The Division's Dark Zone is getting tougher for the open beta

The open beta for The Division next week will have a new skill and other stuff for seasoned testers to try. Reddit user codnavar captured the patch notes for The Division's beta client, revealing how the game has changed in the last few weeks. Oh, and more good news - you won't have to download an all-new client if you already played in the closed beta.

The biggest change for most players will be the new mission, which Ubisoft previously teased. Deep inside the Subway Morgue is a missing engineer, along with a ton of bodies and the flamethrower-toting Cleaners. Rescue the engineer and he'll unlock your headquarters' Tech Wing, giving you access to a new skill: the deployable turret. It should be perfect for flanking foes all by yourself, or for securing extraction points in the Dark Zone.

Speaking of which, most of the other big tweaks are focused on the Dark Zone: increasing rewards for Rogue agents who outlive manhunts and populating the area with more, tougher NPC foes. Players who hurt other agents but don't do enough damage to tick over into rogue status will also get a special icon so you can keep an eye on them. It will take longer for Dark Zone chests to be refilled with delicious loot, but you'll also be able to acquire new High End (that's the rarest, most powerful equipment rarity level) weapons in your travels.

Two bugs that could cause players to become invisible to other players were fixed, and unspecified cheat detection/prevention measures were added to quash more intentional exploits. The open beta starts on February 18 on Xbox One and February 19 on PS4 and PC, and Ubisoft will release the full game on March 8.

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