Activision announced recently that a multiplayer beta version of Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 will launch for the PlayStation 4 next month. Xbox One owners and PC players will get their shot at the global pre-release a week later.
The beta will run for five days on each available platform. Access is limited to players who have pre-ordered Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 at select retailers.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 will be the first entry in the long-running first-person shooter series to offer a worldwide multiplayer beta since 2008’s Call of Duty: World at War. The upcoming beta will feature a small selection of maps and modes included with the full version of the game launching in November.
“During the beta,” developer Treyarch notes, “fans will have an opportunity to try the new momentum-based, chained movement system, find the perfect Specialist to fit their play style, get a feel for the new multiplayer maps, and more.”
Sony announced at this year’s E3 that all Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 content will be available first on PlayStation platforms, ending the series’ long-standing Xbox exclusivity agreement. The past few entries in the Call of Duty series have featured DLC that launched first on Xbox platforms, with equivalent PlayStation and PC releases arriving a month later.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3‘s multiplayer beta will kick off for PlayStation 4 owners on August 19, and will continue through August 23. Xbox One and PC players can join the action from August 26 through August 30.
Players can secure access to the upcoming beta by pre-ordering Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 at Amazon, Best Buy, or GameStop. Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 premieres on November 6 for the PlayStation 4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PC platforms.