A major video game publisher quickly apologized after joking about the longest government shutdown in U.S. history

• Ubisoft, creator of the upcoming video game "Tom Clancy's The Division 2," has issued an apology after a mass marketing email invited players to "see what a real government shutdown looks like."
• "The Division 2" is set in a dystopian future in which the U.S. government has been crippled by a terror attack.
• The email comparing the game to the government shutdown was meant to invite players to try "The Division 2" during a private test. The game is set to be released on March 15, 2019.

The creators of the upcoming video game "Tom Clancy's The Division 2" have apologized for an email that made light of the U.S. government shutdown that ended a week ago.

On Thursday, Ubisoft sent out a mass email inviting players to try "The Division 2" during a closed test run later later this month; the email's subject line read, "Come see what a real government shutdown looks like in the private beta."

Last Friday marked the end of the longest government shutdown in U.S history after 35 days. During that period about 800,000 federal employees went without pay. Roughly 420,000 of those unpaid employees were still required to work, with many taking extended shifts due to a reduced work force.

"The Division 2" is set in a dystopian future in which the U.S. government has been crippled by a terror attack. While the first game took place in Manhattan, the second game moves the setting to Washington D.C. The story focuses on a band of freedom fighters working to liberate the U.S. capitol from violent mercenary factions; Ubisoft developers have denied taking political stances with the game.

A few hours after their shutdown message went out, Ubisoft sent a follow-up email apologizing for making light of the situation. The company said there was a "grave breakdown" in their process for promotions and called the shutdown comparison offensive.

Ubisoft will still host the planned beta test for early buyers of "The Division 2" from February 7 to 11th. "The Division 2" will launch in full on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on March 15th.

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