Call of Duty: Vanguard is shaping up to be a huge game in the series. With the troubled development of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, that game felt like a stepping stone, more than a full fledged release. We got the first look at the campaign earlier in August, and now we’ve got all the details about Multiplayer content. In their Call of Duty Blog post about it, the team at Sledgehammer Games detailed what’s going down in the Beta test this weekend and more. Let’s go through the highlights.

The Vanguard Beta Weekends

Weekend one starts exclusively on PlayStation 4 and 5 this Friday, September 10th at 10AM PT. It lasts up to Monday, September 13th at 10:00AM PT. If you preorder the game digitally or have a code from a physical pre-order, you can play right away. The Beta weekend has samples of the overall multiplayer experience including:

  • Three brand-new Vanguard maps: Hotel Royal, Red Star, and Gavutu.
  • Three traditional game modes to try — Team Deathmatch, Domination, and Kill Confirmed — and a new one called Patrol, available during Weekend 1.
  • A return to Champion Hill, now with a new weapon set.

If you get to Level 20 (the maximum level for the beta) you get a special Weapon Blueprint for use in Vanguard and Warzone. They’re waiting to give us the full details of the Beta until later in the week.

Weekend 2: Crossplay Beta

For people that play on Xbox or PC, you’ll have to wait a week because of the wonderful (terrible) exclusivity deal that Activision made with Sony. That Beta Weekend starts Thursday September 16th at 10:00AM PT and goes to Saturday, September 18th at 10AM PT. Finally, from the 18th to the 20th, it’s open play for everyone regardless of Pre-Order status. There’ll be more details about this process later in the week from the Call of Duty blog.

The Modes Of The Beta Weekend

The Alpha test had Champion Hill as the main mode, for the Beta, we’re getting into the nitty gritty of Multiplayer. Vanguard has a new mode called “Patrol”. If you’re a fan of Hardpoint, this objective-based mode has a hardpoint zone that’s constantly moving. So, if people camping the point pisses you off, this one is a breath of fresh air. Keep up or just move along, you’ll need a fast pace and quick reflexes for this new mode.

If “Patrol” isn’t your thing, other game modes like Team Deathmatch, Kill Confirmed, Domination, and Search & Destroy are all coming back for the Beta Weekend. Note: Search & Destroy won’t be available right away in the Beta period.

Combat Pacing: Newest Way To Play

The new Combat Pacing system gives players a dynamic choice between three styles of gameplay:

  • Tactical: These are the lobbies that franchise veterans know well. This is the experience that you’re used to with classic Call of Duty combat timing. Tactical Comat Pacing is always 6v6.
  • Assault: This option provides balanced Combat Pacing that gives you enough room to breathe and a lot of targets to kill. Assault is a middle ground between Tactical and Blitz. In Beta Weekend 1, player counts will vary between 20 and 28 players.
  • Blitz: High-action lobbies see the intensity cranked up to frenetic levels. Prepare for plenty of combat when choosing to join a Blitz. In Beta Weekend 1, player counts will vary between 28 and 48 players.

For people who want every type of experience, you can set your Combat Pacing to “all” to experience a different game style every match.

More To Come, But It’s Looking Exciting As Hell For The Call of Duty: Vanguard Beta

The Gunsmith and Create-A-Class system are coming back in addition to new features and environments in Vanguard. Destructible cover, mounting, sliding, blind firing, and more all make their way as returns or new mechanics to Call of Duty. It’s all adding up to a hugely exciting release this November 5th, 2021 on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4/5, and PC.

We’ll keep you update on all the Call of Duty: Vanguard Beta content as it develops.

Rise on every front.

For more on gaming, make sure to check back to That Hashtag Show.