Tom Clancy’s The Division is already being offered in a $160 collector’s edition when it launches next March, containing everything from an artbook to a working watch. However, if you’re worried about actually surviving the apocalypse while looking like a super-secret agent, then The Division: New York Collapse — a field guide releasing alongside the game — might be what you need.
Written by Alex Irvine, who previously penned Batman: Arkham Knight – The Riddler’s Gambit as well as several Marvel tie-in novels, New York Collapse takes place “before the fall of New York,” and contains information written by a survivor as she chronicles the ongoing downfall of civilization.
“Not only does New York Collapse explore the topic of urban survival with real survival tips and advice, ranging from basic survival needs to catching edible game in city parks, it will also reveal enlightening information and key secrets about The Division,” says Ubisoft Massive’s David Polfeldt in the announcement.
While Ubisoft has not stated exactly what extra material and secrets the book will contain, the official Chronicle Books page lists both a city map and a “used transit card,” presumably revealing the identity of the guide’s fictional author, who is referred to as a woman in the description. Additionally, Irvine’s website appears to also show off a “notice of vaccination” flyer — as pre-release material can tell you, these vaccinations appear to have failed New York City.
Ubisoft is no stranger to companion books for its Tom Clancy franchise. To date, Splinter Cell has received seven novels and a comic book, Ghost Recon has two novels, and even the much less popular strategy game Endwar has been adapted to print. Earlier Clancy game novels were ghostwritten, using the “David Michaels” pseudonym as the author, but the actual authors have received credit in recent years.
Tom Clancy’s The Division: New York Collapse releases on March 8, 2016 for $25 … but you might not want to pay in cash, lest you spread an infection that could destroy civilization.
