Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Open Beta: Release Date and Time

Prepare to drop into the Crossplay Beta with this guide that includes redemption instructions for Early Access and pre-load info.

During the beta, experience signature Black Ops combat across traditional 6v6 modes, 12v12 Combined Arms, and a brand-new 40-player mode, Fireteam: Dirty Bomb. The Beta will feature a selection of the game’s Multiplayer maps set in distinct global locations during the Cold War. Players can progress and rank up in the Beta-specific levelling system where loadout items, including new weapons, Field Upgrades, and Scorestreaks can be unlocked by earning XP.

The Black Ops Cold War Open Beta will be free on Xbox One, with players who pre-ordered digitally gaining early access.

Read on for details on pre-loading, downloading, and what’s included in the Black Ops Cold War Beta:

Time to Play: Crossplay Beta Weekend

The Crossplay Beta Weekend is scheduled to run from 10 a.m. PDT on Thursday, October 15 to 10 a.m. PDT on Monday, October 19. As a complete connected experience, Crossplay will be active allowing you to party up with friends and the greater community, no matter what they play on. Follow @CallofDuty and @Treyarch for ‘live now’ announcements and any updates to the schedule.

Check out the below for more information on when to gain access over the weekend:

Xbox Early Access: Those who pre-ordered the game digitally for Xbox One, Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S can begin playing the Beta on Thursday, October 15 and on Friday, October 16. Xbox Live Gold is required for Xbox One players.

Xbox Open Beta: The rest of the weekend, from Saturday, October 17 to Monday, October 19, is accessible to Xbox players regardless of pre-order status. Now, everyone in the Call of Duty community can hop on and play together.

What’s Inside the Beta

The Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Beta will feature a mix of maps, modes, and playlists. Similar to past Betas, the Black Ops Cold War Beta will also include a progression system where players can earn XP in order to unlock new content.

Expect frequent updates and surprises to take place within the Beta across both weekends and stay tuned to official Call of Duty and Treyarch channels for specific details.

Visit the Cold War landing site to get detailed information on the game, Beta, and specific Beta Multiplayer intel like game modes and Loadouts.

Earn an SMG Weapon Blueprint for Reaching Level 10

Players who reach Level 10 within the Beta will receive an SMG Weapon Blueprint at the launch of Black Ops Cold War.

A Weapon Blueprint is a variant of a weapon family within the game, complete with its own unique name and cosmetic differences.  Weapon Blueprints may also come pre-equipped with attachments, allowing you to use them on that specific weapon without needing to level it up to unlock those attachments organically. These attachments can be swapped out in favor of other attachments earned by levelling up the weapon normally.

Access the Beta & Pre-load Information

Digital pre-order customers will be entitled to early access (Thursday and Friday) through their account on which they purchased the game. All other players can still access the open portion of the Beta (Saturday through Monday) for free.

Search for the Beta from the Xbox Store and follow the prompts to download. Beta pre-load starts on October 13 at 8 a.m. PDT for digital pre-order customers and will unlock the Beta to play on October 15 at 10 a.m. PDT. The Beta will be available to download for free for all other players starting October 17 at 10 a.m. PDT.

Source: news.xbox.com