The Division 2 demo lets you play for free for up to eight hours

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Ubisoft has offered a few free weekends in The Division 2 since it came out in 2019, but now it's going all-in with a permanent trial edition of the game that will offer the curious but not-quite-convinced an opportunity to play for up to eight hours, with no restrictions.

Demo players will be able to take their characters to level eight, and any progress earned during the trial will carry over to the full game if you opt to spring for it. Clans and in-game purchases will not be available in the trial edition, but you should probably be focused on the shooting and the looting anyway—after all, why would you be buying in-game stuff if you haven't even purchased the game yet?

The Division 2 trial is available on the Epic Games Store and Uplay, but not currently on Stadia. Rainbow Six Siege owners who play the demo (or the full game) will also be given a Division 2 set for the Grom operator Ela, which includes The Division Agent uniform and headgear, a Division Watch charm, and a Division gun skin for the Scorpion EVO 3 A1. It's a pretty good reason for Siegers to give it a shot, even if you're not all that interested in it. 

Rainbow Six Siege players who already own the The Division 2 will also get The Impromptu weapon skin for use in The Division 2.

Yesterday also saw the release of The Division 2 title update 9, which brings the third Season 1 Manhunt target to Warlords of New York and makes a range of bug fixes and gameplay changes. Full patch notes are available in the Ubisoft forums, and the latest State of the Game discussion video is yours to enjoy below.

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.