Here’s the first look at The Division Heartland via 20 mins of leaked footage

More than 20 minutes of The Division Heartland gameplay has leaked via a closed test.

Heartland is the free-to-play Division spin-off announced earlier this month, described by publisher Ubisoft as “a standalone experience” that will provide “an all new perspective on the universe in a new setting.”

A developer briefing leaked as part of the closed test provides further details.

Heartland takes place in a small American town called Silver Creek. Players will come to know Silver Creek in a PvE mode called Expedition and a 45-player PvEvP mode called Storm.

“Both modes will have you scavenging, exploring, looting, fighting and surviving, all while avoiding the most aggressive and unpredictable virus contamination The Division has ever seen,” explains lead game designer Taylor Epperly in the leaked video.

“The team feels that we have something really exciting, but in order to make it the best game possible we need your unfiltered feedback.”

Heartland is being led by Red Storm Entertainment and is set for release on PlayStation, Xbox and PC in “2021-22”.

Ubioft’s EMEA exec director, Alain Corre described Heartland as a game “that doesn’t require previous experience with the series but will provide an all new perspective on the universe in a new setting.” Those interested in participating in its early test phases can sign up here.

Following Heartland’s announcement, Ubisoft said it’s planning to release “high quality free-to-play games across all our biggest franchises across all platforms”, although it later said this “does not mean” it will release less premium games.

In addition to the new game plans, The Division is set to expand into transmedia with the previously announced film, starring Jessica Chastain and Jake Gyllenhaal, which is in development with Netflix.

Ubisoft also announced an original novel published by Aconyte, set after the events of The Division 2 exploring how the Outbreak affects different regions of the United States as agents fight to secure supply routes.

Ubisoft also announced this month that it’s working on a The Division mobile game, and The Division 2 will also be receiving new content as part of an update coming late 2021.

Ubisoft Massive, with support from Ubisoft Bucharest, is leading the development of this new content that will include a new game mode and “new methods for levelling agents” with an emphasis “on increasing build variety and viability”.