An open beta for Windjammers 2 has officially been announced, alongside confirmation of the game's release on PlayStation 4 and 5. The beta won't require an active PlayStation Plus subscription, which will allow more players to join in the testing phase of the upcoming game ahead of its full release later this year.
Windjammers is a sports arcade game first released in 1994. The title offers similar gameplay to Pong, with players trying to score goals by shooting discs into the opponent's goal zone in order to win. The game's sequel, simply titled Windjammers 2, was announced back in 2018, and at the time was confirmed to be coming to just PC and Nintendo Switch. While gameplay will be similar to the original title, Windjammers 2 will offer new features, and encourage competition through ranked matches.
Players looking forward to Windjammers 2 will be able to take part in the open beta, beginning tomorrow, August 11, at 3 pm CEST. The beta will run until August 22, and will be available for PC, PlayStation 4, and PS5. According to the PlayStation Blog, the beta will include four characters for players to master, each with a different "unique balance of power and speed." Four playable stages will also be available: Beach, Ring, Stadium, and Rooftop. Cyrille Imbert, executive producer of Windjammers 2, promises that the game will be "even more exciting and engaging than the arcade classic," and hopes that its focus on competitive play will help in the developer's aim to "build a global community around the game."
Watch the Windjammers 2 beta announcement trailer on Twitter here.
Windjammers 2's character roster for the beta shows a balanced selection of competitors, giving players the opportunity to test out and discover the right character for their playstyle. Loris Biaggi is listed as one of the most well-rounded of the beta's roster, but those looking for a challenge might want to try and master American heavyweight Gary Scott, who is described as slow yet powerful. The final two available champions for the beta, Steve Miller and Sophie De Lys, promise agility and speed. More characters are to be revealed in the future.
The beta test should give players a good taste of what the full game will offer at launch, and with nearly two weeks to playtest the game, it's hoped that community feedback can help make the final release the best it can be. The developer has teased there are still more features to be revealed in the future, which could mean that more competitive modes are yet to be announced. Windjammers 2's inclusion of ranked matches could make the game a success in the esports scene, though the PlayStation Blog has stated the game will only have crossplay between PlayStation consoles, and not PC.
Windjammers 2 will comes to PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC later this year.
Source: Windjammers/Twitter, PlayStation Blog