‘The Division’ Beta Tops Record Set By ‘Destiny’ For Number Of Players
The Division open beta came to a close early Monday morning on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The beta set a new record for the number of players participating, setting up a promising debut for the open-world shooter when it debuts in March.
Ubisoft Massive made the announcement from the The Division official website. The developer revealed that more than 6.4 million players participated in the beta and shared some other stats from the open beta weekend.
With 6.4 million players, #TheDivisionBeta is the biggest beta ever for a new game brand ! https://t.co/W902uyPuYG pic.twitter.com/xVFIzpOjhw
— Tom Clancy's The Division (@TheDivisionGame) February 22, 2016
“Today, The Division Beta ended and we’re proud to share that more than 6.4 million of you explored the pandemic-stricken streets of New York City, making it the biggest beta ever for a new game brand on current generation platforms,” Ubisoft Massive wrote.
“On average, players spent around 5 hours as an activated sleeper agent journeying through The Division’s open world. The Dark Zone proved to be particularly popular, with players spending around 2-hours in the PVP zone, with almost 50% of agents turning Rogue in the process. Fun fact: over 63 309 800 contaminated items were successfully extracted out of the Dark Zone.”
By comparison, the Destiny beta had more than 4.6 million participate back in July 2014. It’s not exactly an apple-to-apples comparison, however. The Destiny beta was available on the PS3 and Xbox 360 along with the relatively new PS4 and Xbox One. Meanwhile, the Division beta was played on both current-gen consoles with more than 60 million owners between the two as well as the PC.
Perhaps the most interesting stat Ubisoft’s announcement is the total average time players spent playing The Division open beta. As previously detailed, the beta included the first two missions of the game along with various encounters in the overworld, plus the Dark Zone. The average time spent in the game was only five hours, and three hours of that was spent doing PVE activities versus just two hours doing PVP activities in the Dark Zone.
The Dark Zone is meant to be the big draw of The Division where players can hunt down NPC enemies while also fighting other players. This is also where the best loot is meant to be obtained in the game. However, it has come under some criticism for the lack of encounters of NPCs in the PVP area along with some of the mechanics of how players turn Rogue, plus the rewards they receive for turning Rogue and successfully staying alive.
The Division will support three paid DLC releases following the game’s launch, as covered by the Inquisitr. The release windows for each have not been announced, but they are planned for the current year and Xbox One owners will receive the DLC a month before the other platforms.
The first DLC takes players under New York City, while the second appears to bring a survival mode to the game. It’s unclear if this will be a horde mode-like gametype or something more like the survival mode added to Rise of the Tomb Raider. Information on the last has not been shared yet.
- Expansion I: Underground — This first major expansion opens up a new area to players as they explore the uncharted underworld of New York City with up to three friends for intense co-op action.
- Expansion II: Survival — In this expansion, players will have to survive as long as possible in a very hostile environment that will challenge even the most talented agents.
- Expansion III: Last Stand — Stay tuned for more information.
Those who purchase The Division Season Pass can look forward to receiving additional in-game content. Ubisoft plans to host special events and exclusive content drops.
What did you think of The Division open beta? Sound off in the comments below.
[Image via Ubisoft]
