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Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War alpha dates and pre-load time

Learn when the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War alpha pre-load is available and when the alpha weekend starts.

Sam Chandler

September 16, 2020 9:05 PM

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This year’s Call of Duty game is almost here. But before players can experience the Cold War, the first stop is a Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War alpha. Those that want to get in and see what life in the military was like a couple of decades ago will be pleased to hear there are a couple of opportunities over the next month and a bit.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War alpha

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is having its first public alpha on Friday, September 18, 2020. This alpha is only available for PlayStation 4 owners. Sorry, Xbox users. The multiplayer alpha will run throughout the weekend, ending next week. This news comes from the PlayStation blog following Sony's most recent showcase.

Pre-loads for the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War alpha start on September 17 at 8:00 a.m. PT / 11:00 a.m. ET. To gain access to the alpha, simply load up your PlayStation 4 and head to the Store. You can likely find the alpha download by searching for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.

PlayStation fans were also treated to a brand new trailer for Cold War during September 17’s PlayStation 5 Showcase. This trailer also made note of an open beta happening later in the year. If you miss out on the alpha, whether by not being able to get it downloaded or because you play on Xbox, you will have another chance to experience the game ahead of its release.

The open beta for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is scheduled for October 8, 2020, on PlayStation 4 for those that pre-order. If that’s not your style, you can access the beta on October 10, 2020. Other platforms will follow at a later date.

But before the open beta, we need to get through the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War alpha. Be sure to check your PS4’s store page on Thursday so you can download the client before it all begins on Friday. Keep it locked to Shacknews’ Cold War page for more updates about Activision’s next entry in the Call of Duty franchise.

Sam Chandler

Guides Editor

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as a Guides Editor. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler