The Division 2 is on track to become one of, if not the, biggest game releases in the history of Ubisoft. A financial call earlier this month revealed that The Division 2 broke an Ubisoft record for most players in a beta test, complementing the fact it had previously surpassed the Ubisoft record for most amount of beta registrations as well. The Division 2 has also surpassed the pre-orders placed for its predecessor, still more than two weeks away from launch.
The Division 2 has been the recipient of some high praise from its beta testing. That's going to be a big boon for Ubisoft as the game launches just weeks after the debut of Anthem, a game that occupies a similar genre and will be competing for some of the same players. Strong word of mouth, coupled with an unexpectedly negative reception of Anthem, should help buoy interest for The Division 2 despite launching nearly a month after its closest competitor.
Related: The Division 2 EXCLUSIVE: Yannick Banchereau Interview
According to Ubisoft, The Division 2 has broken multiple company records already, including the previously mentioned beta player numbers. The Division was Ubisoft's fastest-selling game ever when it released in 2016, and was one of the best-selling games of that year. The fact that The Division 2 is pre-ordering so well despite having more competition and the disappointment many fans felt with its previous iteration is a sign that Ubisoft could have an even bigger hit on its hands than previously thought. While this has been known for a few weeks, the change is that the market seems extremely receptive to the idea of a well-executed online multiplayer experience. Just in time for The Division 2.
There are a few reasons that The Division 2 could be the biggest game Ubisoft has ever launched. The series has now cultivated a passionate fanbase that is hungry for the next step in its evolution. Anthem performed poorly and Destiny 2 is in limbo, so fans of shooters with RPG elements are eager to try something new. Perhaps the biggest reason, though, is the fact that Ubisoft earned a lot of its customers' loyalty with the way the company supported The Division so long after it initially launched. That title went from being a disappointment to a game that managed to recover a large percentage of its playerbase after continuous, gradual improvements were made by the development team.
Whatever the reason may be, though, The Division 2 is poised to make an impact in March. Shattering beta records and achieving pre-order numbers higher than The Division, a game that was massively hyped before its release, are strong indicators that The Division 2 will be one of the most important releases of the year. Whether or not it's Ubisoft's most important release ever, though, remains to be seen.
More: The Division 2's Release Options Are Even Worse Than Anthem's
Source: Ubisoft