Activision throws exclusivity out the window, as Black Ops 6 beta starts on all platforms simultaneously

With the Call of Duty Black Ops 6 launch looming, Activision and Treyarch have made a massive statement with their latest beta period announcement. Instead of initially making the pre-release period exclusive to a specific console, the CoD publisher has announced that it will be available on all platforms simultaneously. Yes, this means you’ll be able to enjoy the game early with your friends, no matter what system you’re playing on.

To access the Black Ops 6 beta, you’ll either need to preorder the game before its release date (this gets you a few nice preorder bonuses) or subscribe to Game Pass. If you’ve already done one of these two things, all you’ll need to do is wait until August 30, 2024, for the start of the Early Access period. BO6’s EA phase will last for five days, until September 4. On the other hand, players who don’t want to preorder or subscribe to Game Pass can wait for the open beta from September 6 to September 9, 2024, instead.

Again, these Black Ops 6 beta dates will see a simultaneous multi-platform release. So whether you’re playing on previous-gen platforms, like the PS4 or Xbox One, or current-gen consoles, you’ll be able to enjoy the game all the same. It is worth remembering, though, that couch co-op will only be available on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, per an Activision support article. So, if you enjoy the classic split-screen feel of the OG CoD games, you may want to upgrade your system while it’s still early.

That said, there are still a few weeks to go before it kicks off, so you’ll have to remain patient before you can experience all the new content that the next CoD game brings. To make the wait slightly more bearable, why not check out our pages on the Black Ops 6 round-based Zombies mode and the Black Ops 6 maps list? This way, you can learn more about the upcoming entry beforehand.