The Division was originally an MMO with World of Warcraft-style gameplay before it became a full looter-shooter, according to developers Drew Rechner and Fredrik Thylander, who both served as game designers on the 2016 game. They revealed this during a recent episode of Massive Entertainment's Devs Playing series. The game's combat was designed around a key combat loop, which they believe is the main reason for the game's progression. They also revealed that the game had hotbars and a large grassy playfield instead of the actual setting, and that they were constantly balancing the shooter and skill aspects.