When is the Black Ops Cold War Beta? Early access, PS4, Xbox & PC dates

The Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta is here, giving players on PS4, Xbox One and PC the chance to get a full deep-dive into the multiplayer of the game before the November 13 release. Here’s everything you need to know to get access, and when the beta is going live.

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The full multiplayer reveal for Black Ops Cold War may now be behind us, but we’ve still plenty to look forward to in the coming weeks and months. The Treyarch title is set to feature the most customizable campaign experience yet and serve as a direct sequel to 2010’s Black Ops 1.

Moreover, the game will be running on a different engine to 2019’s Modern Warfare. Paving the way for 4K resolution and higher frame rates on next-gen hardware. Treyarch have also now confirmed that an FOV slider is coming to consoles for the first time ever in a CoD game.

The beta is the first chance for Treyarch to put all their new toys and tech into the wild, and make any final adjustments before launch.

What time is the Black Ops Cold War beta?

The beta is expected to go live on October 8, at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST, first for PS4 players with early access (through preorders). However, there’s a chance the developers set it live a little early, as a treat.

Then, it will roll out on other platforms over the next weekend:

Black Ops Cold War beta dates:

• Weekend 1
  • October 8-9: PS4 early access
  • October 10-12: PS4 Open Beta
• Weekend 2
  • October 15-16: PS4 Open, Xbox One + PC early access
  • October 17-19: Open Beta for all platforms

As mentioned above, those on PS4 who pre-order any of the digital versions will get first dibs before the beta opens up to all PlayStation users. The following week, Xbox and PC players will join their PlayStation counterparts for another closed session, after which the beta will be open for all platforms.

How to get access to Black Ops Cold War beta

Treyarch

Black Ops Cold War is confirmed to be a direct sequel to Black Ops 1.

Getting early access to the BOCW beta is pretty simple: those who preorder the game will be able to jump in regardless of which version they purchased or which platform they choose to play on. This comes with a few caveats, however.

Only digital preorders will be able to access the early beta period; physical preorders will not be granted codes for bonus content. On top of that, PlayStation 4 users will be able to play before anyone else as the beta is set to go live nearly a week before the other platforms.

• Read More: Black Ops Cold War makes changes to loadouts and scorestreaks

Following the pre-order exclusivity periods, the beta will become open to everyone, so if you can’t purchase the game beforehand, you’ll still have the opportunity to play it for a couple of days.

You can also try to get your hands on a code another way, which are sometimes shared around on social media, but there are no guarantees this way.

What’s in the Black Ops Cold War beta

Activision and Treyarch have already confirmed that the BOCW beta will be a considerably-expanded version of the PS4-exclusive alpha that was held in September.

Players will get to pick from different Operators, get full access to the weapon customization options offered in the Gunsmith, and play a variety of modes that include Team Deathmatch, Domination, Kill Confirmed, VIP Escort, and Combined Arms – the latter two of which weren’t in the alpha.

• Read More: How will Warzone work in Black Ops Cold War? Full details

BOCW is set to release on November 13 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, with the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions being available right when the next-gen consoles roll out.