The Division: everything you need to know for the closed beta
From attributes to the Dark Zone – here's absolutely everything you need to know about Tom Clancy's The Division.
The Division beta: codes, gameplay, emotes, vendors, PvP Dark Zone – everything!
The Division's closed beta begins on Xbox One on January 28. It then continues on PS4 and PC from Jan 29 to Jan 31. You can see the start times for your region right here.
That might not seem like a long time, but the good news is you can download the beta client right now to be able to start playing immediately. Just as well, the file size on PC is over 26GB.
How do I get a beta code for The Division?
The only guaranteed way to access the closed beta is to preorder the game on either PS4, Xbox One or PC.
If you're not willing to put your money down on the game just yet, you should follow The Division on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. All are expected to drop codes closer to the beta – some channels already have. You can also try the old trick of pre-ordering the game and cancelling your pre-order once the beta key arrives.
Also get yourself signed up on the official website and keep checking over the beta period as these tests usually scale. Once the developers are comfortable with the amount of players on the beta, Ubi may try and intentionally stress the build by adding more players. You may get a code on the very last day.
Now you've got the beta key, let's talk about everything we know about Ubisoft's new MMO shooter.
The Division gameplay and trailers
Trailers are all well and good, but let's get straight into it with a look at high-level 20 mission gameplay, shall we?
Get your breath back and check out the PvP multiplayer portion of the game, which you start by entering into the Dark Zone on the world map.
The Division: customisation, attributes, talents, perks, skills, and emotes
The Division isn't just a simple third-person action game. It's an online RPG and that means it includes vendors to buy new gear, skills, perks and other stats to build you your characters and create the type of fighter you want to play. It doesn't have predefined classes in the traditional sense, but you are able to build a character to reflect your style of play.
Firstly, let's take a look at the cosmetic and customisation options for your character, how to manage the inventory and build out your appearance.
This next video looks at a character's attributes as well as all consumables, including crafting materials and grenades. Attributes are the most important thing to watch here as they are a breakdown of your agent and skills. You'll see your proficiency in firearms, electronics and stamina – watch the video for an essential overview of what makes up your strengths and weaknesses on the battlefield.
Looking closely at your character you'll see there are stats for skills, perks and talents. That can seem a little confusing, but the three do fit into neatly defined categories; skills are player abilities that can be triggered in combat, talents are passive abilities triggered by player actions, and perks are passive background buffs. See them in detail and action below.
Now you better understand you character stats, it turns out you can mod you skills to increase their effectiveness. We go into more detail below.
If you don't have a headset (why on earth don't you have a headset?) you're going to need alternative options. Let's take a look at all the emotes in the game. And when you've done that, go and buy yourself a headset.
The Division: Base of operations, crafting and vendors
The Base of Operations is the only part of the entire game that's personal to you. You won't see your friends here as you're hanging around in your own instance. Check it out, it's pretty impressive.
Crafting is done in your Base of Operations and lets you make your own weapons, masks, armour, mods and gear. Take a look at the early options here, and find out how to find blueprints for better customisation options.
The Division has three different types of vendors – sellers in the Base of Operations and safehouses, sellers at Dark Zone checkpoints, and the vendors in the Dark Zone safe rooms. All have a different take on stock, which you can see in the video below.
If you're playing The Division on PC, here's the official minimum and recommended specs for your rig. Now that's out the way, here's impressions of the game running on max settings, as well as some pure PC gameplay footage below.
If you played the closed alpha of The Division you'll want to take a look at this bug fixing list, which highlights some of the biggest changes made to the game in preperation for the beta release.
You now have no excuse not to gear up efficiently and start thinking tactically. We'll see you in the beta!
The Division is out March 8 on PS4, Xbox One and PC.
