The Division 2 Adding Santa Hats, Snowball-Shooting Gun, And Permadeath Mode

The Division 2 is getting a big new update that, among other things, gives the post-apocalyptic shooter a wintry makeover, complete with Santa hats and a weapon that shoots snowballs.

Title update 6.1 launches on December 10 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and the winter-themed event is called Situation: Snowball. As part of the update, a number of the game's enemies are now wearing red Santa hats, and taking them down will reward you with a special weapon that shoots snowballs. You can see the hat and the snowball gun in the image below.

Ubisoft is also releasing new winter-themed apparel through the "Silent Night Cache." This includes 35 items of clothing to collect over time. Players who log in between December 10 and January 7 will receive one key, while those who own the Year One pass will get a further three keys to help with their progress toward unlocking all the new items.

In the spirit of the holidays, Ubisoft has also introduced a new gifting option for apparel. The Silent Night and other caches can be purchased with the real-money in-game currency and then sent to friends through the game. Additionally, everyone who logs in to The Division 2 during the Situation: Snowball event will get their own red Santa hat to wear.

The Division 2's 6.1 update also introduces a new Hardcore Mode, which makes death permanent in the campaign. Ubisoft recommended that players work together in co-op for their best chance to survive. The Hardcore Mode is described as a "beta," so aspects of it could change in the future.