The Division: Pre-Load and Server Start Time Revealed

Ubisoft's third-person shooter The Division launches next week. Now, it has been announced exactly when the servers will go live and when you can start pre-loading the game.

The servers will be switched on at 00:01 AM Australian Eastern Daylight Time on March 8. This comes out to March 7 at 5 AM PST / 8 AM EST.

Additionally, Ubisoft announced that preloading for The Division starts today, March 2, on Xbox One for people who bought a digital copy of the game. Pre-loading comes to PC via Steam and Uplay on March 3, while PlayStation 4 users can start pre-loading at 12:01 AM local time on March 6.

In other news about The Division Xbox One hardware, Microsoft is releasing a $400 system bundle that comes with a 1 TB console and a copy of the game. Additionally, the company is giving away a special-edition black-and-orange system to one lucky winner.

The game's open beta recently ended. It attracted 6.4 million players across PC, PS4, and Xbox One, representing a new record for a new IP's beta on new-generation consoles.

Ubisoft has high hopes for The Division, as the publisher recently said it could join Destiny, Watch Dogs, and Assassin's Creed to become one of the biggest new IP launches ever. You can watch the game's launch trailer here.