It’s a hit! Ubisoft’s The Division has likely sold 4+ million copies

By Kris Wouk Published March 16, 2016

ubisoft the division best first week new game franchise 330 million thedivisionpretty — Image used with permission by copyright holder

While there was plenty of excitement leading up to the launch of Ubisoft’s The Division, there was a fair share of uncertainty as well. The publisher had declined to provide advanced copies for review, and while that is more commonplace now than it used to be, it’s still often looked at as indicating that a publisher is unsure of a game.

As it turned out, this was no detriment to sales, as Ubisoft announced today that The Division had the biggest first week ever for a new game franchise, pulling in $330 million worldwide in its first five days on sale. This comes on top of an earlier announcement from the company that the game had sold more copies in its first 24 hours than any other game in the company’s history. If we do the math, at an average price of $60, Ubisoft has likely sold as many as 5.5 million copies, though that depends how many people purchased the special Collector’s Edition for around $100.

Recommended Videos

“The Division taking the top spot in the industry for first-week sales of a new franchise is a tremendous achievement. We are very proud of our teams, and humbled by and thankful for the millions of players who are giving us their feedback and support,” Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said. “The Division is the latest example yet of our unique ability to deliver immersive gaming playgrounds that keep players engaged, and that they eagerly share with their friends and community.”

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Gamers aren’t just buying the game and letting it sit around either — they’re playing it like crazy. The Division had 1.2 million peak concurrent users across the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC over the weekend, and over 100 million hours of the game were played in its first week.

“On top of record-breaking sales, player engagement is the highest ever for any Ubisoft title, demonstrating, among other things, that our investments in our online infrastructure and services are paying off,” Ubisoft’s vice president of online services, Stephanie Perotti, said. “We are delivering an online experience that’s on par with the best in the industry, and that matches the quality and connectivity demanded by The Division and its players.”

So far, 2016 is shaping up to be a big year for Ubisoft. In addition to The Division‘s success, the company also had the best selling game in February with Far Cry Primal.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…

Gaming

The monkey’s paw curls as Rayman returns in Ubisoft’s new NFT game

10 characters we want super smash bros for switch raymansmash

Rayman is a beloved video game mascot that's appeared in 45 different games since his debut in 1995, but he hasn't made a mainline appearance since cameoing in Mario + Rabbids: Spark of Hope. When Ubisoft said Rayman would be in the new game Captain Laserhawk: The Game, fans got a bit excited -- but that was quickly dashed as it became clear Captain Laserhawk is a new blockchain game featuring NFTs.

Captain Laserhawk isn't a traditional Rayman game. In fact, he has little to nothing to do with the game. It's a top-down multiplayer shooter, but before you can even play, you need to own an NFT. That's right: Each player needs a Niji Warrior NFT, and they can only be purchased from Ubisoft. There are also only 10,000 of them, with a purchase limit of two per account. On the dimly-lit side, you can purchase a Rayman profile photo for 750 virtual coins.

Deals

We gave 4 out of 5 stars to the Asus ROG Ally X, and today it’s on sale

Elden Ring running on the Asus ROG Ally X.

The Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch may be two of the most popular handheld consoles on the market, but it’s not the only hardware in town. The Asus ROG Ally X is another formidable handheld with excellent specs. And today, one of the best Steam Deck alternatives also happens to be on sale:

For a limited time, when you purchase the Asus ROG Ally X through Amazon or Best Buy, you’ll only pay $700. At full price, this model sells for $800. We tested this handheld console back in September, and reviewer Jacob Roach said, “The Asus ROG Ally X improves on nearly every aspect of the original.”

Gaming

If you need a relaxing holiday vacation game, download this one

Key art for LOK Digital.

This has been the busiest December for games in recent memory. This month alone, we’ve seen the massive launches of Marvel Rivals, Infinity Nikki, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Those games have probably sucked up all of your time and attention, and that’s on top of The Game Awards 2024 flooding gaming spaces with several new announcements. That has caused games like LOK Digital, which launched in the thick of all this, to fly under the radar.

LOK Digital is one of the best puzzle games released in a year full of outstanding ones. It’s a glorified word search for a fictional alien language, but it's also ridiculously clever in how it bends its own rules to create some head-scratching puzzles. LOK Digital is a fitting game for the holidays, something that you can easily install and play on a laptop while hanging out with friends or family. It’s also a reminder to look outside the traditional gaming zeitgeist in its busiest moments. That’s often where some true hidden gems are waiting to be discovered.