Gamers will get their first crack at Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 over the course of two public playtests that have been confirmed for September. The schedule, which frankly I feel is unnecessarily convoluted and confusing (but maybe I'm just envious because I have to wait), begins at 10 am PT/1 pm ET on September 16 for PlayStation owners who have preordered the game. The beta will then open to all PlayStation owners at the same time, 10 am PT/1 pm ET, on September 18. Both sessions will run until September 20.
Everyone gets to join the party in the second playtest: Xbox and PC owners who have preordered can start shooting at 10 am PT/1 pm ET on September 22, and all players can jump in, regardless of platform or preorder status, on September 24. That test weekend will wrap up on September 26, and naturally PlayStation owners will have full access throughout.
So, what have you got to look forward to? Activision promises "a robust multiplayer experience going beyond the Core 6v6 experience with a variety of meticulously designed maps of various sizes, and an equally impressive set of Modes, Progression experiences, and other aspects."
In-game rewards will be up for grabs during the beta (but they'll also be available to everyone when the game launches, so no need to worry about missing out), and players who have preordered the Vault Edition of Modern Warfare 2 will also have access to all four Red Team 141 Operators during the beta—Ghost, Farah, Price, and Soap—each of them in a special masked outfit. The Marina map, showcased in the flyover video above, will be one of the maps available in the test.
More information on the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 beta will be revealed during the Call of Duty: Next showcase, which will also feature a full Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer reveal and updates on Call of Duty: Warzone. That's set to take place on September 15—the start time will presumably be announced later. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is set to launch on October 28 and will be available for PC on Battle.net and (finally!) Steam.
