Activision and Treyarch will give Call of Duty fans two opportunities to play Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 before the game launches. A multiplayer beta for the game’s traditional competitive modes will kick off in August, while a second beta, for the game’s battle royale-style Blackout mode, will start in September. PlayStation 4 owners will get first crack at Black Ops 4’s multiplayer beta on Aug. 3 through Aug. 6. The following week, on Aug. 10, the Black Ops 4 beta will be available on PS4, Xbox One and Windows PC through Battle.net. Here’s the full schedule for the game’s first beta, via Treyarch: PlayStation 4 (Starts: August 3 at 10am/PT – Ends: August 6 at 10am/PT) PlayStation 4 and Xbox One (Starts: August 10 at 10am/PT – Ends: August 13 at 10am/PT) PC Beta Early Access (Starts: August 10 at 10am/PT) *PC exclusively on Battle.Net PC Open Beta (Starts: August 11 at 10am/PT – Ends: August 13 at 10am/PT) The multiplayer beta will include access to six maps and multiple Specialists, the game’s hero archetypes. Five game modes — Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint, Control and Search & Destroy — will be available. Details on when and how players will get access to the Blackout beta are still forthcoming, Activision and Treyarch said. Activision and Treyarch call the multiplayer beta “private” and players who pre-order Black Ops 4 will unlock access to it. The PC open beta will be open to everyone on Battle.net. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will be released Oct. 12.<doc-sep>Treyarch has shared more details about the upcoming beta for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. The developer revealed that it will host two separate tests for the shooter--one for multiplayer, the other for the battle royale-style Blackout mode--ahead of the game's launch, with the first scheduled to kick off next month. Those who pre-order Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will be able to participate in the Private Multiplayer Beta, which will begin first on PlayStation 4 from August 3-6. An additional beta session will take place the following weekend for all platforms--PS4, Xbox One, and PC--although the PC test will only be accessible through the Battle.net service. You can see the full schedule below. The Private Multiplayer Beta will feature six maps, two of which will be debuting for the first time. It will also offer a handful of modes to play, including fan favorites such as Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint, and Search & Destroy, as well as Black Ops 4's brand-new Control mode. The latter is an objective-based mode that has teams alternating between attacking and defending two "static objectives." Additionally, players who participate in the Private Multiplayer Beta will be able to try out new Specialists, although their identities have yet to be revealed. The test will also feature the veteran Specialists Nomad and Prophet, and Treyarch says the returning characters will bring "brand-new gameplay mechanics built for Black Ops 4." Everyone who takes part in the beta will receive a unique calling card as a bonus. Those who achieve max rank during the beta, meanwhile, will earn a Permanent Unlock Token, which can be used toward any piece of Create-a-Class content in the full game. You can read more details about the Private Multiplayer Beta on Treyarch's official website. Following the Private Multiplayer Beta, Treyarch says it will host another beta test specifically for Black Ops 4's Blackout mode. The developer didn't yet announce an exact date for the Blackout beta, but it will likewise kick off first on PS4. Additional details about the test will be shared closer to September. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Private Multiplayer Beta Dates PlayStation 4 Starts: August 3 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM BST Ends: August 6 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM BST PlayStation 4 and Xbox One Starts: August 10 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM BST Ends: August 13 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM BST PC Beta Early Access Starts: August 10 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM BST PC Open Beta<doc-sep>Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will host two beta tests ahead of its full release in October. A traditional multiplayer beta begins in August, with a battle royale Blackout beta due in September. Blog posts from Activision and Treyarch offer the full details. When is the 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 4' beta? Multiplayer PS4 exclusive: Aug. 3 at 1 p.m. EDT through Aug. 6 at 1 p.m. EDT PS4 and Xbox: Aug. 10 at 1 p.m. EDT through Aug. 13 at 1 p.m. EDT PC early access: Aug. 10 at 1 p.m. EDT through Aug. 13 at 1 p.m. EDT PC open beta: Aug. 11 at 1 p.m. EDT through Aug. 13 at 1 p.m. EDT Blackout Due in September and available first on PS4 As is customary, participation in both Private Betas requires a valid digital or physical pre-order of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. The only exception is the open PC beta and any days in which the console betas are open on demand. This has happened in the past, but those who pre-order will be able to spend more time online. Which maps and modes are in the 'Black Ops 4' beta? Modes TDM Hardpoint Search and Destroy Control: Teams alternate between attacking and defending two static objectives with limited lives. The first team to three victories wins the match. Maps Frequency Contraband Payload Seaside Hacienda Gridlock For more info on a few of these maps, read our Black Ops 4 pre-E3 multiplayer preview. The multiplayer beta also lets players go hands on with Black Ops 4's hallmark multiplayer features. The classic Pick 10 Create-a-Class system returns, but Special Equipment unique to each Specialist targets and enhances abilities. The Gear slot offers special perks usable across all classes that don't impact the 10 slots in your loadout. Combine these changes with customizable Operator Mods for each weapon, and you've got plenty of new strategies to experiment with. All beta participants get a unique Calling Card, but those who reach max level earn one free Unlock Token to be used in the final game. