Best answer: A Survival mode has not been officially revealed for The Division 2, but the developer has hinted at its return on multiple occasions.
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What is Survival mode?
Survival is a paid content expansion game mode in The Division, where 24 players are stranded in the middle of Manhattan after their helicopters crash en route to recover antiviral drugs. Only by braving the harsh elements and the disease itself will you claim victory. To do so, you'll need to manage your hunger and thirst, scavenge for any materials, and survive the dangerous weather with either NPCs or fellow players hunting you down.
This game mode has been likened to the battle royale genre. Similar to the Dark Zone — an area that offered a Player vs. Player (PvP) experience — it offers Player vs. Environment (PvE) and PvP.
What hints do we have about Survival's return?
There's no concrete information that Ubisoft has revealed about a possible return for Survival mode, but several developers have hinted at it, including the game's creative director.
"So, Survival, we haven't announced it on The Division 2, but it's such an iconic game mode I wouldn't be surprised if it made an apparition in Washington D.C.," said Creative Director Julian Gerighty in an interview at E3 2018.
Given the mode's popularity in the first game, along with the ever-rising popularity of battle royale as a genre, it's almost guaranteed you'll see it make a comeback in some form in The Division 2. The sequel has also done a great job so far at bringing over elements from the first Division and improving on them, so Survival seems primed for a comeback.
We'll update this article if we get any more information.
Will I need to pay for it?
Though Survival was a paid expansion to the first game, costing players an additional $15, it's unknown if Ubisoft will charge for it if it returns in The Division 2. Ubisoft's plans going forward, at least for The Division 2's first year of content after launch, is to release all DLC free. However, a Survival mode was not detailed in the company's plans for its first year of content, meaning it either may be a surprise or it may not be released within the year.
It's unclear if Ubisoft plans to charge players for expansions after Year One of The Division 2 ends.
Survive at all costs
Civil war has fallen upon Washington D.C. after the pandemic. Should its Survival mode make a return, you'll have even more ways to hunt down your fellow Agents in its harsh environment.
