While we just had a The Division 2 patch earlier this week, that one was mostly for bug fixes and other quality of life changes that were needed. If you’re looking forward to the next big The Division 2 title update and what changes it’ll bring to the table, look no further! Below, you’ll see The Division 2 next big update patch notes straight from the PTS (Private Test Server) being tested right now.

The Division 2 next big update patch notes from the PTS  and this includes the new Gunner Specialization notes (via Reddit):

New specialization: Gunner
Introducing the first post-launch Specialization! The Gunner is equipped with a powerful minigun and all players on the PTS will be able to test this new vanguard!

Special Field Research

• To unlock the Specialization when Title Update 4 hits the live servers, you’ll be tasked to complete five stages of in-game challenges!
• Year One Pass owners will unlock the Specialization immediately but will also be able to go on a Special Field Research, unlocking unique cosmetic rewards!
• On the PTS you will be able to test the Special Field Research.

   

Mods

• Generic Protocol Mod and Generic System Mod can no longer be equipped in High-End, Gear Set and Exotic items.
  • You will still be able to equip them in lower quality items.
  • All other mods can be equipped in slots matching their type (Offense, Defense, Utility).

Developer comment: Generic mods could be stacked in unhealthy ways and the gear mod eco system has not been in a place we are happy with and it had led to some unwanted behavior such as low-level farming for generic mods.

Missions

• Roosevelt Island
  • Shipping containers containing virus samples will now be easier to spot.

   

NPCs

• Removed “bulletproof” backpacks from NPCs that would block all incoming damage.
• Decreased acceleration of NPCs when repositioning in cover.
• Enabled Engineer archetype NPCs to setup Turrets on the ground if no valid cover position exists.
• Fixed various issues with Controller archetype NPCs getting stuck or being unresponsive in certain situations.
• NPCs can’t be suppressed when deploying a Drone.

UI

• Removed redundant “!” for new items shown in Cache Content in Proficiency Caches.
• Apparel Caches should now only display a “!” in the UI when a key is acquired and once the key has been seen should disappear.
• There’s now a timer that shows the cooldown before being able to kick a player from a group.

   

Skills

• Further improved the Reviver Hive which should result in it more reliably reviving downed agents.
• Assault Drone
  • After killing its current target, the Assault Drone will now attack the enemy the player is currently shooting. If no target is being shot, it will attack the closest enemy to its owner instead.

   

Talents

• Rooted
  • The talent description now states the intended cooldown of 60 seconds.

Commendations

• Further improved Discovery Merits to allow loot boxes opened by other players count towards every group member’s progress.

   

Dark Zone

• Players can now go Rogue in the Occupied Dark Zone. Dealing damage to other Agents (outside of your group) will cause the player to disavow The Division.
• There is no grey Rogue in the ODZ. Damaging other Agents is the only way to go Rogue in the ODZ.
• Additional Manhunt ranks have been added to the ODZ. Players still have to clear their bounties at SHD terminals, but additional rewards are available to players who clear (or claim) a high rank bounty.
• Manhunt ranks are now infinite in the ODZ. Killing other Agents increases the player’s Manhunt rank, along with their Dark Zone XP rewards on a successful bounty clear. Compete on a new leaderboard for the highest ODZ Manhunt rank!

   

