The Division pre-owners to get alpha access this weekend on Xbox One

Ubisoft has been off and on when it comes to discussing the development of The Division, there are times when the developers reveal interesting tidbits of information and there are long spans of silence. In the recent weeks ahead of the game's planned alpha, Ubisoft has been a bit more active with The Division news.

The alpha will be available to anyone that pre-ordered the game for the Xbox One first, followed by PS4 and PC pre-purchasers in 2016. The game's official closed beta will be available across all platforms to everyone that pre-ordered in "early 2016."

The alpha test itself set to begin on December 9 at 4 AM EST (1 AM PST) and will end on December 12 at 3 AM EST (12 AM PST), only on the Xbox One. Alpha codes will be sent out today, so be prepared for a guaranteed hefty 23.2 GB download if you pre-ordered the game.

The alpha will allow players to explore both the game's world in PvE designated zone, as well as the PvP enabled areas. Unfortunately, to access the alpha, you will need to sign an NDA, leaving alpha testers will unable to share their experience or gameplay anywhere except on the game's forum.

The alpha will be available everywhere, except in Japan and China. The Division will be released worldwide on Xbox One, PC, and PlayStation 4 on March 8, 2016.