The Division next expansion to introduce survival mode, where cold is as deadly as bullets

In the upcoming expansion to The Division, players will be set against deadly conditions and desperate opponents standing between them and their mission objective.

New details have emerged on Tom Clancy’s The Division: Survival expansion today in a surprise livestream noticed by Kotaku. This next paid DLC is said to turn this third-person online action game into a full-fledged survival, introducing cold, infection, hunger, and thirst, which can kill you as efficiently as enemy bullets. In the new Survival mode – designed for up to 24 players – you will be thrown right into a heavy blizzard. After a helicopter crash, the players, stripped off their gear, will have to get to the Dark Zone in the center of Manhattan and retrieve some essential drugs before they die.

Prolonged exposure to detrimental factors will have a strong impact on your character’s performance. E.g. hunger will slow down regeneration, whereas thirst will limit vision and awareness. In order to surivive, you will have to explore crash sites and scavenge apartments for supplies: medicine, food, water, gear, and clothing. To make things even more difficult, players will start with no skills (you’ll have to craft them later on) and the mini map will be removed.

No release date has been given for the Survival expansion. However, season pass holders can already play its beta on PC on the public test server. The DLC will be out together with the 1.5 update.