Bug fixes

• Fixed weird lighting in some tunnels.
• Fixed an issue where grouped players could disconnect after leaving a Classified Assignment.
• Fixed an issue where enemy NPCs could lose track of players in Operation Dark Hours.
• Fixed an issue where players would be unable to claim the weekly Clan Cache.
• Fixed an issue where rails in DZ West did not appear on barriers surrounding a checkpoint.
• Fixed an issue where Master Sergeant Quiroz in the Space Administration HQ would jump down earlier than intended. He was a bit to eager.
• Fixed an issue where an explosion was missing in the Space Administration HQ before Master Sergeant Quiroz appears.
• Fixed an issue where Weasel’s weapon could fly out of his hand. Sweaty palms can be a real issue for some people.
• Fixed an issue where players could not be attacked at a certain spot in the Stadium map.
• Fixed an issue where several collectibles would not automatically play when picked up.
• Fixed an issue where the accuracy of a player in the Activity Summary could be negative.
• Fixed an issue where opening the Top CXP Clan menu could cause frame drops.
• Fixed an issue where the objective for “Return to the White House” would not complete if you skipped the cinematic.
• Fixed an issue where players could get stuck when being revived by another player and the Control Point Officer at the same time.
• Fixed an issue which would prevent players from opening the Strategic info when downed in Operation Dark Hours.
• Fixed an issue which could prevent the Call for Help animation to be visible for other players.
• Fixed an issue where inspecting a player through the social menu after being downed could cause the menu UI to persist during gameplay.
• Fixed an issue where the “Open Cache” and “Back” buttons on the Apparel Event Cache UI would disappear, when pressing both buttons at the same time.
• Fixed an issue where Hunters could be revived outside the radius of their Reviver Hive, as well as being revived an unlimited amount of time.
• Fixed an issue where enemy NPC faces would not correctly target players while strafing.
• Fixed an issue where NPCs could get stuck while spawning in DZ East.
• Fixed an issue where players could stare into the void.
• Fixed an issue where players could jump into a patio they should not have access to. No trespassing!
• Fixed an exploit that allowed the Hive skill to become un-targetable and shoot at enemy players at a specific location on Fort McNair.
• Fixed an issue where setting the difficulty level for a mission from within a Classified Assignment did not apply that difficulty level and did not reset the mission.
• Fixed an issue where players could receive multiple Ivory Keys from the same Hunter.
• Fixed an issue where NPC speed after turning would be incorrect.
• Fixed an issue where NPCs would skip animations after jumping.
• Fixed an issue where the Call for Backup would not be received by players having the option activated.
• Fixed an issue where players could spawn below the map when teleporting to a reconnecting player.
• Fixed an issue where the audio could get corrupted when playing a cinematic.
• Fixed an issue where Lucy and Buddy could become permanently invulnerable in Operation Dark Hours.
• Fixed an issue where audio for collectibles could become corrupted after prolonged gameplay.
• Fixed an issue where players could become unable to interact with the agent’s note in the “Investigate the Safe House” side mission.
• Fixed an issue where players were unable to interact with the laptop and liberate a Safe House.
• Fixed an issue where players could get stuck in the map overview after completing the Dark Zone South intro mission.
• Fixed an issue where a player could revive multiple agents at the same time with the Reviver Hive.
• Fixed an issue where the difficulty of a bounty would be different in the Bounties tab and the Mega Map.
• Fixed an issue where players could be revived by the Reviver Hive after the Razorback encounter ended when the whole team was downed.
• Fixed an issue where when placing a turret on a car the Turret would drop down to the floor.
• Fixed an issue where players could sometimes not be able to move around circular cover.
• Fixed an issue where players would be able to see through the map when looking at a window on the Stadium map.
• Fixed several issues where the turrets in DZ-West would fire at Rogue Agents beyond the intended range.
• Fixed an issue where a turret in the DZ-West could fire through a fence at Checkpoint Delta.
• Fixed an issue where Turrets could fall through the floor, roof and other objects.
• Fixed an issue where players would be able to see through the map when looking at a window in DZ-West.
• Fixed an issue where the dialogue audio could switch to English when playing with a different language setting.
• Fixed an issue that could cause FPS drops on PC when opening the Ubisoft Club Rewards.
• Fixed an issue where random Open World encounters would not spawn.
• Fixed an issue where several parts of the Specialization UI were missing localization.
• Fixed some weird doors.
• Fixed an issue where some Assault Rifles would not hinge correctly on the Crusader Shield.
• Fixed an issue where players would be unable to inspect apparel within the Apparel Event Cache UI.
• Fixed an issue where pressing the “Inspect” and “View Stats” buttons at the same time would cause the text from the two pages to overlap in the UI.
• Fixed some weird stairs.
• Fixed an issue where extra ammunition from mods would not properly be added to Skills.
• Fixed an issue where Manny would repeatedly thank agents for saving hostages in a Classified Assignment. He’s really thankful, ok?
• Fixed an issue where Conflict Caches could reward loot below the player’s World Tier when playing with lower level agents in a party.
• Fixed an issue that didn’t allow player to see previous Distinctions of the Week in the Clan Quarters.
• Fixed an issue where killed NPCs could clip through objects they fell on.
• Fixed an issue where notifications toasts were missing when completing an activity, after abandoning several projects in a row.
• Fixed an issue where Inaya al-Khaliq would stay in an A-Pose after being recruited. She has now relaxed.
• Fixed an issue where inspecting a player would show the inspecting player’s stats instead.
• Fixed an issue where reloading while using a Shield would play the wrong animation.
• Fixed an issue where the debriefing audio after completing a mission could play several times.
• Fixed icons on Auxiliary Skill Mods which should now show the icon of the Skill they can be equipped in

Speaking of the Gunner Specialization, these and more topics were discussed in today’s State of the Game. Here’s a summary below via Reddit’s BlooBuckaroo:

Changes to Signature Ammo and how you will receive it.

• Removal of RNG element – There will be a meter on the left side of your hud which will fill when you or your team performs an action that will give ammo. When the meter is full, the signature ammo will drop.

  =>Black bar at the side that fills

In PTS, Generic Mod Changes

• The generic mods will only fit on generic slots; they won’t work in high end gear.- To offset this, there is the removal of System & Protocol division of slot types (if your mod is red, it will fit in any red slot).

Skill Builds – Still working on something, not for TU4

Changes to the Dark Zone in the PTS

• Adding Rogue to the Occupied Dark Zone

Changes to ALL Specializations

• Increase Specialization Points from 160 to 165 – Players will need to farm the extra 5 points if they have already maxed out to 160.
• Ability to spec into all weapons – Any specialization can pick any weapons to spec into, but they can’t spec into all of them. Specialization weapon mods will be awarded if you spec into the weapon that is associated with that specialization.
• Buff to Tach-50 and Crossbow – Not in the PTS yet, but significant increase to Tach-50 damage and buff to Crossbows ability to crack armor.

New Specialization the “Gunner” on the PTS

• On the PTS, you have to do Field Research to unlock the “Gunner”, but soon, you will not have to and will auto unlock.
• Year 1 pass owners to unlock the “Gunner” right away, but will also be able to do special research to unlock special cosmetic items.
• Detailed discussion of the Skill Tree – Riot Foam Granade and Banshee Pulse. A cone like pulse that will cause the confuse status effect on NPCs (similar to tear gas effect) to get them to stand out of cover so you can “mow ’em down”. In PvP, the status effect will be disrupt, so skills cannot be used.

  =>Gunner Specialization Tree

  =>Weapon

  • please note – photo taken in WT1, your weapon damage will vary.

Note that changes being tested in the PTS are not guaranteed to be implemented in the final version. That said, they usually are tested, and implemented in a patch as long as it doesn’t break anything.

Stay tuned for the latest The Division 2 news here on MP1st.