Update, September 28: The Call of Duty: WWII open beta has launched a day ahead of schedule, and is now live on Steam.
Surprise! The Call of Duty: WWII open beta was scheduled to begin tomorrow, but Sledgehammer have gone ahead and launched it early. It’s September 29 somewhere, right? You can get in the action now on Steam.
Related: everything we know about COD: WW2.
The open beta features four maps, four modes, and a limited progression system up to level 35. You’ll also get the chance to try out the returning War mode. The beta is scheduled to run until October 2, and hopefully we won’t be surprised by that date coming early too.
Update, September 25:Sledgehammer have started preloads for next weekend’s open beta, and provided far more info on what to expect.
Preloads arenow livefor Call of Duty: WWII’s open beta, which runs September 29 to October 2. The roughly 20GB download is free – no special codes or preorder bonus necessary.
Sledgehammer have provided new recommended specs for the open beta, which now join the minimum specs we mentioned earlier this month.
- OS: Windows 10
- CPU: Intel Core i5-2400 / AMD Ryzen R5 1600X
- RAM: 12 GB RAM
- HDD: 25 GB HD space
- Video: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 / GTX 1060 @ 6GB or AMD Radeon R9 390 / AMD RX 580
They’ve also listed several PC-specific features which will be in the beta, including:
- Native 4K Support
- Framerate Cap Slider (up to 250FPS)
- FOV Resizing
- Keyboard/Mouse Fully Re-mappable
- Controller Support
- G-Sync Monitor Support
- Ultra-Wide Monitor Support
- High-resolution Mouse Support
- Advanced Video Settings
HDR and multi-monitor support will not be in the beta, but Sledgehammer promise they’re working to have those features in place by launch.
The beta’s content will be similar to what was seen on consoles, with four maps, four modes, five divisions, and a limited progression up to level 35. Players will also be able to try out War with Operation Breakout.
Update, September 14:Sledgehammer have delivered on their promise of a PC open beta for Call of Duty: WWII, which will begin September 29.
Console players have had their fun, but now it’s time for PC players to get in on the action. Call of Duty: WWII will be getting a PC open beta starting this month.
The open beta will run on Steam from September 29 to October 2. Sledgehammer say it’s just “a small part” of the final game’s multiplayer offerings, but it will offer PC players a chance to see how the game plays, while giving the developers a chance to test their infrastructure.
Sledgehammer also say that they’ll be optimizing the PC version based on feedback from the community, but based on the minimum specs they’ve just released I’d say they’re pretty confident with how the game will run on low-end machines. Maybe they meant optimize in more general sense.
- OS: Windows 7 64-Bit or later
- CPU: Intel Core i3 3225 or equivalent
- RAM: 8 GB RAM
- HDD: 25 GB HD space
- Video: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 @ 2GB / AMD Radeon HD 7850 @ 2GB or better
They say those specs won’t apply to the final release, but I’d wager that they’re likely to be very close. Recommended specs, as well as more details on what content the PC beta will feature, are still on the way.
Original Story, August 23:Call of Duty: WWII is getting a beta on PC… but we don’t know when. Based on the dates of the console private beta, it’ll be well into September, at the earliest.
Michael Condrey, head of development at Sledgehammer Games, confirmed the PC beta on Reddit with the simple words: “yes, coming.”
PlayStation 4 users who’ve pre-ordered the game will get access to a private multiplayer beta in two days’ time, with Xbox One pre-orders getting in on a second wave starting on September 1.
According to Sledgehammer, that beta will contain:
- At least three multiplayer maps, including Pointe Du Hoc, Ardennes, and Gibraltar.
- War Mode – Operation Breakout
- Team Deathmatch, Domination, and Hardpoint game modes.
- Progression – players will begin at Soldier Rank 1 and rank up through a limited progression to unlock weapons, scorestreaks, equipment, and Basic Training Skills.
The new Headquarters social space, ranked play, supply drops, and loot are all excluded from the console private beta. The PC beta will obviously be later, meaning we’re looking at mid-September at the earliest, but there’s a chance we might get some more content.
I got to try COD: WW2’s multiplayer mode at E3. Here’s what I thought.
Can you run it? Take theCall of Duty: WW2 system requirementstest.