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Home / News / The Call of Duty: Black Ops III beta just opened up to all Xbox One and PC players

The Call of Duty: Black Ops III beta just opened up to all Xbox One and PC players

Go, go, go! Activision and Treyarch just opened the doors wide for the multiplayer beta

UPDATE 29/08/15: Just like with the PlayStation 4 beta test last week, Treyarch just opened the Xbox One and PC versions of the Call of Duty: Black Ops III online multiplayer trial up to all users. You can grab the beta client on the Xbox Live Marketplace or Steam and play through the weekend.

The beta test is scheduled to end late Sunday evening (U.S. time), but since the PlayStation 4 test was extended into Monday, we might see the same again on these platforms. We’ll find out either way on Sunday, but if you’re eager to try the anticipated shooter before the release, now’s the time.

ORIGINAL STORY: Call of Duty: Black Ops III is the first entry in several years to have an online multiplayer beta test run before the game released, and PlayStation 4 owners who pre-ordered the game or otherwise got a code have been playing for a couple days now.

Good news! Now anyone with a PS4 can jump and take part in the beta test this weekend, according to a tweet from developer Treyarch a couple hours ago. “Let’s dial this up a notch,” it reads. “Let’s go!”

The beta client should be available in the PlayStation Store right now, although Twitter users say that downloads are running slowly. No surprise there: you’ll probably be competing with a couple million other shooter fans for bandwidth to grab the download. Here’s hoping the actual multiplayer beta can handle the rush of new players.

We’ve been playing the beta since it went live, and our hands-on preview digs into the new specialist system, as well as the startlingly Titanfall-esque wall-running elements. The beta test runs into this Sunday, 23 August, so you’ve got all weekend to savor the shootouts in the latest futuristic entry. And Treyarch just added a fourth map and another game mode, increased the level cap, and tossed in another specialist class, so there’s even more to try out.

This sudden change in admittance approach has us wondering about next week’s Xbox One and PC beta tests for the game, which are slated to go live on Wednesday, 26 August and run through Sunday, 30 August. Will those tests also open up the floodgates after a couple days, or will Sony’s new deal with Activision keep the public portion exclusive to PS4 players?

Well, we’ll find out next week, won’t we?

[Source: Twitter]

Profile image of Andrew Hayward Andrew Hayward Freelance Writer

About

Andrew writes features, news stories, reviews, and other pieces, often when the UK home team is off-duty or asleep. I'm based in Chicago with my lovely wife, amazing son, and silly cats, and my writing about games, gadgets, esports, apps, and plenty more has appeared in more than 75 publications since 2006.

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Video games, gadgets, apps, smart home