14 DAY TRIAL // The Division might be getting ready for launch in early March, but the developers working on it at the Massive studio inside Ubisoft are ready to deliver a final open test for the multiplayer-focused shooter in late February. Thus, gamers will able to get into an open-beta period that will run between February 19 and 21 on the Xbox One, the PlayStation 4, and the PC.
Gamers who want to play on the Microsoft home console will be able to access the title with a 24-hour head start, and the French publisher says that it will use the three days to test the core infrastructure once again and to show the community some of the gameplay mechanics.
Ubisoft explains, "In addition to the content that was featured in the Closed Beta, the Open Beta will include an all new story mission for players to explore in their pursuit to save the city. Furthermore, everyone who participates in this latest testing phase will receive a special in-game reward which will unlock for players when the full game is released."
The new trailer released for The Division ,suggests that gamers will be able to take on the mysterious Last Man Battalion, a paramilitary organization that is ready to make a play for domination of New York City.
All those who take part in the open beta are also invited to offer their feedback to make sure that any bugs that they find are squashed before the launch date of March 8 or via a patch soon after.
The Division had a successful closed beta
According to Ubisoft, one player was online for 90 of the 120 hours of the testing period, and the community of gamers that was invited to take part managed to generate more than 298 million kills, with close to 15 billion bullets fired against enemies.
4,2 million hours were spent in the Dark Zone, and a lot of players were ready to go rogue, at least for short periods of time, to secure the unique equipment that can only be found in the Player versus Player areas of The Division.
The story of the game takes place just after Black Friday, when a mysterious disease that spreads via paper money has managed to cause enough chaos to make the government of the United States ineffectual, with the narrative hinting at some mysterious force that caused all these events.
Gamers are part of a unique group of operatives who need to work together to restore order, which in gameplay terms means fighting against some factions that are also interested in controlling New York.
Players can engage with The Division as lone wolves, but Ubisoft says that groups are more efficient when it comes to combat, and those who want PvP need to venture to the Dark Zones and see how they perform against other top players.
According to the company, there are no plans to offer microtransactions for the game, but plenty of new content is set to arrive alongside updates once the mix of shooter, RPG and MMO goes live in March.
