Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War beta: Start times, how to preload and file size

After a divisive alpha test, Activision is launching the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta this week - which promises to be more reflective of the final game’s shape.

The rollout of the beta varies depending on your devotion to the cause, with PlayStation 4 players who have pre-ordered the title digitally having access first from Thursday 8th October. 

But when will it roll out for everyone else? Here’s what we know so far about the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta. 

• Read more: Black Ops Cold War Alpha impressions - the most divisive Call of Duty yet?

When does the Black Ops Cold War beta start?

The beta kicks off this week (Picture: Activision)

You can check out the rollout schedule for the Black Ops Cold War beta below, with players able to gain early access by either pre-ordering the title digitally, or by winning a giveaway from Xfinity (Sky in the UK). 

The open beta portion however will be open to all PS4 players, which concludes on 12th October. 

The first weekend is exclusive to PlayStation 4 owners, with PC and Xbox players gaining access to the beta the following weekend. 

Weekend 1 (PlayStation 4 exclusive)

Early Access - 8th October

• UK - 6pm BST
• Europe - 7pm CEST
• West Coast US - 10am PT
• East Coast US - 1pm ET

Open Beta - 10-12th October (start times are the same)

Weekend 2 (Xbox, PS4, and PC players)

Early Access for Xbox and PC (PS4 Open Beta) - 15th October

• UK - 6pm BST
• Europe - 7pm CEST
• West Coast US - 10am PT
• East Coast US - 1pm ET

Open Beta for Xbox and PC - 17-19th October (start times are the same)

Can I preload the beta?

Those eligible for the PS4 early access beta can pre-download the Black Ops Cold War beta now, before it goes live on 8th October. 

You can do this through the PS Store when you search for Black Ops Cold War. Alternatively, you can download it remotely for your console here. 

Xbox and PC players can preload the beta for the following weekend from Tuesday 13th October at 8am PT/4pm BST.

What is the file size for the Black Ops Cold War beta?

You didn’t think it’d be small, did you? The Black Ops Cold War beta will set you back 31.1GB of storage space - so get clearing now. 

What will feature in the Black Ops Cold War beta?

The beta will feature various 6v6 maps and modes, and a 12v12 Combined Arms mode - similar to the alpha. 

The new 40-player mode Fireteam Dirty Bomb will be playable too.

This blueprint is up for grabs (Picture: Activision)

Players who reach Level 10 within the beta will also receive an SMG weapon blueprint when Black Ops Cold War launches. 

We will update this section when more details are released. 

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War releases on 13th November.

For more Call of Duty news, be sure to check out our dedicated section or some of our MW2 Guides & Tutorials below:

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