The Division 2 Promotional Tweet Gets Political

The Division 2 revolves around a weaponized super-virus that has wreaked havoc on the social order, first starting in New York and then migrating to the United States capitol Washington DC in the sequel. The themes and setting would seem to lend themselves to political commentary, and the latest bit of promotional world-building lays it on thick.

A tweet from the official account shows a fictionalized letter from the state department of Mexico, responding to the "deteriorating situation" in the US. It cites instability due to people fleeing to Mexico from the United States, and announces that it is closing the border. To that end, it says the Mexican government has fully funded a border wall and has dispatched troops for security in the meantime.

The letter mentions the titular Division agents at the very end. In the fiction of the game, you play as one of these agents--an elite cabal who live ordinary lives throughout the country until activated to deal with acute domestic threats. But it says despite their efforts, Mexico has "lost both faith and confidence in the ability of the United States government."

The statement is clearly positioned as cheeky commentary on the current day US-Mexico relationship. President Donald Trump has advocated for a border wall, citing threats from those fleeing Mexico, and has dispatched troops along selected areas of the border. The letter playfully imagines the reverse, when a catastrophe causes Americans to seek refuge.

Ubisoft Massive, the developer behind The Division has stated in the past that it doesn't intend to be overtly political, stating that it's "bad for business." Earlier this year, the Ubisoft marketing team apologized for a previous email that had made light of the US government shutdown, which was ongoing at the time.

While the main campaign tells the next chapter in the story of an out-of-control super-virus, the game itself is a loot-shooter, which means you'll be spending lots of time replaying missions and going on raids to get the best gear. We had an exclusive look at one such gear set, appropriately named the Patriot Set for its red, white, and blue debuffs.

The Division 2 is coming on March 15 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Check out our pre-order guide for more details.