The Division 2 Private Beta: Update Patch Notes, Issues, End Date, And More

If you're excited for the next Tom Clancy game, The Division 2, it's nearly time to dive in. The game's private beta is live right now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC--here are all the details you need to know, including what the latest update did.

The beta started on February 7 at 1 AM PT / 4 AM ET / 10 AM GMT, and it lasts for precisely four days. Anyone who has pre-ordered should have received a code that allows them to get in, or you can sign up on the official website in the hopes of getting a code, though that route is not guaranteed. Similar to the recent Anthem demo, anyone who is in can invite three friends through Uplay.

As you'd expect, publisher Ubisoft says the beta will include a taste of what to expect in the final game. Two main missions are playable, along with five side missions and "additional activities in the open world." One of three new Dark Zones will show off The Division 2's brand of PvPvE action, while you can sample the more organized PvP gameplay in a Conflict game mode named Skirmish.

Additionally, one slice of endgame content is included in the beta: an Invaded mission that unlocked on the morning of February 8. The test period will otherwise cap players' progress at level 30.

Also on February 8, Ubisoft conducted some maintenance and released an update for the game. This dealt with various nagging issues; here are the full (and fairly brief) patch notes, courtesy of Ubisoft's forums:

The Division 2 February 8 Update Patch Notes

• Note to PS4 players – while this patch is only 189mb, it might take longer than normal to install. You can download and install the patch right now and be ready for the servers coming online again.
• Fixed several sources of game server crashes that resulted in DELTA-3 error messages.
• Audio issues with NPCs in languages other than English have been fixed.
• PC and PS4 players will not crash upon launching the game when accepting a group invite outside of the game anymore.

Besides this, Ubisoft has outlined known issues on its website. One in particular is worth being aware of: "We are aware of issues causing players' game client crash on Xbox and PC after an extended gameplay session while PS4 players may experience a performance degradation after 3+ hours of uninterrupted gameplay. To circumvent both issues, we recommend players to restart their game client every two to three hours."

The Division 2 continues the story of a society-disrupting pandemic but moves from the first game's setting in New York City to the US capital, Washington DC. The sequel brings back the realistic loot-driven RPG elements from the first game, with more focus on player choice to impact the world. The PvP aspect of the game, Dark Zones, have also changed.

The Division 2 on PC will be using the newly launched Epic Games Store for distribution rather than Steam, and Ubisoft recently revealed its system requirements. Check out our pre-order guide for more details.