After Ubisoft Repeatedly Teased It, The Division 3 Might Be In Trouble

The Division 3 has been in the works for a while, with the sequel formally announced by Massive Entertainment in 2023. Since then, though, the Ubisoft-backed studio has been relatively quiet about the game, with little in the way of confirmed details beyond that formal announcement. The biggest tease yet came last year, when Executive Producer for The Division franchise Julian Gerighty suggested the game was going to be a “monster” in terms of scope and could replicate the impact that the first game had on the genre when it launched in 2016.

However, amid shake-ups at Ubisoft, it seems that the positive pitches for The Division might have changed — in part because Gerighty is no longer working on The Division series. With one of The Division‘s lead developers departing for another studio and Ubisoft shuttering multiple games, it’s worth looking at the confirmed details about The Division 3, where the game fits into Ubisoft’s plans for the future, and whether or not fans should be concerned about the next entry in the series.

A Lead On The Division Franchise Has Left Ubisoft

Ubisoft has been teasing the future of The Division for a while now, with potential details about The Division 3 even cropping up last year. However, despite these teases, recent developments at Ubisoft suggest that the future might not be so bright for the Tom Clancy franchise. While Senior Producer for The Division franchise Julian Gerighty was on hand at the New Game+ showcase earlier this year to tease just how massive the in-development sequel is going to be, it’s now been confirmed that Gerighty is actually leaving Ubisoft. It’s been confirmed by both Ubisoft and Gerighty himself that the developer has formally departed to join Battlefield Studios, shifting from Ubisoft to EA in the process.

While Gerighty’s public statement and Massive Entertainment’s formal press release were pleasant enough farewells for the creative (and both suggested The Division 3 is still very much in active development), it comes amid serious turmoil at the French game developer. Ubisoft’s recent announcement that it was going through a major restructuring and was cancelling several games outright puts further scrutiny on Gerighty’s departure from the company. It’s important to remember that Gerighty had been made Executive Producer for the Division brand, and his departure will naturally result in some necessary adaptation by the team at large.

What Does This Mean For The Division 3?

Julian Gerighty’s departure from Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft is a big blow to a game that is expected to not arrive in players’ hands until 2028 at the earliest. The game is still considered to be in early development, with even the planned platforms currently unconfirmed. The seemingly sudden nature of Gerighty’s departure is perhaps the most surprising element of the development cycle at this point. The Division 3 was announced in 2023, years after The Division launched in 2019.

While rumors spread last year that Gerighty was leaving the company, the company’s statement that he was carrying on with the company was seemingly bolstered by Gerighty’s presence in previews describing the game. All of this is happening in the aftermath of a major Ubisoft restructuring, which saw Massive cut 55 jobs. That’s on top of The Division Heartland being cancelled after a lengthy development cycle, giving fans of The Division 3 more cause for alarm.

There’s also the current state of the industry as a whole, which has seen a surge in AA titles and independent ventures reaching a broader audience, all while major franchises struggle to make a large impact on gamers. Other Ubisoft titles were outright cancelled during the recent restructure, including high-profile IP like Prince of Persia. While The Division 3 seems to have avoided the chopping block for now, it’s unclear just how far along development really is and if the game has a concrete plan for release or if it is at risk. As of now, there’s been no formal announcement about the game outside of its confirmed development, and the lack of a planned year for release is giving fans pause.

The lengthy development cycle of AAA games means this isn’t necessarily a death sentence, especially as the developer keeps The Division 2 alive. The 2019 title remains one of Ubisoft’s more prominent online titles, although updates are coming further and further apart. For fans of the series who have been hoping for more news about The Division 3, these new announcements all seem to undercut the optimistic pitch Gerighty and Massive were giving late last year. The Division 3 might get more details soon, and the series was among the ones listed by Ubisoft as a focus point for their “Creative House 2” of developers focusing on shooters — suggesting Ubisoft still has plans for the series. However, with so little to go on and the Super Massive team suffering from multiple staff changes, fans should keep their eyes and ears open for any further updates about this series.