We all know Sledgehammer Games has some work to do still, but the Champion Hill Alpha was pretty good for an Alpha test. The Open Beta that's on the way, though... That's going to be something special. It's a handful of hours away now and we have everything you need to know about when it starts and how you can access it.
HOW TO ACCESS - PlayStation's Open Beta
Vanguard's PlayStation only Open Beta Weekend is due to start on September 10th at the following times:
- 10:00 PST
- 13:00 EST
- 18:00 BST
If you haven't downloaded it already, you'll need to know a few things to prepare yourself.
Firstly, you need to redeem your Beta Access code at callofduty.com/betaredeem - if you have a Digital Preorder for Call of Duty Vanguard, you should already have access to the Open Beta via your PlayStation account. You should also make sure you're logged in to your Activision account before redeeming any codes.
When you've done this, you'll need to download the Open Beta via the PS Store or the Vanguard "blade" of the Main Menu on Black Ops Cold War, Modern Warfare, or Warzone. From here, you can also launch the Open Beta - however, it should have its own application on your PlayStation's game library.
COMBAT PACING - Vanguard's new feature explained
This is a new Multiplayer setting that dictates the intensity of each game. You can check out what Sledgehammer Games has had to say about it below:
- Tactical: These are the lobbies that franchise veterans know well. This is the experience that you're used to with classic Call of Duty combat timing. Tactical Combat Pacing is always 6v6.
- Assault: Balanced combat pacing that gives you enough room to breathe and a lot of targets to kill. In Beta Weekend 1, player counts will vary between 20-28 players.
- Blitz: High-action lobbies where the intensity is cranked up to frenetic levels. Prepare for plenty of combat when choosing to join a Blitz. In Beta Weekend 1, player counts will vary between 28-48 players.
FILE SIZE - Download added to the database
It looks like you might need to clear off a little more space on your hard drive for your next bout of Call of Duty Vanguard ahead of the game's full release. PlaystationSize has shared the following information about the upcoming PlayStation-exclusive Open Beta for Sledgehammer Games' next Call of Duty title.
The Champion Hill Alpha was around 45GB in total, so we're under the assumption that this update is going to be at the very least 10GB added onto this. Of course, a lot of the assets are going to be the same but this might not be the last update we see for the Vanguard Beta ahead of its start.
PlayStation Exclusive Open Beta? Yes, please!
If you play on Xbox or PC via Battlenet, we can only apologise. PlayStation players, though, it's time to celebrate. There's going to be a whole weekend of exclusive access to the Vanguard Open Beta for PlayStation players next month.
We don't know exactly what to expect from the PlayStation Exclusive Vanguard Open Beta weekend, but we do know that we should "expect more modes, maps, and weapons" in comparison to the Champion Hill Alpha.
The first Open Beta weekend is going to start on September 10th and should end on September 13th. We don't know about exact times just yet, but we should find out more about this in the days leading up to the start.
How do you access this Open Beta?
If you want to get your hands on Vanguard for this first Open Beta weekend - which is a PlayStation Exclusive - you're going to need to pre-order Call of Duty Vanguard. You should be able to get a Beta Code from a retailer if you're going for the physical version of Vanguard - However, if you are planning to pre-order it digitally you should automatically have access when the PlayStation Exclusive Vanguard Open Beta rolls around next month.
" The first weekend – September 10 to September 13 – will be for PlayStation owners who have pre-ordered the game."
You should be able to pre-order any version of Call of Duty Vanguard - Standard, Cross-Gen, or Ultimate - to get access to the Open Beta during the first weekend.
As you can see above, though, you'll need to purchase the Cross-Gen Bundle or the Ultimate Edition if you want to play the Call of Duty Vanguard PlayStation Exclusive Open Beta on your PS5. Standard Edition only gives you access to the title on PS4.