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Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta guide

Learn everything you need to know about the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta, including pre-load, start dates, how to get early access, and more.

Sam Chandler

October 5, 2020 6:45 PM

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Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is about to receive its first beta. Players that want to get in on the action will need to know the start time, how to download it, and what platforms it’s going to be available on. There’s a lot of information to cover, so let’s dive in so you can get to playing the Cold War beta!

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta start date and time

The Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta is split into two separate weekends. The first weekend is available to PlayStation 4 users and the second weekend will be available to everyone else. This is the usual approach Call of Duty has to these sorts of events. The PlayStation 4 early access beta has a start time of 10:00 a.m. PT / 1:00 p.m. ET.

Weekend 1 – PlayStation 4 exclusive

• October 8-9: PS4 Early Access
• October 10-12: PS4 Open Beta

Weekend 2 – Crossplay Beta

• October 15-16: Xbox & PC Early Access and PS4 Open Beta
• October 17-19: Available on all platforms

The “early access” portions of the Cold War beta weekends are only available to those who pre-order the game digitally. When you pre-order digitally, you will be able pre-load the beta once this it becomes available – no code needed.

For the first weekend, all PlayStation 4 users can play from October 10 onwards, but those who pre-order get early access two days prior. For the second weekend, everyone can play on October 17 but those who pre-order on Xbox and PC can access it two days early, while PlayStation 4 players can also jump in early.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta pre-load

To get in and play the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta as soon as it begins requires pre-loading the game. Pre-loads for the Cold War beta start on October 6^th for PlayStation 4 users. No date has been announced for Xbox and PC players, though, it will likely be the week before their turn.

How to download Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta

As for downloading the Cold War beta, that will need to happen once the pre-load goes live. To download the client, you will need to navigate to your platform’s store and search for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. It’s here you’ll be able to find the game and get it downloading.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta game modes

As with all betas, players want to know what game modes will be playable. The good news for Call of Duty fans is that the Cold War beta looks to include quite a lot of favorites:

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

The Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta weekends are almost here. Remember, if you want early access to the Cold War beta, you will need to pre-order it digitally. You can find more information on the Call of Duty site, but also check out the Shacknews Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War page for our ongoing coverage.

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