When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up forfor the biggest new releases, reviews and tech hacks Battlefield 5 fans are counting down to the start of the open beta on PS4, Xbox One and PC. The Battlefield 5 beta is currently available to pre-order customers, Origin subscribers and EA Access subscribers. But the player count will further expand with the release of the open beta, which is available to all players, pre-order or not. The Battlefield 5 open beta has been given an September 6 release date and 9am UK start time on PS4, Xbox One and PC.<doc-sep>Well, this is a return to the past in more ways than one. Battlefield 5's beta hit for early adopters ahead of today's open test, and it was a proper beta - misshapen, malfunctioning and with more than a handful of those glitches that mired Battlefield 4's launch in infamy. Matchmaking was broken, squads - such an integral part of Battlefield's make-up, and even more so this time around - weren't working, and it was all a bit wonky. This was a beta in the old-school definition of the term. So yes, DICE's return the backdrop of WW2 wasn't exactly smooth at first, but by the time the doors have opened for the masses this morning many of those problems should have been ironed out - indeed, even after 24 hours DICE had proven adept at putting out fires, with all that lingered come yesterday the occasional floating gun and impossibly contorted corpse. Some concerns will linger a little longer, though. The Rotterdam map looks absolutely stunning - a little less so after a battle, mind. Battlefield 5 is a strange iteration of the long-running series, at least at first glance. It's both radical and reserved, with the systems that underpin the Battlefield formula all undergoing change while the fundamentals all stay the same. It's proven divisive in its early days - as is ever the way when it comes to a new iteration of a much-loved series - though what's certain is that this is a Battlefield that requires a very different approach. One of the most controversial edits is the removal of the spotting feature, which once allowed players to call out the position of enemies on the map to reveal their whereabouts to teammates. Spotting remains but it's not as sticky as it once was, the marker no longer staying with the spotted player and instead staying in a fixed position. It's a marked shift in pacing, theoretically allowing you to escape from danger that little bit easier without having a massive arrow over your head - and it's been balanced out by what feels like a drastically reduced time-to-kill. Cue criticisms of Battlefield turning more into Call of Duty - a familiar refrain that seems to greet every iteration of the game - which seem quite far from the truth. If anything, the pace is slowed with the tools for stealth and rewards for reading your surrounds greatly increased. Grand Operations makes its debut as a game mode in the beta, though I find it a bit too fussy. Maybe that's because I'm old Conquest diehard, though. And Battlefield 5 is going for a more strategic, survival-led brand of shooting with its doubling down on squad play. Ammo is scarce, and you'll have to rely more on medics to fully heal you, meaning team play is now more explicitly rewarded. It's a neat idea that leads to some nerve-wracking situations - clearing the cache of your main weapon while holed up in cover and having to make a final stand with your pistol, say - and the only downfall is one that's typical of any online shooter. Strangers aren't too hot on teamplay - in an evening's play I can count with the fingers of one hand the number of times a teammate threw me some supplies - so you're best off playing with friends who have some inkling what they're doing. Such has always been the way with Battlefield, really, and 5 seems to reinforce the foundations that have set this series apart in the past. The destruction that returns to Bad Company 2 levels is a big part of that, and is obvious in both maps in the beta - in Rotterdam, a gorgeous and dense urban map that's reminiscent of old favourites such as Seine Crossing and Amiens, building fronts crumble, while in the snowbound Narvik everything seems even more fragile, entire outhouses crumbling to nothing while allowing you the opportunity to fortify them. It's satisfyingly dynamic (and even more satisfying is the way blankets of snow slide to the ground from rooftops in Narvik), and it's a mechanic that's going to prove fascinating once Battlefield 5's Battle Royale mode properly breaks cover. Vehicles are in relatively short supply in the beta, and it looks come the full thing there won't be quite the variety we enjoyed back in Battlefield 4. There's no small amount of apathy surrounding this year's Battlefield - and, for that measure, this year's Call of Duty too - and you can't help but wonder if their hopping onto the Battle Royale bandwagon will be enough to kickstart interest. Battlefield 5's open beta shows that, beyond that, this looks unlikely to be the entry to win the series new fans. It's the same old formula, delivered with only iterative tweaks - and tweaks that have proven divisive, even if I'm broadly in favour with most of them myself. DICE don't really make bad shooters - at least not ones called Battlefield, anyway - and 5 looks to be another enjoyable entry. Whether that's enough, though, remains to be seen.<doc-sep>
The Battlefield 5 open beta launches later this week While some players will be able to start testing out the Battlefield 5 beta later today, not all will have access on PS4 and Xbox One. That’s because this week’s beta has been scheduled differently for those who have EA Access, Origins on PC, or who have pre-ordered. The early access Battlefield 5 beta is kicking off today on PS4, Xbox One and PC. The September 4 start time has been set for around 9am in the UK, or 1am if you’re based in the United States. “Similar to what we’ve been doing in the two Closed Alphas, the Battlefield V Open Beta lets us test Battlefield V running in a live environment with a high player count,” a message from DICE explains. “We’re testing technical aspects like server stability, latency levels, and matchmaking as well as gameplay – weapon balancing, progression, and other ingredients that we want to optimise to make the game as fun as possible. It’s also an opportunity to collect feedback from participating players.” WHEN DOES THE OPEN BETA START? The Battlefield 5 open beta begins a little later this week, on Thursday, September 6. The early access to the BF5 beta is going live today It’s scheduled to start at the same time, around 9am in the morning, and will continue until 3pm on September 11. That’s a lot of time to test things out, with EA And Dice already confirming that there will be plenty of content available. When it comes to playable maps and modes, Dice says there will be a choice of the Rotterdam and Arctic Fjord maps. There will also be two playable modes, that of Conquest and Grand Operations (Day 1 and 2). Fans will also be able to earn the Tides of War Dog Tag during the Open Beta, which will be available through the assignment menu. Here’s more on some of the weapons and vehicles that will be part of this week’s beta action: “Five iconic WW2 tanks and seven aircraft will be at your disposal in the Battlefield V Open Beta," Dice adds. Battlefield 5: The official reveal trailer