A free *The Division*? What actually sounds like a great opportunity is currently getting a lukewarm reception on Steam. *Resurgence* is facing criticism for various reasons.
WithThe Divisionand its sequelThe Division 2, Ubisoft has delivered two successful online loot shooters. A sequel has also been officially confirmed since 2023. However, the publisher hasn’t had as much luck with its free-to-play spin-offs. First, development ofThe Division: Heartlandwas canceled; now,Resurgence—a spin-off originally designed for smartphones—has landed on PC and is failing to win over many players.
What’s Going Wrong with The Division: Resurgence?
Resurgence was released for Android and iOS in March 2026, three years after its announcement. Just like in the original game, you explore apocalyptic New York alone or in co-op, collect loot, and complete missions. There are also two game modes where you compete against other players. As is customary in The Division, you’ll naturally equip various special abilities.
Shortly after its March release, Ubisoft announced plans to bring Resurgence to PC as well, first via Early Access in April, followed by a Steam release on August 5, 2026. That release took place a few days ago, and it turns out that many players aren’t exactly happy with it. The shooter port isscoring just 46 percent positive reviewsand is being criticized for various reasons.
One issue appears to be the microtransactions, which are perceived as too aggressive. As a result, progress is sometimes hidden behind time locks, and in the competitive multiplayer modes, the shooter faces accusations of being “pay-to-win.”
Somewhere beneath the monetization lies a real game. The skill trees and stats are there, as is the Dark Zone concept, but they’re buried under energy timers and a shop that never stops asking for your money.
Players continue to complain that the port has only been half-heartedly adapted for PC. For example, the controls are said to be very imprecise when using a controller or mouse and keyboard. Additionally, the user interface elements designed for smartphones cannot be disabled.
Finally, there are the battles, which some critics say are too easy. One reason for this is likely the erratic AI: enemies get stuck on top of each other and act very predictably. Unstable servers are also said to cause rubberbanding even in single-player mode. For some players, the mere fact that Resurgence was released in this state is an affront:
Please stop offering this for download—an insult would have been enough.
But the truth is also that many reviews on Steam were written after less than an hour of playtime and gave the game a thumbs-down without further explanation. Even though the criticisms mentioned above are hardly unfounded, it seems that some players are simply using this as an outlet to express their dislike of Ubisoft as a publisher. In some cases, however, Division fans likely didn’t realize that Resurgence is simply the PC version of a mobile game.
