Following a series of leaked images that portrayed the game in an unflattering manner, Ubisoft has moved quickly to assure fans that what they’re seeing of The Division is merely pre-alpha material, and that it is in no way representative of the final product.
Much of the imagery has since been removed, but we’ve included a couple of screenshots in the gallery below for you to view for yourself. Evidently, the French publisher is still licking its wounds from the controversy that sparked up following Watch Dogs show-stopping reveal and subsequent claims of downgrading.
In a statement, here’s what Ubisoft had to say on the matter:
“These low-resolution images come from a pre-alpha version organized by developers to test the infrastructure. A large portion of the game has been removed and is not in any way the current quality of the game,” the publisher said.
According to the user that posted the images, what you’re seeing has been pulled from an old Xbox One build, and while The Division has clearly evolved in the time that has lapsed since, the anonymous source claimed that gameplay appeared much faster and more “arcade-like” that what the promotional material portrays. Again, it’s worth taking this with a pinch of salt considering that Ubisoft’s post-apocalyptic shooter is still 6-9 months out, at the very least.
The Division has been incubating in development for some time at this point. A 2015 release seems tentative given its ambitious MMO set-up, so don’t be too surprised if its one of this year’s heavy-hitters to slip into 2016. Whatever the case, you can check out those aforementioned images below.
