The Division franchise is best known as a post-apocalyptic looter shooter, set in an alternate timeline where society collapsed due to a large-scale biological attack. Since The divisionAfter launching in 2016, developers at Ubisoft have been telling a long-running story surrounding a mysterious, rogue agent. The Division 2The most recent update features a twist so unbelievable and wacky that it goes all the way back to a work of genius.
In these games, the Strategic Homeland Division is a government agency embedded in society until times of major catastrophe, in which case its members are activated as super agents, aided by ISAC, a state-of-the-art AI. In the first game, the player meets local division leader Faye Lau, they are both nearly killed, and then the player gets to start shooting and then blast their way through New York City.
Between the boss battles and the hunt for collectibles, the player is introduced to the storyline that the division is actually a bad idea for a crisis response team. A number of them have gone rogue, and the worst of them all is a very bad egg named Aaron Keener. Keener remains in the background for a while in the game’s lore, only emerging to tell us about the recent bioterrorism he planned or all the good plans he enjoyed.
The mystery piled up over the years. I played on The Division 2‘s campaign is looking for any sign of him among my new Division colleagues. One character, Agent Kelso, really seemed like she was going to betray me. She even disappeared for a long time during a crucial mission and reappeared with suspicious timing. But none of my suspicions immediately yielded results, and the Black Tusk paramilitary group became the main threat.
It lasted until the 2020 expansion Warlords of New York that players could finally confront Keener. The expansion was full of twists, such as Faye Lau killing the president and framing the division for the crime in a shocking double act. But players finally got to fight Keener as a boss, so that’s over, right?
Are not done with. You’ve fallen straight into Aaron Keener’s trap, you gullible bastard. He’s alive and kicking.
Ubisoft helpfully explained the new status quo in a blog postwhich reads in part:
Year 5 Season 3 ended with a shocking revelation: Rogue agent number one and sworn nemesis of The Division, Aaron Keener, is still alive. In her search for the truth, Officer Kelso found him and decided to join forces with him.
The line between light and dark, agent and villain, continues to blur as we learn that Keener teamed up with Faye Lau to undermine the Black Tusk and neutralize the Hunter threat during the events of Warlords of New York.
Keener is coming to Washington, DC and he has sent us an invitation to negotiate, but first we will have to endure his twisted trials and prove our worth. An alliance with Keener and his Rogues could be the key to stopping Natalya Sokolova and the Black Tusk. But what will the costs be?
Can Keener be trusted? Is the enemy of our enemy really our friend?
As someone who had stayed informed The Division 2‘s development story was my reaction to reading this post and learning this information: “I’m sorry, what?” There are a lot of double crosses to sort through, especially as the line between light and dark becomes increasingly blurred!
I hear you asking, “Wait, if Keener is a boss in the game that players kill, haven’t players seen him die?” You fool. You absolute buffoon. Keener hacked ISAC, so it just happened watched as if he were dead. But he’s still alive, and now he wants to tell you his Real agenda, as long as you can survive his Joker traps…
Sir, I’ve been trying to find you and have a conversation for years, so I’m starting to think you’re just a messy bitch who likes drama. On the other hand, the daring of this creative choice convinces me. By class Keener is a super genius who faked his own death by hacking your brain. Otherwise, he’d just be a guy in a hoodie recording somber monologues for coworkers to find, and that’s not very fun.
The Division 2The next update will include other content and adjustments, and will give players access to the endgame without purchasing anything Warlords of New York. Many fans seem surprised to see that The Division 2 is still receiving updates, but Ubisoft is backing the game – as well as many of its other titles – with years of post-launch support. If that strategy leads to a brilliant story, then I certainly support it.