The Division 2 has a horrendous XP exploit and Ubisoft is getting ready to swing the ban hammer

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By Richard Devine
published

Ah if it isn't the consequences to your actions

The Division
(Image credit: Ubisoft)

What you need to know

  • It seems like there's a pretty horrendous XP glitch being exploited in The Division 2 right now and rightfully Ubisoft is going to take action. 
  • It involves the recently added Descent game mode and joining players via Ubisoft Connect rather than directly in the game. 
  • Rollbacks and suspensions are incoming for anyone who's been using it. 

What's that? Consequences for my actions? If you've been exploiting a glitch in The Division 2 recently then that's exactly what's heading your way. 

Ubisoft has put out a message on social media this morning detailing exactly what's going to happen to players who have been doing this. It seems there's an exploit relating to the new Descent game mode whereby players can join other in-progress runs using Ubisoft Connect and gain extortionate amounts of XP. 

Those players are not only going to lose their ill-gotten gains, but they're also going to lose the ability to play the game for at least two weeks. 

Ubisoft message on XP cheating in The Division 2

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Anyone who has used this exploit will be suspended from the game and have their account flagged. Further instances of blatant cheating will result in longer suspensions and eventually permanent banning. Hopefully the bug is also going to get fixed, because that sounds like something important. 

Why does this matter at all? Well for one, fairness. But The Division 2 isn't a solely PvE game. The Dark Zone has PvP elements and there's the dedicated PvP Conflict mode, too. With XP comes rewards. 1,000 SHD levels fills up the watch and adds permanent buffs to your agent. XP fills up the season pass, and after that rewards gear caches. Players using this exploit will have a distinct advantage very quickly over those who play the game properly. 

So, if you've been doing this, you're probably already marked for trouble. Just don't do it again. Gaming is fun without cheating, you know. 

Richard Devine
Richard Devine
Managing Editor - Tech, Reviews

Richard Devine is a Managing Editor at Windows Central with over a decade of experience. A former Project Manager and long-term tech addict, he joined Mobile Nations in 2011 and has been found on Android Central and iMore as well as Windows Central. Currently, you'll find him steering the site's coverage of all manner of PC hardware and reviews. Find him on Mastodon at mstdn.social/@richdevine

1 Comment Comment from the forums
  • Rumpystiltskin
    I was reading the Minecraft article and then this one was suggested to me, so apologies for reviving a dead thread.

    My question is, how is it fair to punish people who use this exploit?

    Now I did read the article and I understand how detrimental using the exploit can be to the experience of the game. People who use it become more powerful than those who do not. I do not play this game so this may be a ridiculous question but is there a "level cap"? If there is, then some people get there faster. Is that an issue? If there isn't then do some players reach "godhood" after X number of levels? Once again, wouldn't they be paired with others who are in the same boat? How is that a bad thing?

    As someone who usually only plays single player games, I am always on the lookout for ways to get ahead. Sometimes these exploits are patched out and sometimes they are not. Either way, no one is ever banned for using them. Why would they be? No one is getting hurt.

    Also, how does one separate a bug from a feature? Short of a message when you start the game letting players know about the exploit and telling them a patch is incoming and not to exploit it. I know I would be very angry if I was banned from a game because I was doing something I didn't know was wrong. I know that most people who do this probably see a video on YouTube telling them how to do it and then they go do it. How do you separate those people from those who found it organically? Also, what constitutes an exploit? If I discover that going up these certain stairs 3 times in a row has a 10% chance of gaining you 1XP point at the end of the mission, isn't that an exploit? Is there a line of acceptability?
    Reply