the DZ?”

And for anyone who plays solo or is thinking about jumping into the game, it’s generally not sweaty.For all its military trappings, people are talking about mental health, politics, organizing, and self-care. There are robust communities, clans, and people who are helpful and want you to enjoy your game. Need help with a build, ask. Not sure how to get a new exotic, Ask. My first time through the Raid, was with a group of the coolest agents from Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, and Atlanta. We still play all the time. Another group taught me the different roles in the raids and the builds I would need. Their only ask, pay it forward.  

Politics As Usual

Let’s talk real for a second.

The Division has always existed in a weird space. The Division 2 dropped during a rough time politically and just before the world would start buzzing about Covid. Yes, it’s a fantasy of authoritarian order—agents with guns restoring peace. But, there’s something subversive in the way we, as Black folks and other marginalized gamers, take control of these narratives. We are the agents. We’re the ones reclaiming space, protecting our neighborhoods, and building something out of the ashes.

Walking through Brooklyn Heights with my Black agent, rocking a hoodie and an AK-47, felt like radical cosplay. Like the hood didn’t need saving—we just needed the tools to defend it ourselves. Ubisoft may not have meant it as political, but when we play, it becomes that. And that’s the power of putting the controller in the right hands.

The Bad: BUGGY

Look, I’m not gonna sit here and gas y’all. Ubisoft games, always come with a few technical difficulties. This DLC is no exception. That new exotic mask everyone is complaining about? As of this writing, it’s still about as useful as Tom Thibodeau’s NY State ID right now. There’s som weird bug that your cache looks like its empty, just.. yeah . They’ll fix it —but if you’re thinking of jumping in and grinding for it in hopes of it changing your build, temper your expectations. This is Division tradition at this point: launch first, patch later. 

Mission Design: Familiar Formula

The new missions are fine—functional, even fun—but there’s nothing really new.  Some story missions, new hunters,  sprinkled side content, and the usual open-world chaos. If you’ve played any Division content post-launch, you’ve seen this loop before.

It’s not a dealbreaker, it’s the deluxe LP.

The Meh: It Ain’t Warlords of New York

 Let’s be clear: If you’re thinking you’re getting Warlords of NY, you’re not. Warlords was more substantial. Larger map, more missions, more storyline, just more everything. Where Battle for Brooklyn is more compact, localized. Not a new thing, but more of an homage. but I also think they might be where it stands out. The smaller areas, the attention to detail, the closed in feel. I think the game play in Brooklyn feels more… like urban warfare. It gives the game a different feeling. 

That’s not a bad thing. But if you were expecting 30+ hours of content or a new game mode, this isn’t that.

Grinding

If you’re new or returning, gear optimization still feels like a second job. And while the game’s more generous than it used to be, you’ll need time, patience, and probably a spreadsheet to make sense of all the mods, talents, and exotics. For some, that’s the dream. For others? It’s exhausting. When in doubt, Youtube. 

Final Verdict

The Battle for Brooklyn DLC  is a nice addition to the Division lore. It’s not trying to be something new, it’s reminding you why you fell in love with The Division in the first place. 

This DLC is for those of us who grew up ducking between double-parked cars, hopping across roofs, and who saw our neighborhoods change before our eyes. Who witnessed a hurricane flood basements, and subway stations. Saw a pandemic bring the city to its knees.  And we now get to fight for them —even if only virtually. 

So yeah, it’s worth the $15. Worth the glitches. Worth the grind.