The Division Open Beta Release Download Arrives on Xbox

Video game publisher Ubisoft and developer Massive Entertainment are ready for users to download the files they’ll need on their Xbox One to participate in this weekend’s The Division Open Beta event.

The game’s files arrived on Microsoft’s Xbox One entertainment console to download this morning. The Division is a third-person role-playing game set within the Tom Clancy universe of shooters. A virus has turned New York City into a war zone. It’s up to players to build out their characters and help reclaim the city.

Owners of Sony’s PS4 will be able pre-download The Division Open Beta software tomorrow, according to details Ubisoft revealed about the testing period last week. The download is available on Xbox One today because Microsoft has a deal with Ubisoft that gets its console owners in a full day ahead of other console owners. The Division Open Beta release arrives on February 18th on Xbox One. PC and PS4 owners can expect their open testing period to kick off on February 19th.

Gamers last got a look at The Division earlier this month when Ubisoft and Massive held a closed beta. During that session, only those with a code could get in. Being able to download the game early this time around is important because The Division Open Beta doesn’t require a pre-order of the final game, and users don’t need a code on hand to unlock the download.

Read: Changes for The Division Open Beta Release Detailed

Ubisoft is hoping that everyone who wants to try the game will be able to do so this time around. Certainly, there aren’t any excuses left for those who haven’t, though the game does require an internet connection. That could be a problem for some. It also requires a subscription to Xbox Live or PlayStation Plus on consoles.

Users that participated in the closed beta have a few reasons to come back and try out The Division Closed Beta. For starters, there’s a new story-related mission that wasn’t available to users in the previous release. Second, Ubisoft is promising a free item for those that participate in the open beta. What that item is, hasn’t been confirmed yet, just that it’ll be available when the final game launches.

Though there’ll be a The Division release on Steam, Ubisoft is requiring that users download its UPlay software to participate in the beta, if they’re on Windows PCs. The company hasn’t revealed a version of the game for Mac OS. The Division won’t get a release on the Xbox 360 and PS3, where hardware limitations would have forced Massive to make some huge changes to the title’s gameplay and looks. To get into the open beta and the final game, a current generation gaming console is a requirement.

Ubisoft suggests that a large portion of the exploits some PC gamers used to cheat during The Division’s last release are patched in the upcoming Open Beta. Everything in that vein that hasn’t been patched will “be resolved by launch on March 8th,” the company says in a recent post on the Ubisoft Blog.

The Division takes place in a somewhat futuristic New York City. A virus breaks out without warning, causing the collapse of the federal government in just days. Early on, the American military attempts to handle the situation, but more people start dying and it’s forced to pull out. The area in the center of New York that the military once occupied is called the Dark Zone, and venturing there to take on other SHD agents is a main part of The Division. Different factions are roaming New York City, all trying to be its savior. Only the player, through helping the sick and rescuing those that need help, can stop the madness tearing New York City apart.

Read: The Division Which Edition Should You Pre-Order

A standard copy of The Division costs $59.99. The Division Gold Edition costs $99.99 and includes access to all three of the game’s major expansions. The Division Season Pass quietly surfaced for purchase alone on GameStop’s website this week. It costs $39.99 on its own.