Gearbox’s Battleborn kicks off an open beta on 8 April
And PS4 owners get a few extra days with the Borderlands devs' new game
The coming months promise to deliver some truly awesome-looking team-based multiplayer games, including Blizzard’s Overwatch and Epic’s Paragon, but don’t overlook Battleborn.
It hails from Gearbox Software and is the studio’s next original game following the Borderlands series, and the game blends first-person action with multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) elements, along with a vivid and colourful art style. Battleborn is due out in May, but we’ll all have a chance to play a pretty hearty chunk next month.
Today, Gearbox detailed its plans for the open beta test, which runs across all three platforms – PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC – with extra time for PS4 owners. The beta test sounds like it will offer a hearty taste of both the story mode and competitive multiplayer action.
On the story end, you’ll be able to take on two full Story Mode episodes, either playing solo or with up to four comrades in co-op play. Meanwhile, two competitive modes will be available for the five-on-five multiplayer action, which has more of a MOBA feel to it.
Battleborn has 25 playable heroes, and they’ll all be accessible in the beta; you’ll start with seven of them, but can work your way up to the full roster as you increase your rank. None of your progress transfers over to the full version, unfortunately, but there is a sweet perk for PS4 players: free access to the first DLC pack and instant access to hero Alani in the full game.
And that’s not the only PS4 advantage, either. They’ll be able to start the beta test on 8 April, while Xbox One and PC players don’t join in until 13 April. The test ends on 18 April for everyone, and the beta client will be available to preload on all platforms from 6 April.
Battleborn will release on 3 May worldwide, and it’s one of our 30 most anticipated games of 2016. Hit the link for the full list.
[Source: Battleborn]
Andrew Hayward
Freelance Writer 
