The Call of Duty: Vanguard beta is coming, and players are wondering how to download and play it. Unfortunately, Call of Duty has a history of giving certain systems timed exclusives, which means those on some platforms the open beta will only be available for one of the two planned weekends. Check the times and dates below to see when it’ll be available for each platform.
When can I download the Call of Duty: Vanguard open beta?
Unfortunately, the Call of Duty: Vanguard open beta won’t be available on Xbox and PC during the first weekend, so pre-loads for it likely won’t be live until sometime next week, if at all. the open beta is a PlayStation exclusive for the first weekend and will only be available on the PS4 and PS5.
Of course, it isn’t unusual that the beta is only available on PlayStation consoles. Various maps, features, and preview opportunities have been locked to Sony’s hardware in the past, and the exclusivity likely won’t stop here..
What are the start and end dates and times for the Call of Duty: Vanguard open beta?
The Call of Duty: Vanguard open beta will be spread over two weekends:
- Weekend 1: PlayStation Early Access – Available for those who pre-order Call of Duty: Vanguard for PS4 or PS5.
- Dates and Times: 9/10, 10 AM PT – 9/13, 10 AM PT
- Weekend 2: Crossplay Beta – May be an open or early access beta. More information is coming next week on who can participate.
- Dates and Times: 9/16, 10 AM PT – 9/18, 10 AM PT
What game modes and maps will be in the Call of Duty: Vanguard Open Beta?
The open beta will expand the range of maps that players can experience. Champion Hill and its four maps will return with a new weapon set. In addition, there will be three multiplayer maps:
- Gavutu
- Hotel Royal
- Red Star
Users can play three familiar game modes on these new maps:
- Domination
- Kill Confirmed
- Team Deathmatch
There is also a new mode premiering in the open beta called Patrol.
There are no other betas currently scheduled before the game launches in November, so in total, PlayStation players get a total of 12 days they can play the game before launch compared to 3 on Xbox and PC.
It doesn’t seem very fair that PlayStation players get to spend so much more time with the game before launch, but that’s how marketing goes these days. Activision has made some sort of deal with Sony for Call of Duty timed exclusives, and it’s naive to think it would change with Vanguard.
