Developers at Massive Entertainment disclosed that The Division originally launched development as a World of Warcraft-like MMORPG. In a new video marking the game's 10-year anniversary, they shared early footage showing hotbars and a dog companion. The project later evolved into the third-person cover-based looter shooter released in snowy New York City.
Massive Entertainment developers discussed the early days of The Division in a 'Devs Playing' video on their official YouTube channel. Creative director Drew Rechner explained the shift in combat design during gameplay footage of an original mission. 'We designed [The Division's] combat around…this loop right here,' Rechner said, referring to the internal OPE framework—Observe, Plan, Execute. He noted it took time to reach this because the game started as an MMO with World of Warcraft-style gameplay, lacking traditional shooter elements and skill components. Fredrik Thylander, another developer, highlighted the presence of hotbars in that prototype. The video briefly showcased never-before-seen early footage with cartoonish visuals, MMORPG-style mechanics, a hotbar, and a dog companion. This contrasts sharply with the final product's tactical shooter loop in a post-apocalyptic Manhattan. The anniversary video underscores how Massive iterated on the concept over a decade ago, leading to The Division and its sequel, both praised as top third-person shooters.