French publishing giant Ubisoft is bringing down the hammer on players taking advantage of a bug in The Division 2.

In a post on Twitter, the game's development team wrote users who are using an exploit to gain XP and Strategic Homeland Division (SHD) levels in the new Descent mode will be facing penalties.

First time offenders will be on the receiving end of an immediate two-week ben and will be unable to play The Division 2. Said accounts are going to be flagged and if they do anything wrong again, they will have an "increased suspension duration". If players are guilty of multiple offences, they will be permanently banned.

The new Descent mode has a glitch that lets other players join a game and gain extra experience and SHD levels.

"We take these issues verify seriously and are committed to maintaining a fair and enjoyable gaming environment for all players," Ubisoft wrote.

"We have thoroughly investigated the situation and identified individuals who have systematically used the exploits."