Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Beta Has a New Game Mode and “A Few Surprises”

Some new details on the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta were shared by Activision and Treyarch this week just before the beta arrives to give people a fresh look at the next Call of Duty game. We know of some of the traditional game modes players will encounter similar to ones seen in the alpha along with a new game mode that we’ve only seen teased before. Throughout the course of the beta, Activision also said it’ll release a few updates and some surprises that haven’t yet been detailed.

Inside the Black Ops Cold War beta, we’ll see some of the normal 6v6 game modes players have gotten used to along with one new one called Fireteam: Dirty Bomb. This mode can house 40 players, and as we’ve seen from previous multiplayer showcases, it involves players fighting for control of uranium in order to set off bombs across the map. Doing so will alter the playing field for the remainder of the match.

The larger Fireteam game type Dirty Bomb is part of consists of 40 players split into four different teams. We’ll see other Fireteam modes introduced in the future, but Dirty Bomb is the first one that’ll be playable.

Whether you’re mastering the Dirty Bomb game mode or sticking to the traditional Team Deathmatch, you’ll be able to level up through the beta’s progression system to unlock more content just as you’re able to in any other Call of Duty game. Activision also teased a few surprises that’ll take place, though we haven’t been given any hint yet as to what those will be.

“The Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Beta will feature a mix of maps, modes, and playlists,” Activision said. “Similar to past Betas, the Black Ops Cold War Beta will also include a progression system where players can earn XP in order to unlock new content for their loadouts including weapons, equipment, Create-a-Class slots, and Scorestreaks. Expect frequent updates and a few surprises to take place within the Beta across both weekends and stay tuned to official Call of Duty and Treyarch channels for specific details.”

The Black Ops Cold War beta, for those who haven’t had it marked on their calendars, starts on October 8th for PlayStation 4 owners who pre-ordered the digital version of the game. The open period of that beta for those on the PlayStation 4 starts on October 10th. Xbox and PC users get their early-access period from pre-ordering on October 15th while October 17th will mark the time that the beta is totally free for everyone regardless of platform.