The Division 2’s first eight-man raid just dropped and players are left feeling disappointed since the matchmaking system is not available for this content. Previous advertising for the game has stated that “Matchmaking is provided for every game activity and difficulty level,” which has only increased the anger that has been directed at Ubisoft for the move.
Alexandre Guenounou, a Senior Brand Manager for Ubisoft, confirmed the absence of matchmaking for raids on Twitter, stating that players have to “team up through clan lists, friends lists or by inviting other players in the game social spaces.”
Almost immediately and inevitably, players began quoting and posting screenshots of the game’s earlier marketing to support their arguments. Solo players or members of small clans have expressed their concerns, which has ranged from mild annoyance to a torrent of abuse directed at Ubisoft. Players have also created a thread on Reddit that is being used to vent more specific issues with the move.
The main concerns surround the difficulty of picking up extra players without a dedicated system in place. Reddit users talk of groups forming in social channels having very detailed requirements, some of which make it almost impossible to find a group if you are a more casual player.
While Ubisoft isn't denying the issues caused by a lack of matchmaking option, it is instead focusing on the reasons why it has chosen to suspend the facility for this content.
Guenounou directed players to Twitch for answers, where the issue is addressed in the Division 2’s State of The Game broadcast at 21.20.
The official statement says “We decided to not include matchmaking as we don’t think this will create a good gameplay experience for random groups. The raid will test your abilities to communicate well, have a build good setup and will require great teamwork to beat encounters.” Ubisoft describes the raid as “a deep experience” that will require strong communication, organization, and preparation, which the team feels players would not be able to achieve through random groups.
While we can understand that strong teams are important for the raid, the main problem appears to be that matchmaking was promised on all levels. For those who prefer to play solo or in small groups, this was one of the big pulls to the game. So, by removing this option, Ubisoft has angered those who were relying on the feature to complete all the game’s content.
The Division 2’s first raid, Operation Dark Hours, is now live.