Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 beta - How to get the game in early access

As we approach the end of the year, we also approach the window where just about every big video game releases in time for the holidays.

One of those titles is Black Ops 6 - Call of Duty ’s annual release for 2024.

Black Ops 6 is the second Call of Duty to be released since Microsoft ’s acquisition of Activision . It will also be available on Microsoft’s subscription service Game Pass from day one - a huge plus for the Xbox gamers.

Ahead of the full release of the game, players will be able to get their hands on Black Ops 6 early, thanks to the Beta release this weekend.

What is the COD: Black Ops 6 beta?

From a simple standpoint, it’s essentially a way for gamers to play a certain section of the new COD game early.

From a more specific standpoint, it’s a last chance for the developers to make changes should anything go wrong before the full release of the game.

When is the COD: Black Ops 6 beta out?

The Black Ops 6 Beta takes place over two weekends, with more maps and modes being introduced throughout the play period.

The beta initially goes live on August 30th through to September 4th in early access.

The full beta schedule:

• Early Access (Weekend One): August 30 - September 4
• Open Beta (Weekend Two): September 6 - September 9

Weekend One (early access)  is available to all players who have pre-ordered the game across all platforms (consoles and PC) beginning on Friday, August 30 at 10AM PT and ending on Wednesday, September 4 at 10AM PT.

How to play the COD: Black Ops 6 beta?

To gain access to the beta you will need to have pre-ordered the game OR if you have Game Pass already you can simply pre-install the game, but be weary, it currently has a HUGE download size of up to 165GB.

The other alternative is to search for the Call of Duty app in the Xbox store and click into it, then download the base Call of Duty app and the Black Ops 6 beta pack. This is a much longer way to access the beta but takes up far less room on your hard drive.

Players who pre-order digitally don’t need a Beta code to participate in the first weekend; they’re automatically registered to participate in the Early Access period.