What’s included in the Black Ops Cold War Beta: modes, bonus unlocks, more

The Black Ops Cold War Beta is finally here. Download links are now live for those who pre-ordered the game digitally and Treyarch has released some new information about what the pre-release version is going to include. Here’s everything you need to know.

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After Activision and Treyarch gave fans on PlayStation 4 a small glimpse of Black Ops Cold War during open Alpha, which ran only for one weekend and included a handful of content, the game’s Beta is now in full swing

Prior to the Beta’s launch, Treyarch released a lot of information about what would be included, such as the brand new mode that will be available during this pre-release period.

Cold War Beta modes

The modes that Treyarch are including with the Open Beta are similar to those found in the Open Alpha. That being said, there are two major additions that players of the latter didn’t get a chance to experience yet.

The first is VIP Escort, which tasks players with protecting and bringing a specially designated player from one side of the map to the other, without being killed. Players can be downed in this mode, similar to Warzone, and scorestreaks are disabled.

• Read more: Scump reveals one thing he wants added to Black Ops Cold War

In addition, players will also be able to play the new 40-player mode Fireteam: Dirty Bomb. Information about this mode is scarce, however, we do know that it will pit four teams of 10 players against one another in a fight for uranium on a large scale map.

• Team Deathmatch
• Kill Confirmed
• Domination
• Combined Arms Domination
• VIP Escort
• Combined Arms Assault

Treyarch

The Black Ops Cold War Beta debuted a new multiplayer map called Cartel

Maps

There were a total of five maps during the BOCW Alpha, so all of them are expected to also be available during the Beta. Furthermore, Treyarch have announced that a new one called Cartel will also be added to the mix for both 6v6 and 12v12 modes.

• New: Cartel (6v6 & 12v12)
• Satellite (6v6)
• Miami (6v6)
• Moscow (6v6)
• Armada (12v12)
• Crossroads (12v12)

FOV Slider & Ping system

For the first time ever, a Call of Duty game will feature a FOV slide on both PC and console, as announced by Treyarch. This will allow players to adjust their field of view in order to get a wider look at their surroundings at all times.

“We’re extremely excited to bring the Field of View (FOV) slider feature to all platforms for the first time in a game, and you’ll be able to try it out during the Beta,” the devs wrote.

Treyarch

For the first time ever, an FOV slider is coming to console in Black Ops Cold War!

That’s not the only thing making its CoD debut, at least as far as multiplayer is concerned. Black Ops Cold War will also see a Ping system added to MP for the first time, giving players a way to non-verbally communicate with each other.

Users will be able to “ping objectives, loot, locations, and enemies” for teammates during a match, which had been the case in Warzone but never in a Call of Duty multiplayer.

More details about how these two new additions will work can be found in our FOV Slider and Ping system guide here.

SMG Blueprint

Activision

Activision has announced that players who get to level 10 during the beta will receive a free blueprint when the game releases.

Unlike the Alpha, players will be able to level up in a progression system that’s designed exclusively for this version.

Treyarch explains: “Players can progress and rank up in the Beta-specific leveling system where loadout items, including new weaponry, covert spy tech through Field Upgrades, and badass Scorestreaks can be unlocked by earning XP.”

• Read more: New Black Ops Cold War leak reveals unreleased campaign footage

Like every other CoD beta, there are rewards that you can earn for the full game. If players are able to reach level 10 at any point during the beta, they’ll receive a free Mutual Animosity Blueprint for the Type 821, which is the weapon most comparable to the Uzi in previous games.

The Black Ops Cold War Beta is set to include two new modes: Fireteam Dirty Bomb and VIP Escort.

Schedule

Treyarch previously announced the beta schedule, however, they once again clarified when everyone will be able to get their hands on it. Fans are currently able to pre-load the beta on PS4 and players on other platforms will be able to do so on October 13, 2020.

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

All in all, this seems like a pretty packed Beta. Between the new Fireteam mode and the grind for max level, players should have a lot to do over the next couple of weekends.