The Division 2 now includes its expansion free with the base game, so there really is no excuse not to try it now [Updated]

What you need to know

• Ahead of Ubisoft Forward in LA, The Division 2 has quietly seen some changes to its editions. 
• There is no longer a need to purchase the standalone expansion, with it being rolled into the standard edition of the game. Existing owners of the base game can upgrade to the new edition at a discounted price right now to unlock the extra content. 
• This comes ahead of the start of Year 6, with a new Story DLC expansion planned for early 2025. 

The Division 2 has a ridiculous amount of content to play, especially for newcomers, and Ubisoft, it seems, is making all of it accessible to everyone. Up to now, you've needed to own the base game and purchase the standalone Warlords of New York expansion to unlock the Manhattan map and the current seasonal endgame loop. 

But quietly, it seems, they've changed that ahead of the big Ubisoft Forward event in LA today. One of my favorite Division 2 content creators, @djtickle, highlighted in his Discord that the standard edition of the game now includes the expansion. 

That's pretty spectacular. 

Even though I have both the base game and the expansion already, I'm seeing an upgrade option on the standard game right now for just £2.80 to turn it into the new standard edition. Obviously I won't be doing that, but if you don't have the expansion already, that's an absurdly cheap way to get your hands on it. 

The new standard edition includes the base game and Warlords of New York, as well as one level 30 boost to get a character ready to jump right into the New York map. The standalone expansion is still listed at this time, but obviously, don't buy it. The new ultimate edition includes the same, with a bunch of additional cosmetics and the year one pass, which unlocked some additional missions that were tagged onto the base game. 

Ubisoft has also revealed now that the endgame for The Division 2 is being unified, and all players will be united at level 40. The gear score and world tiers system from the base game is gone, and instead all players will now play up to level 40. Once there, the endgame content, including the seasonal manhunt and all additional game modes, will be unlocked. 

You can still purchase or upgrade to an edition with the Warlords of New York DLC in if you want the fullest experience, that is, getting the SHD watch from the end of the campaign which offers further stat increases to your characters, but essentially this move puts all players into the same endgame pool now, regardless of whether they own or have completed the expansion.