Those that are anxious to see more of the “The Division” will be happy to hear that it will be on display at this years GDC. On March 2nd we will see Ubisoft Massive lead level designer on the floor showing off the game, and Ubisoft Massive’s senior technical director will follow on the 6th. This confirms some of the previous rumours that they would be attending, and it’s looking likely that the most impatient of us (ICXM included) will be sated with new gameplay footage. We’re hoping to see something really amazing.
Additionally, keen reddit users have explored the source code of the official Division website, and uncovered graphics and links which point to the notion of a public Alpha test for the game. The link to the Alpha sign up page is mapped here, but currently doesn’t host any content. This would corroborate previous rumours that The Division will pick up some form of public beta test on Xbox One as early as March.
Speaking with GameReactor last year, Ubisoft Massive described the game’s underground layout, as this will be one of the best ways of getting around. If you go down into the subways you can expect to meet people that went down to take refuge, this will be a warmer place where many will be living.
It’s also interesting to see that there will be a whole ecosystem in the game, which means fights could be breaking out a few streets down, if you’re there or not. This has been shown in other games like Far Cry and most of the Assassins Creed games, it’s always nice to feel like the game doesn’t stop when you put the controller down – there will actually be a world that keeps busy when the console is off.
I am hoping to see how some of the PVP will work, as the game’s seamless dark zones sound very cool, enabling us to bump into other live players asynchronously whilst exploring – pulling it off well is easier said than done. Ubisoft don’t have an easy task to regain trust lost over Assassin’s Creed Ubisoft’s troubled launch, and other hiccups, but I and many members of the team have high hopes for “The Division”.
So The Division Facebook page has now confirmed that they are targeting a 2015 release. It’s fair to emphasise that Ubisoft aren’t afraid of delaying a game further if necessary – but did previously state that it would be releasing within the fiscal year 2015. I really don’t mind waiting because we all know what playing an unfinished game is like. Yes Unity, I’m talking to you.
So! what would you like to see at this years GDC from The Division? Let us know in the comments below!
Bezz contributed 14 articles to ICXM in 2015, covering game reviews, Windows and PC, and Xbox news with a focus on hands-on impressions and verified-source reporting. Their bylines on the site span the Xbox One’s first full year of post-launch coverage, including the early days of Backwards Compatibility and Windows 10 gaming. They post on X as @BezzJunior.