DICE has confirmed exact times for when players can preload and play the Battlefield 2042 beta. The upcoming beta will run for just under a week and will feature one of the biggest maps in the history of the franchise: Orbital. This will be the first chance that players have to go hands-on with Battlefield 2042 in a public test.
Earlier this month, Battlefield 2042 was delayed to November 2021 after originally being slated for October. The beta was meant to happen at some point in September, but things supposedly changed at the last minute, resulting in a delay. DICE hasn't gone into detail regarding what caused the abrupt change, but it seems the developer is just using the extra time to add more polish to the game ahead of its release. Still, players will soon get the chance to play the game and see how it stacks up against this holiday's other big shooters.
EA confirmed that players can preload the beta on October 5 at 12 AM PST/3 AM EST. The Battlefield 2042 beta begins on October 6 at 12 AM PDT/3 AM EDT for those who have pre-ordered the game and the open beta will begin at the same time on October 8. The beta will come to a close on October 10 at the same time, giving players about four days to get their fill of the game before launch. As of right now, DICE has only confirmed one map and game mode for the beta, but it sounds like it'll still be rather expansive.
DICE and EA haven't shown a ton of gameplay from the game, so this will be the first real chance for players to see what the game is really made of. A technical test of the game was held in August, but it was heavily protected by NDAs. Halo Infinite and Call of Duty: Vanguard have already had public playtests, so Battlefield 2042 has a lot to live up to already.
Fans will also be able to get early access to Battlefield 2042 on November 12, a week ahead of the game's launch. EA will let players buy the game early for $99.99, giving players a significant advantage over those who get the standard version the following week. The game will launch right in between Halo Infinite and Call of Duty: Vanguard, but its extremely high player counts, cross-play, and chaotic weather systems may be enough to sway players into siding with Battlefield this year.
Battlefield 2042 releases for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC on November 19, 2021.
Source: EA