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 comes to PS4, Xbox One and PC Oct.12. Will you be playing the Black Ops 4 beta? Is there enough here to make these tests worth the pre-order? Tell us in the comments section!<doc-sep>“Call of Duty” fans have two betas to look forward to this summer, according to a blog post from Treyarch. The first round of betas will be for multiplayer and is coming in August. The second round of betas for the new battle royale mode is coming in September. Developer Treyarch’s Co-Studio Head Dan Bunting commented on the “exciting opportunity” that the betas bring. “Not only are we putting more content into players’ hands earlier than ever before – we get to break new ground by hosting two separate Beta experiences,” said Bunting. “Games are better when they’re a result of a dialogue with our community. Not only does it improve the game’s quality, but it allows us to respond to player feedback and custom-craft the experience to how players engage most with the game. We want launch day to be a celebration that players around the world can enjoy together, and we know it won’t stop there – we will always work tirelessly to improve, grow, and evolve the game beyond launch.” PlayStation 4 users get the first look at the multiplayer beta, which starts Aug. 3 and ends Aug. 6. The next multiplayer beta starting on Aug. 10 will be available for Xbox One and PC Early Access, too, running until Aug. 13. The PC Open Beta starts Aug. 11. Players of the private multiplayer beta will have access to six maps, two of which will be debuting publicly for the first time. Game modes Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint, Search & Destroy, and new mode Control will all be featured in the beta. To participate in the beta via console, players will need a code acquired by pre-ordering a copy of “Call of Duty: Black Ops 4” from select retailers or they will be automatically eligible to participate if they pre-order a digital copy from the PlayStation Store or Xbox Store. PC users who pre-purchase the game from Battle.net can get early access to the beta on Aug. 11. Otherwise, players can access the open beta the next day. The Blackout Beta, which will show off the “Call of Duty” battle royale experience is coming on an undisclosed day in September, but expect to hear more details “as we get closer to the end of summer.” The current release date for “Call of Duty: Blacks Ops 4” is Oct. 12, 2018.<doc-sep>
Activision and Treyarch today announced details for the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 multiplayer beta and the battle royale Blackout beta. Two betas will be held for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, and the first is the multiplayer beta. The private multiplayer beta kicks off August 3 on PlayStation 4, followed shortly by PC and Xbox One. The PC beta will be exclusive to Battle.net. To gain access to the console beta, players will need a a Private Beta key provided when pre-ordering the game from select retailers. Players that pre-order digitally through the PlayStation or Xbox stores are automatically registered. PC players only need a Battle.net account to access the multiplayer beta, but those who pre-purchase through Battle.net will also get a full extra day. The schedule for all platforms is below. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 private multiplayer beta schedule PlayStation 4 (Starts: August 3 at 10am/PT – Ends: August 6 at 10am/PT) (Starts: August 3 at 10am/PT – Ends: August 6 at 10am/PT) PlayStation 4 and Xbox One (Starts: August 10 at 10am/PT – Ends: August 13 at 10am/PT) and (Starts: August 10 at 10am/PT – Ends: August 13 at 10am/PT) PC Beta Early Access (Starts: August 10 at 10am/PT) (Starts: August 10 at 10am/PT) PC Open Beta (Starts: August 11 at 10am/PT – Ends: August 13 at 10am/PT) All participants in the beta will receive a calling card to display, and every player who achieves max rank earns a Permanent Unlock Token. This can be applied to Create-a-Class content when the game comes out. For the private multiplayer beta, players will fight through six maps. New Specialists will be playable along with returning Specialists Nomad and Prophet. Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint, Search & Destroy, and the brand-new objective-based game mode Control are playable. In Control, teams alternate rounds between attacking and defending two static objectives. Each team has a limited number of lives in this first-to-three wins match-up. The Pick 10 system was brought back to Create-a-Class and comes with some changes. Load out with Special Issue Equipment that’s designed exclusively for each Specialist without costing a point against Pick 10. Gear is an all new slot designed to up the ante on your style of gameplay. Only one piece of Gear can be used per loadout, so choose wisely. Weapons now have unique sets of attachments, including a new class of powerful attachments called Operator Mods, to really focus each gun on its individual role in combat. In September as second beta will be held for the Black Ops 4 battle royale experience, Blackout. It will be held first on PS4, with more details to come close to the end of summer. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 releases on October 12.