It should be a simple announcement for a release date and pre-order bonuses for Square Enix’s upcoming Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, however a new “tiered” pre-order bonus system being implemented for the title has caused controversy.

First, let’s get the simple part of today’s announcement out of the way. Square Enix has announced that Deus Ex: Mankind Divided will be released on February 23rd 2016 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided’s Adam Jenson, pictured here trying to make sense of the multi-tiered pre-order system.

Now for the complicated part. Along with the release date, Square Enix also revealed a tiered pre-order bonus system, which they refer to as “augmenting“, that basically acts as a way to crowd-source additional pre-order bonuses as more people reserve a copy of the game. As more tiers open up, players will be able to select more bonus content, up to, and including an early release of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided.

Tier 1

For Tier 1, which is already open, players can select from a number of skins and weapons for Deus Ex: Mankind Divided’s star, Adam Jensen. Those choices, according to the official press release, are:

” Intruder Pack – Provides a custom-skinned version of Adam Jensen’s trench coat and pistol with a silencer, laser sight, recoil and accuracy upgrades. Other bonuses include two EMP grenades, five packs of 10MM pistol ammo, 1000 credits and a Praxis point for early augmentations.
 Enforcer Pack – Includes a custom-skinned version of Adam Jensen’s combat armor and combat rifle with a holosight, reload and capacity upgrades. Players will also receive two HE grenades, five packs of 5.56MM combat rifle ammo, 1000 credits and a Praxis Point for early augmentations
Classic Pack – Grants access to Adam Jensen’s iconic combat armor, trench coat and revolver from Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Players will also receive an extra pack of revolver Ammo.”

Tier 2

If enough people reserve the game, Tier 2 becomes available, which offers a choice between a digital art-book or a soundtrack sampler with six selections from Deus Ex: Mankind Divided’s soundtrack.

Tier 3

Tier 3, if opened, unlocks an extra mission pack for everyone.

Tier 4

If pre-orders reach tier 4, you can select either a digital comic book or a special novella, both of which offer greater insight into the world and characters of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided.

Tier 5

Finally, if the lofty tier 5 unlocks, Square Enix will release the game four days early, on February 19th, 2016.

Square Enix also released an entire trailer to help quell any potential confusion over the Deus Ex: Mankind Divided augmentation program.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJkzcQDqbpE

Players who just want to get all of the Deus Ex: Mankind Divided pre-order content without having to worry about whether or not tiers get unlocked can opt for a Collectors Edition which will also include  a 48-page ‘Titan’ Art Book, a 9″ Adam Jensen figurine, a limited edition steel-book case.

Square Enix has not detailed exactly how many pre-orders need to be achieved for the various tiers to be unlocked, nor did they specify a price for the tierless collectors edition.

Those wishing to stay informed of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided’s pre-order progress can do so by visiting the official “Augment Your Pre-Order” website.

What are your thoughts on the augmentation system for Deus Ex: Mankind Divided pre-order’s? Do you think that it’s an interesting way to get people engaged in the game’s release, or do you feel that it’s an unnecessary burden. Unify your opinions in the comments section below.