Ubisoft Reveals The Division Started Life as a World of Warcraft Clone

The Division, Ubisoft's popular tactical shooter set in a post-pandemic New York City, had a very different identity during its early development — one that bore little resemblance to the cover-based shooter fans know today, according to revelations from Ubisoft developers.

In its earliest form, The Division was not the gritty, third-person shooter that launched in 2016. Instead, the game featured mechanics more commonly associated with MMORPGs, including a hotbar system for abilities — a staple of games like World of Warcraft — rather than the real-time gunplay that would eventually define the franchise.

Perhaps most surprisingly, an early version of the game included a dog companion for players. The canine feature was ultimately scrapped as the game's direction shifted dramatically toward the cover-based tactical shooter formula that would become its defining characteristic.

Ubisoft developers shared these insights as part of a retrospective look at the franchise's development history. The revelations highlight just how dramatically a game's concept can evolve during the development process, with The Division undergoing what appears to have been a near-complete overhaul of its core design philosophy.

The final product went on to become one of Ubisoft's most successful franchises, spawning a sequel, The Division 2, and a recent Netflix film adaptation. It is fascinating to consider how differently the series might have landed with audiences had it retained its MMO-inspired roots rather than pivoting to the looter-shooter genre.

The disclosure serves as a reminder that many beloved games bear almost no resemblance to their earliest prototypes, and that the road from concept to finished product is rarely a straight one.