Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Beta Will Debut a New Mode

When the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta releases later this week, it will feature a brand-new mode. Treyarch has revealed Combined Arms: Assault, "a bigger, badder take on a classic mode that relies on team-based momentum to secure the victory." In the mode, two teams of 12 compete over a neutral zone. Once that zone has been taken, another zone will open deeper into the enemy's territory. Over the course of the mode, players will battle it out over five zones in each map by default. The team that is able to capture the enemy's final zone first is the winner. If neither team captures the other's final zone, the two teams will compete in an overtime round.

On Treyarch's blog, Matt Scronce, Black Ops Cold War's lead game designer, talked up the new addition.

"Combined Arms: Assault is an exhilarating large-scale experience where both teams are focused on a single moving objective," said Scronce. "From charging the radar station in Crossroads on a Snowmobile, to storming the enemy's ship in Armada, Combined Arms: Assault is where you'll find some of Black Ops Multiplayer's most intense and cinematic moments."

The Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta kicks off on October 8th for those with early access, which will last through October 9th. Following that, an open beta for PS4 players will run from October 10th through the 12th. Players on Xbox and PC will have to wait until the following weekend. Those with early access on all three platforms will be able to access the beta October 15th through the 16th. After that, an open beta for all platforms will run from October 17th through the 19th.

It's hard to say for certain whether or not Call of Duty fans will embrace the new mode, but it certainly sounds promising. Fortunately, Call of Duty fans won't have to wait long to try out Combined Arms: Assault for themselves!

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is set to release on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC on November 13th. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the game right here.

What do you think about Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War thus far? Are you excited to check out Combined Arms: Assault? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!