Ubisoft and Google have announced that The Division 2 will launch on Google’s cloud-based platform on March 17, and will feature cross-play between Stadia and PC at launch.
That cross-play announcement is quite notable for any new Stadia arrival as breaking down the digital barrier between platforms could help The Division 2’s Stadia launch dodge the issues other online games have had on the platform.
Google itself has always been open to letting Stadia users play games online with players on other platforms, but says the decision ultimately belongs the developers of each individual title. For some games, like Stadia launch title Destiny 2, that’s led to a lack of cross-platform online play and Stadia-exclusive matchmaking lobbies that, in the experience of Eurogamer staff, end up unplayably empty.
Given that the free version of Stadia has yet to launch, the platform is currently only usable to those that purchased a controller bundle or received a guess pass making empty online worlds not entirely surprising.
While cross-play isn't always feasible for each and every project, offering the feature right at The Division 2's Stadia launch lets newer players bypass Stadia's current growing pains and jump into an online ecosystem that has been around for nearly a year at this point.