The Division 2 is completely free to play right now, but there’s a catch

Ubisoft has been going through a tough time lately. Skull and Bones didn’t meet expectations, Star Wars Outlaws underperformed financially (even if it was well-liked by players), and Prince of Persia The Lost Crown never quite got the attention it deserved. Assassin’s Creed Shadows could buttress the Far Cry and Rainbow Six maker’s fortunes, but The Division 2 remains one of its strongest multiplayer games. Especially played with friends, and even five years after launch, it’s a seriously enjoyable co-op shooter. As Year 2, Season 6 arrives, marking the introduction of a new progression system, The Division 2 is temporarily free to play – but there’s a bit of a catch.

The Division 2 Shades of Red update – the official name of Year 2, Season 6 – transforms the multiplayer game with new quests and a more detailed modifier system. There are four new modifiers – global, active, passive, and hostile – which apply abilities and buffs to both enemies and players. Shades of Red also introduces priority objectives. After you reach level 30, you can choose from three priority objectives to earn larger amounts of XP, items, and resources. Meanwhile, Ubisoft has also confirmed that it’s working on The Division 3.

But if you haven’t stepped into The Division 2’s post-apocalyptic New York City yet, now is the ideal time. The Division 2 is completely free to play until Monday November 4. After that, the co-op game will be discounted on Steam, Epic Games Store, and the Ubisoft Store, and any progress you make during the free weekend will be carried over.

There is a catch, however. If you want to play The Division 2 for free this weekend, it’s only available through Ubisoft Connect itself – you can’t play for free on Steam or Epic. It means downloading Ubisoft Connect and making a profile, if you don’t have one already. That’s a couple of extra steps, but well worth it, especially if you can find some pals to do the same. You can access The Division 2 free weekend right here.

Otherwise, try some of the other best survival games, or maybe the best open-world games available right now on PC.

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