Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Beta Testing: Dates Confirmed and Details Revealed!

The official Call of Duty podcast has confirmed the beta testing dates for the highly anticipated Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Get ready to dive in! This guide details how you can participate.

Two-Phase Beta Access

Activision announced a two-part beta test. Early access begins August 30th and runs until September 4th, exclusively for players who pre-ordered Black Ops 6 or have active subscriptions to select Game Pass plans. Open beta follows from September 6th to 9th, open to all players. Mark your calendars!

The full game launches October 25th, 2024, on PC (Steam), Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4. It will also be available on Xbox Game Pass.

New Game Mechanics and Features

Treyarch's associate director of design, Matt Scronce, shared exciting details on the podcast. Black Ops 6 will launch with 16 multiplayer maps: 12 standard 6v6 maps and 4 Strike maps playable in 6v6 or 2v2 modes. The popular Zombies mode returns with two new maps. A new "Omnimovement" mechanic is also being introduced.

Returning features include the traditional scorestreak system (resetting upon player elimination), a welcome change from Black Ops Cold War. A dedicated melee weapon slot is another notable addition, eliminating the need to sacrifice a secondary weapon for a knife—a feature the Treyarch team is particularly enthusiastic about.

A complete Black Ops 6 multiplayer reveal is scheduled for the Call of Duty Next event on August 28th.