The Division Heartland is a new free-to-play game set in The Division universe - but this time in rural America. With gameplay that mixes survival elements (you need to drink fresh water!) with the series' over-the-shoulder third-person shooting.

Set in Silver Creek, the game even features a full day-night system where being out at night increases the threats and rewards. Squad-based class gameplay returns, and for the most part, the action and game look every bit like a new Division game.

Exploration does look a lot more precarious, though, with contamination zones across the map requiring the use of filtered masks - a thing seen in earlier games but expanded into a key survival mechanic in The Division Heartland.

Check it out.

Heartland takes players to Silver Creek, once a pleasant town in the American Midwest, left in ruins following the spread of the Dollar Flu. Silver Creek is a hostile environment filled with deadly contamination, roaming enemy hordes, and the looming threat of sickness and dehydration. In The Division Heartland, and for the first time in The Division, Silver Creek’s Base of Operations is a shared space. Silver Creek’s Rockit Rink is an abandoned roller-skating rink where players will be able to socialize, form a group, customize their character, and prep for the next Operation.

Each session begins and ends in the Base of Operations, and each time players exfiltrate they will take back materials and gear they’ve collected to better prepare them for future days in the town. Players will use the Base of Operations to fabricate supplies and ready their go-bag preparing for their time out in the town. Before each session, they can select between three Classes: Weapons Expert, Medic, and Survivalist. Each Class brings a unique ability, and in a squad, each truly shines when complemented by the others. When they venture out during the daytime, players will be scavenging for supplies as well as preparing to survive the night. At night, Silver Creek becomes much more tenuous, with PvEvP gameplay forcing players to think quick and potentially work together to make it out alive with their loot intact.

It looks impressive and like the sort of spin-off to The Division 2 that feels fresh whilst leaning into what made it so much fun to play as part of a squad.