Black Ops 6 beta: start times, pre-load, Game Pass and more (2024)

The time for our first hands-on opportunity with Black Ops 6 multiplayer is near. As we’ve come to expect from Call of Duty every year, the game will host a beta for everyone to try out the action prior to launch, and offer some feedback to developers.

In this guide, we’re going to cover all the details Treyarch and Raven Software have revealed about the Black Ops 6 beta. The list includes the launch date, start times, who can access the beta, how the Black Ops 6 beta works with Game Pass, what platforms it’s available on, beta content and much more.

Read on for a recap of everything we know.

Black Ops 6 beta release date

The Black Ops 6 multiplayer beta follows a similar rollout schedule to past beta tests from previous Call of Duty games. That said, this year, there are couple of differences that are going to make the beta more accessible to more players.

The Black Ops 6 beta takes place over two sessions, the first of which is scheduled for today. Call of Duty no longer has an exclusivity agreement with Sony, so PlayStation players no longer get to play early, but not everyone is going to be able to play at the same time. Here’s how it all breaks down:

Black Ops 6 Beta weekend one release Date:

Black Ops 6 beta start times - Weekend one schedule (PC, Xbox, PlayStation cross-play)

The first Black Ops 6 beta session kicks off today, Friday, August 30. This first go will be available all the way until Wednesday, September 4, making it one of the longest beta sessions we’ve seen for Call of Duty.

Servers go live at 10am PT, 1pm ET, 6pm BST simultaneously across all platforms, with cross-play supported from day one.

The good news is that all platforms are welcome to participate in both sessions. That includes PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. However, this first session is mainly available to players who pre-ordered the full game, either digitally or via a retailer.

The twist this year is that PC and Xbox players don’t even have to pre-order to access the first weekend, so long as they’re subscribed to Game Pass. Ultimate, Game Pass PC and Game Pass Console members are all invited, no pre-order necessary.

If you’re not currently a Game Pass member, you may find getting a one-month subscription to be the easiest, cheapest way to play the Black Ops 6 beta this weekend. Do keep in mind, however, that Microsoft recently made Game Pass tiers and their benefits more complicated, and raised the prices of most of them - so read the description of the tier you’re going for carefully before spending any money.

Black Ops 6 beta start times - Weekend two schedule (PC, Xbox, PlayStation cross-play)

After a brief hiatus, the second session of the Black Ops 6 beta will go live. This is going to be your last chance to play the game before its launch in October. It kicks off Friday, September 6 and will remain online until Monday, September 9.

As with the first weekend, this one is also available across all platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Unlike that one, however, this session is truly open across all platforms, no pre-order or Game Pass membership necessary. Simply download it and start playing.

For this second and final session, servers will also go live at 10am PT, 1pm ET, 6pm BST. Cross-play is also supported.

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Black Ops 6 beta content

The first weekend launches with three maps, and four game modes. Over the course of the weekend, three more maps and modes will join the roster. In total, that’s six maps, four 6v6 (core) and two smaller (but also 6v6) Strike Maps.

Core maps are Derelict, Scud, Skyline, and Rewind. Strike Maps are Pit, and Gala. As for modes, expect Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint, and the new Kill Order. We’re also getting two Face Off (no scorestreaks) variants of TDM and Kill Confirmed. The maximum level cap of weekend on is 20, but everyone is going to start off with a few weapons, perks, equipment, and scorestreaks unlocked via the default loadouts.

Weekend two retains all of the first weekend’s content, and expands the map roster with Babylon for core, and Stakeout for Strike Maps. As for new modes, look out for Gunfight, and a Face Off variant of Kill Order.

The level cap increases in the second weekend, too, going up to a new cap of level 30. Obviously, the level cap increase also comes with new sets of unlocks across the board, so there’s going to be more for you to try out.

The beta is going to focus entirely on multiplayer, so don’t expect Zombies, or single-player content of any kind.

Black Ops 6 pre-load times and download size

The Black Ops 6 beta rollout is a little tricky this year, as it arrives alongside a big overhaul to Call of Duty HQ that’s intended to reduce the overall file size, and separate Warzone from the yearly games. Here’s what that means for you:

If you have Call of Duty installed and fully updated to the latest Modern Warfare 3/Warzone Season 5 Reloaded update, the beta will automatically be unlocked via a patch to the same install. You won’t have to do manually trigger a download, and you’ll simply need to launch the Call of Duty app to play the beta.

If you’re in the above camp, the update will come in at 34GB for PS5, 15GB for PS4, 35GB for Xbox Series X/S, 17GB for Xbox One, 32GB for Steam/Battle.net, and 29GB for the Microsoft Store (PC Game Pass).

If you do not have Call of Duty installed, however, you’ll need to manually grab the Black Ops 6 beta from the PlayStation/Xbox Store, or from Steam and Battle.net on PC. The pre-load will be available beginning Wednesday, August 28. As a result, your download is going to be much bigger.

You’re looking at 80GB for PS5, 67GB for PS4, 75GB for Xbox Series X/S, 52GB for Xbox One, 74GB for Battle.net, 66GB for Steam, and 68GB for the Microsoft Store (PC Game Pass).

Black Ops 6 beta rewards

Just like every Call of Duty beta, Black Ops 6 is also offering a few rewards for players who show up and jump in. You won’t need to do anything special; simply reach the required character level for every reward to earn it. All rewards will be available at Black Ops 6’s launch, for those who buy the full game. Here’s what you can look forward to:

Level 2: Beta Tester animated emblem.
Level 6: Beta Tag spray.
Level 11: No Bugs weapon charm.
Level 15: Quick Draw emote.
Level 20: Squish Westpoint operator skin (only unlockable during weekend one).
Level 20: Squash Westpoint operator skin (unlocked during either weekend).
Level 23: The Truth Lies loading screen.
Level 27: Beta Expert animated calling card.
Level 30: Bug Smasher weapon blueprint.

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Black Ops 6 beta PC specs

Seeing as Black Ops 6 will be available on two generations of consoles, we’re not expecting the PC system requirements to be high. For the beta, Treyarch and Raven have published the hardware specs you’re going to need if you want to play it on PC. Do keep in mind that launch system requirements may vary slightly from these. Until then, here’s what your PC needs to play the beta.

Black Ops 6 PC minimum specs

OS: Windows 10 64Bit (latest update).
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 1400 or Intel Core i5-6600.
RAM: 12GB.
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 470 or Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 or Intel Arc A750.
Video Memory: 3GB.
Storage: SSD required.
Recommended Drivers: 560.70 (Nvidia), 24.8.1 (AMD), 32.0.101.5768 (Intel).

Black Ops 6 PC recommended specs

OS: Windows 10 64Bit (latest update) or Windows 11 64Bit (latest update).
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 1600X or Intel Core i7-6700K.
RAM: 16GB.
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6600XT or Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060.
Video Memory: 8GB.
Storage: SSD Required.
Recommended Drivers: 560.70 (Nvidia), 24.8.1 (AMD), 32.0.101.5768 (Intel).