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The Division update for next week’s open beta

The first open beta for Tom Clancy’s The Division is coming next week, kicking off on 18 February for Xbox One players, followed by PC and PS4 the next day. The beta will run throughout the weekend, ending on the Sunday (21st).

Announced on the Ubisoft blog the open beta will come with heaps of changes and improvements from the previous closed beta; which saw problems with cheaters, overpowered spots and lack of content.

The blog states that they have solved “most” of the cheating issues that were consistent in the PC beta, and that all the issues would be fixed when the game launches in March. This will be a much larger stress test of the game compared to the closed beta, however, so don’t be surprised if more issues arise.

A new trailer detailing the enemy factions – the Rikers, escaped convicts from Rikers Island jail – has also been released, which you can watch right here:

The open beta isn’t just fixes, so if you’re returning to the rotting remains of New York then there’s also a new mission to play called Subway Morgue; rescue the engineer whilst dealing with another faction: The Cleaners.

A second wing is also accessible in the Base of Operations. Previously you could visit the three different wings, but only the medical wing offered upgrades. Now the tech wing is available with a new skill unlock: the deployable turret. The third area of the base, the security wing, will still offer nothing for this beta.

The infamous PvP area known as the Dark Zone has seen many improvements and changes, unsurprising as it was a focal point for the majority of beta players. Along with new weapons and changes to experience and rewards, some of the ropes have been removed, which allowed access to unfair hunting spots.

All of the patch notes have been revealed on the PS4 when they patched the closed beta client. Here is the current changelog:

New Mission Available to play, Subway Morgue:

  • Encounter a new faction: The Cleaners
  • Explore a Mass Grave while trying to restore power to the city.
  • Rescue the missing Engineer, Paul Rhodes

Unlock an additional Wing in the Base of Operations:

  • The first upgrade to the Tech Wing is now available
  • A new Skill can now be unlocked: The Deployable Turret

Numerous Dark Zone updates and improvements:

  • New High End weapons available in the Dark Zone
  • Refresh rate on Dark Zone chests has been greatly reduced
  • Non-player enemies in the Dark Zone have been significantly increased in number
  • Non-player enemies in the Dark Zone have been buffed slightly
  • The Manhunt Timer now pauses instead of refreshing while in combat as a level 5 Rogue
  • The Reward for surviving as a Rogue Agent has been increased to 1.5x the kill bounty
  • The Health Bar for Agents in the Dark Zone now only turns red when they actually become Rogue
  • A new warning icon has been added to indicate an Agent who has shot another player but has not done enough damage to go Rogue
  • Dark Zone experience leveling curve has been adjusted slightly
  • Disabled the option to transfer Dark Zone brackets as a Rogue (This prevents players using Bracket Transfer as a means to escape after becoming Rogue)
  • Removed some ropes that allowed players to reach areas that gave them an unfair advantage

Other changes

  • New Ubisoft Club Action available for participating in the Open Beta unlocking an exclusive reward in-game
  • New and improved Tutorial Video
  • Tutorial video is now available to view from t he Character Select Screen
  • Fixed two bugs that allowed players to become invisible to other players
  • Fixed an exploit with Ballistic Shield Skill that allowed players to become invincible
  • Cheat Detection and Prevention additions and updates
  • Fixed mismatch of stats that occurred occasionally between Vendor Inventory and Player Inventory when item purchased
  • Adjusted player movement speed while running with a grenade in hand
  • Fixed a bug that sometimes caused other player’s name and health bar to not be visible in the Dark Zone
  • Fixed some Weapon Mods that resulted in incorrect stat values when equipped
  • Fixed some weapons that didn’t appear as Contaminated when obtained in the Dark Zone
  • Fixed a bug with the Reward Claims Vendor that caused stacks of consumables to be decreased under specific circumstances
  • Fixed a bug with stats display not updating when browsing Vendor Inventories
  • Fixed a bug that caused continuous vibration under very specific conditions
  • Fixed a very rare bug that prevented players from being able to fire or switch their weapons
  • Added mission Dialogue lines in Missing Persons: Heather Lau Side Mission
  • Several environment fixes to prevent falling through world issues in specific places
  • Multiple stability fixes (23 unique crashes fixed)
  • Server optimizations and improvements (players will receive less connection errors now)
  • Multiple localization fixes and improvements
  • Additional polish & bug fixes too numerous to mention!

The Division was first announced back in 2013, highly anticipated to launch on PC, PS4 and Xbox One on 8 March. You can start preloading the open beta as of 16 February.