The Division 2 causes controversy with ‘Government Shutdown’ beta invite
Games outfit Ubisoft has caught flak for an email inviting players to “Come see what a real government shutdown looks like in the Private Beta” as part of The Division 2’s pre-release beta.
Referencing the ongoing government shutdown which is causing thousands of government employees to miss paychecks and meals while embattled president, Donald Trump tries to hold Congress ransom over the budget he needs to build a wall in order to seal off the border between the United States and Mexico.
You can see the image here in a tweet from YouTuber SkillUp, in addition to the retraction and apology sent out a few hours later; claiming that ‘a grave breakdown in the process’ was responsible for the message being sent.
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'The Division 2 is not trying to make a political statement' – 2018
2019 be like: pic.twitter.com/4xKoRRfryw
— Skill Up on vacation (@SkillUpYT) February 1, 2019
Ubisoft has publicly towed the line that The Division 2 — a game set in the Clancy-verse about clandestine government forces waging a paramilitary war after a devastating terrorist attack — is not political. This seems fair, and it’s unclear how anyone would ever think that a game set in the nation’s capital, marketed with images of destroyed and smoking Washington DC landmarks, including the Capitol Building (which serves as the home of the United States Congress), could ever be seen as having a political message.
However, this has been shaken somewhat by the overtly political message of the recent Private Beta invitation, which has left many with a bad taste in their mouths. It could be seen as poking fun at the government shutdown and by extension those that are currently left facing financial hardship due to a lack of pay and in some cases the expectation that employees should show up to work regardless.
The Division 2 launches, non-politically, on March 15th.
Do you want to pick up The Division 2? Think this email is a bit crass? Let us know your non-political opinions on Twitter at @TrustedReviews
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
