Highlights
- Controller support can be a double-edged sword for mobile games with PvP, as it provides accessibility but can create an uneven playing field.
- The Division Resurgence should separate controller users from players using built-in mobile controls to ensure a level playing field in PvP activities.
- The game needs to be properly balanced to avoid turning players away and potentially jeopardizing the future of the franchise.
Right now is a great time for fans of Tom Clancy’s The Division games, given that new games are expected to be released soon, and new content for The Division 2 is on the way too. Although upcoming mobile game The Division Resurgence is shaping up to be a great addition to the franchise, it appears to be making the same mistake as another famous mobile game.
If there’s one thing that The Division Resurgence can learn from the mobile games that came before it, it’s that controller support can be a double-edged sword. While this feature is great in terms of accessibility, it can provide an uneven playing field in PvP activities. This is arguably a huge mistake that COD: Mobile makes, and in hindsight, The Division Resurgence would be wise to avoid making this same mistake.
The Division Resurgence Needs to Avoid Diablo Immortal’s Microtransaction Woes
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Controller Support Is a Double-Edged Sword for Mobile Games with PvP
Overall, controller support for mobile games is a great feature because of the accessibility and comfort that it provides. Especially considering that controller support is a recurring feature for The Division franchise games by this point, it makes sense that The Division Resurgence continues this tradition, despite it being a mobile game. Although controller support is an extremely useful feature, it ultimately comes with an unfortunate side effect.
The main flaw with having controller support in a mobile game is that it isn’t always balanced for PvP game modes, but there are ways that this predicament can be avoided. Specifically, mobile games with PvP elements arguably need to separate controller users from players who use the built-in mobile controls. This could provide a level playing field without warranting the removal of controller support altogether, which would be an inappropriate consequence for this otherwise useful feature.
Console and PC games sometimes separate players based on their input devices, so that players using a controller aren’t mixed with players using a keyboard & mouse. However, this is mostly unexplored territory for mobile games, since controller support for mobile games is a relatively new and rare concept. Not to mention, mobile controls drastically differ from the ease of use provided by external controllers in fast-paced gameplay environments, such as PvP activities.
Players using a controller in COD: Mobile can dominate the game’s casual PvP activities with seemingly no negative consequences. It’s either a guilty pleasure or a miserable experience depending on which side of this situation players find themselves on.
Although The Division games are mainly cooperative PvE games, the beloved Darkzone PvP mode will be returning in The Division Resurgence. With this in mind, The Division Resurgence should strongly consider separating players based on their input devices, since this kind of negative experience could have lasting implications for the franchise.
The Division Resurgence Can’t Afford to Make Mistakes
Many players are still committed to playing The Division and The Division 2, mostly because there hasn’t been a new game or any major content releases for The Division franchise in a long time. Consequently, The Division Resurgence will likely serve as the first game for many fans to experience this franchise, while also appealing to longtime fans. This combination of newfound fans and series veterans provides a big challenge for The Division Resurgence to handle.
Ultimately, there’s a lot of pressure riding on The Division Resurgence leading up to the release of The Division Heartland. If The Division Resurgence isn’t properly balanced, it risks the chance of turning many players away from The Division Heartland, which could potentially doom this beloved franchise. With the amount of trouble that controller support has caused in COD: Mobile’s community, it might be for the best for The Division Resurgence to consider how this particular feature could negatively affect players’ experiences in PvP activities.
The Division Resurgence is in development for Mobile devices.
