With Tom Clancy's The Division release date set for 2015, tidbits of information regarding gameplay and multiplayer have emerged over the weeks. Here are some interesting facts that offer insight into the game's development. The Division will be available on Xbox One, Playstation 4, and Windows PC.

The story revolves around secretive government operatives attempting to restore order three weeks after a global pandemic plunged the United States into chaos. Prior to the event, the agents had lived anonymously within the general populace - waiting to be activated in times of emergency.

Role-Playing Element Not Originally Part of the Plan

Based on The Division's E3 gameplay trailer from last year, it is hard to imagine the game without its role-playing elements.

Yet, the game started off entirely different from its original vision. Apparently, the developers at Ubisoft Massive were finalizing the game's concept when they were ordered by the Ubisoft home office to come up with a role-playing title instead. What resulted was a game neither the developers nor the higher-ups wanted.

"We had a game of a different type that was basically going in a direction that Ubisoft and us internally were not quite 100 percent happy with," The Division director Ryan Barnard said, according to GameSpot.

The team later regrouped, and applied lessons learned from the previous project toward developing a new game. This resulted in an online first-person shooter that incorporated role-playing elements.

Public Alpha Possibly in the Works

Ubisoft may be preparing to unleash a public Alpha, according IGN. Their information came from a Reddit poster claiming to have found an Alpha section within The Division's website. A screenshot was posted, though its authenticity remains unclear.

Even so, many gaming observers believe that an Alpha will be released prior to launch. The Division already represents a significant investment to Ubisoft, considering that the game's release date was pushed back by about a year.

More Details May Follow at E3 2015

Currently, the latest gossip is centered on the upcoming E3 conference, where many upcoming games are showcased each year. Ubisoft itself has already confirmed that it will be showing off new content from The Division's development at E3 2015. Hence, many fans speculate that Ubisoft may indeed give an actual release date along with more gameplay footage.

Another Ubisoft game on the radar is Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege. The E3 2014 gameplay trailer generated a great level of hype from critics and gamers alike. Sadly, a number of observers cited bugs in the more recent close-alpha trial. Nonetheless, it is too early to conclude what Rainbow Six: Siege will look like upon final release, which is also scheduled for 2015.