The Division Xbox One Beta Delayed, But Alpha Test Announced

The Division's beta has been delayed. Previously slated to arrive in December only on Xbox One, it's now been pushed to "early 2016," when it will be available also for PC and PS4, Ubisoft has announced.

Although The Division's beta has been pushed out, people who preorder the game on Xbox One will be given "priority access" to a closed alpha December 9-12. This will mark the first time anyone outside of Ubisoft has been able to play a version of the game that features more than just Dark Zone PvP areas.

"This means the moment you and other players sign into the game, you'll be giving us valuable insight into how our infrastructure performs under pressure that we can't replicate internally or at a tradeshow," the developer explained in a blog post.

People who get into the Xbox One alpha period will need to sign a non-disclosure agreement that prohibits them from sharing images, video, and descriptions outside of the game's alpha forums. The alpha game client is 23.2 GB and codes will start going out today, December 7.

Everyone who preorders The Division on Xbox One, PS4, and PC will get access to the closed beta when it goes live for all three platforms early next year. The contents of the beta were not disclosed.

The full version of The Division launches on March 8, 2016. It's been a long time coming for The Division, as the game was delayed multiple times before ultimately landing at its new March 2016 date.

The Division is set in a post-apocalyptic New York City. It blends third-person shooting and RPG elements, along with cooperative exploration gameplay.