Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is officially launching in a little under two months, but you can play the game early now. The first of two open betas Activision is running before the game's launch starts today, Aug. 30, and runs through Sept. 4.
Getting into the beta is fairly simple. The only requirement is that you have to pre-register or pre-purchase the game ahead of time. For players who digitally pre-register on Xbox, PlayStation, Steam, Battle.net and the Microsoft Store, you'll be automatically registered to the open beta as soon as you pre-register or pre-purchase the game.
People who pre-order the game from participating retailers will receive a 13-digit code from the retailer. Once you have your code, hop over to callofduty.com/betaredeem, log into your Activision account, redeem your code and follow the instructions to get access to the open beta. Activision says that if you lost your open beta code, you should reach out to your retailer for help.
If you subscribe to Microsoft's Game Pass, you'll have beta access immediately on Xbox or the Microsoft Store with no pre-registration required. Xfinity Rewards members can also check out the game early through Xfinity.
The first round of open beta closes at 10 a.m. PT on Sept 4. A second open beta will start on Sept. 6 and run until Sept. 9, so if you miss the first one, you still have one more shot to try it out before launch day. Activision hopes that the early betas help provide feedback for the game leading up to its launch.
How you access the beta depends on which platform you're using. The game is launching on Xbox Series S|X, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam, Battle.net and the Microsoft Store.
PlayStation players can search the PlayStation Store for the Black Ops 6 open beta listing that is separate from the main game. Download that, open it and log in. You should have access to the beta after that.
On Xbox, you should open the Microsoft Store on their Xbox and navigate to the Black Ops 6 listing. Once there, select the Choose Edition option and select the open beta. Once it downloads, open the game and log in. You should be good to go from there.
PC players using the Microsoft Store can follow PlayStation's example. The store has a separate listing for the open beta version of Black Ops 6. Simply download that, open it, log in and you'll be able to play.
You can access Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass for only $1 for 14 days.
Steam and Battle.net users have a slightly different path. For Steam, you'll need to have the Call of Duty HQ app installed. As long as you have entered your open beta code or pre-ordered on Steam, you'll have access to the beta once you open the COD HQ app. This process is the same on Battle.net. Players who use the Call of Duty HQ app frequently may already have the beta installed if they have automatic updates enabled.
What can you do in the Black Ops 6 open beta?
You'll be able to play against each other in online multiplayer. The beta will feature six of the core maps that are coming with Black Ops 6 along with two of the strike maps. Initially, players will be limited to only a few at the launch of the beta but more will be added over the weekend. The included maps are:
- Skyline (core)
- Rewind (core)
- Scud (core)
- Babylon (core)
- Derelict (core)
- Stakeout (core)
- Gala (strike)
- Pit (strike)
In addition, players will have access to four game modes to test out the maps and will be able to reach level 20 in the first open beta. When the second open beta comes out, the level cap will be raised to 30 and two more maps will be added. The second beta will also feature the Gunfight and Face Off Kill Order game modes.
Players will also be able to use the custom loadouts function but will have to wait until level 4 to unlock it. Those who pre-ordered the Vault edition won't have access to their pre-order guns during the open betas.
Players who have trouble getting into the open beta can reference Activision's FAQ or the beta information webpage for troubleshooting.