With Battlefield 2042 nearing completion, anticipation for the latest game in the series is building. Lots of people want to know whether EA intend to have an open Beta for this game, and if so, when. And, presumably, if they are asking those questions, it's because they are interested in signing up to play the Beta version. So we've bundled all of those questions up into one neat little Battlefield-shaped article, because we're nice like that.
Will Battlefield 2042 have an Open Beta?
EAhave confirmed that there will be an open Beta prior to the release of Battlefield 2042. We are expecting the first Technical Playtests to begin in Early July, with invitations going out to "a limited number of Battlefield veterans". In other words, "don't call us, we'll call you".
The Technical Playtests will be followed by a closed Beta, again involving invited players only. Access is apparently tied to preordering, and will guarantee access to players who have a copy reserved. After this, it will become an open Beta, open to players who haven't preordered.
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When does the Battlefield 2042 Open Beta start?
At the time of writing, no dates have been confirmed for the exact timeline, so we don't currently know when the Beta will be made open. On EA's FAQ page, it simply states, "stay tuned for more Open Beta details". We can speculate a little. Testing will begin July, with release slated for October 22nd. So expect Beta testing to begin some time in September or very early October. We may get more information at the EA Play event on July 22nd, so keep your eyes peeled for that. It will be made available to players on all platforms.
How to sign up to Battlefield 2042 Beta
As we stated above, at the moment there isn't any way to sign up for the Beta. If you are very lucky, and have the right credentials, you may get an invitation to participate in the Technical Playtests. This is unlikely to be fully representative of the final game though, as it's mainly about making sure the core stability and performance is up to standard. They will use a "Grey Box" environment, and players will be expected to sign strict NDA's. So if you think you might meet their criteria, keep checking your inbox.
But if you want to play the Beta as soon as possible after this, then you need to preorder the game, in order to get access to the closed Beta period. After that, the open Beta will make the game much more widely available. So if you don't want to preorder, this may be the earliest point at which you can experience Battlefield 2042.