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>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>Activision has detailed its upcoming Xbox One, PC, and PS4 betas for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, starting with a multiplayer mode beta next month, then a beta for the series' new Battle-Royale-style Blackout mode in September. First on the calendar is a PlayStation 4 exclusive three-day beta event for Black Ops 4's multiplayer component, which begins on August 3rd at 6pm BST/10am PDT, and ends on August 6th at 6pm BST/10am PDT. This and all other multiplayer sessions will feature six maps (two of which will make their first public appearance, according to developer Treyarch), and these are playable in Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint, Search & Destroy, and Control modes. Specialists Nomad and Prophet will be playable, alongside new, but still-secret specialists. Activision's next scheduled session ditches the exclusivity, meaning that Xbox One, PS4, and PC players will have the chance to join in the beta fun from August 10th at 6pm BST until August 13th at 6pm BST. Complicating matters slightly, the PC beta (running on Battle.net) is only open on the 10th to those with early access, but will be open to everyone from August 11th. Treyarch notes that all participants in the beta will receive a "unique, one-of-a-kind calling card", and every player that achieves max rank will earn a Permanent Unlock Token to apply to any piece of Create-a-Class content once Black Ops 4 releases. As for Call of Duty's new Blackout mode, Activision simply says that its beta will launch some time in September. More details will be revealed at a later date.<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