The Division’s Gear Score sounds a lot like Destiny’s Light levels

Data miners recently discovered an equipment-governed level mechanic in The Division that bears a striking resemblance to Destiny’s Light level system.

According to data miner and Redditor ChristianRiesen, Gear Score gauges a character’s overall power level using the strength of their equipment. By increasing their Gear Score, players can improve their chances against more difficult missions and content.

On the surface, this sounds identical to Destiny’s Light, which is also calculated according to gear strength and used as a gatekeeper for end-game content. Additional details found in The Division’s translation files reinforce the similarity:

The overall Gear Score of your agent can be seen in your main menu next to your player level. Gear Score indicates the advancement of an agent.

Every non-vanity gear piece that can be found when your agent is level 30 has a Gear Score value. The higher an item’s Gear Score, the stronger the item.

Comparisons to Destiny are inevitable given The Division’s similar mix of FPS and RPG gameplay, but Gear Score is handily the clearest overlap yet. With that said, it’s clear The Division is a beast all its own: ChristianRiesen and other data miners found 26 campaign levels hidden in the game’s files, along with over 130 unique weapons.