QUICK: Dismantle all your Division crap before the big April update nerfs it

Ubisoft is set to release a major update to The Division on April 12, and higher-level players in particular should take note. Not only will there be a Gear Score to elevate you above the newbies of the secret government agency, but crafting is about to get way more expensive.

While it's not absolutely necessary to craft your own armor and weapons in The Division, it's arguably the best way to supplement your inventory with quality gear. Items you don't want can be broken down, and the materials you get from said deconstruction can be used to create better materials. Quality ranges from Standard (items green in color), to Specialized (blue), to Superior (purple) and finally High-End (yellow). This week, Ubisoft outlined how exchange rates will differ after patch 1.1.

Once the update goes live, it will cost 10 Standard materials instead of 5 to craft 1 Specialized material, 15 Specialized materials instead of 5 to craft 1 High-End material, and 10 High-End materials instead of 8 to craft 1 level 31 High-End item. Deconstruction yields are similarly impacted. Deconstructing a Standard item will return 1 Standard material instead of 2, and deconstructing a High-End item will net you 1 High-End material instead of 2.

In other words, it'll soon cost you twice or three times as much to craft Specialized or High-End materials, while breaking them down will get you only half of what you got before. If you weren't the crafting type before, I'd suggest hopping online and getting some done before April 12.

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Sam Prell

Sam is a former News Editor here at GamesRadar. His expert words have appeared on many of the web's well-known gaming sites, including Joystiq, Penny Arcade, Destructoid, and G4 Media, among others. Sam has a serious soft spot for MOBAs, MMOs, and emo music. Forever a farm boy, forever a '90s kid.