Here’s a deeper look at some of the deadly new skills in The Division 2

The Beastie Boys once rapped about having the skills to pay the bills, but just imagine how much easier it’d be to deal with an overdrawn bank account if you could whip out turrets and medpacks at the drop of a hat. I’m just saying, when it comes to Christmas shopping, being able to drop a few smoke bombs in the middle of a mad rush to buy the hottest new Barbie dolls would be really appreciated. Yes, I like Barbie, don’t judge me.

Anyway, The Division 2 has skills and possibly even a license to ill, as developer Ubisoft Massive recently revealed a ton of new info on the skills and skill mods that agents will use to take back Washington DC. The capitol is under siege, roaming gangs of bandits and private military contractors are operating with more immunity than South African diplomats in Lethal Weapon 2 and somebody has to save the day.

Here’s how some of the in-game skills will work, according to Ubisoft:

Chem Launcher

A grenade launcher weapon, Agents can choose from four unique canisters that fire off rounds with variable effects:

• Firestarter – Flammable gas canisters whose payload can be ignited to cause massive explosions and damaging fields of fire.
• Riot Foam – Sticky, heavy and rapidly expanding, just like yer mum.
• Oxidiser – Corrosive chemical canister carnage containing chaos.
• Reinforcer – Need an armour pick-me-up? This canister will explode and disperse armour-repairing powders to you and your teammates.

Drone

Not just the perfect weapon for annoying your neighbours, the drone is a Swiss Army Knife tool with plenty of functions:

• Striker – The drone pops a turret, moves in for the kill and generally goes after whoever you direct it at.
• Defender – Using some kind of magic microwave technology, the drone emits a defensive shield that can deflect a limited number of bullets before its battery runs dead.
• Tactician – Flying high, the drone surveys the area around you and feeds you information on enemy positions.
• Bombardier – Drops a bunch of bombs on your foes, just like every MMA fighter in a pre-match interview who has never once considered saying anything original in his life.
• Fixer – A passive armour repair station, this drone can also be directed towards your allies for a quick assistance.

Hive

Micro-drones, these devices can be placed or thrown, delivering buffs and benefits within a designated area.

• Stinger – Micro-drones attack hostile targets within range to deliver massive damage.
• Restorer – Micro-repair drones zero in on damaged armour and start a repair job.
• Booster – Each player gets a micro-drone that boosts their weapon handling and physical attributes.
• Reviver – Micro-drones revive wounded allies, with the option of charging up the little fellas to revive players with a greater stack of health and armour.

Seeker Mine

It’s like a rubber ball, only it’s not, is made out of metal and can chase down enemies like a Phantasmagoria sphere without levitation.

• Explosive – Classic seek and destroy action as the seeker mine chases after an enemy.
• Airburst – Like the Explosive option, but this seeker mine instead jumps up to face-level and detonates right in the stupid face of a very surprised enemy.
• Mender – Seeking out allies, this ball of healing will release armour-repairing magic.
• Cluster – Provided that your opponent stays put, this Seeker Mine will deploy smaller versions of itself that use limited AI to deliver a bigger explosive cluster payload.

Spherical, self-propelled ordnance delivery devices will return – but with more features and abilities. The mines use sensors which target hostiles  or friendlies as needed to perform various effects. Seeker Mines can be activated by dropping or throwing. Each category offers something new to Agents in The Division 2.

Turret

The classic compact turret, born from the influence of the automated weapons of Aliens and given a 21st century makeover.

• Assault – Able to pop up and deliver pain from 360 degrees of carnage, this turret will always attack the closest enemy first.
• Incinerator – If you find yourself being flanked, this turret will lay down some suppresing fire. Literally.
• Artillery – Need to flush some enemies out of their cover? This turret will lob explosive ordinance at your foes.
• Sniper – Long-range protection, this turret can be guided to deliver retribution from a safe zone.

I love the smell of video game napalm in the morning. The Division 2: Electric Boogaloo arrives next year on March 15.

Last Updated: December 4, 2018