Battlefield 6 open beta start time countdown PC Steam, PS5, Xbox, free rewards and how to play

Battlefield 6 has quickly become one of the most anticipated games of the year thanks to glowing gameplay impressions. We were able to participate in the reveal event at London, and DICE shared that destruction is a natural part of the experience rather than a cordoned “set piece,” and they also declared they will not be following the Call of Duty route of unrealistic skins such as Beevis and Butthead and celebrities such as Nicki Minaj. We absolutely cannot wait for BF6 to come out later this year, but you can play before launch. Here you will find the release date and time countdown for when the Battlefield 6 open beta will start for PC Steam, PS5, and Xbox, and you’ll also discover how to play and free rewards included.

Battlefield 6 open beta release date

The release date for the first Battlefield 6 open beta is August 9th. There will then be a second and longer BF6 open beta on August 14th.

Some people have been able to participate in an early access closed beta since August 7th, but this was only playable for people who signed up to Battlefield Labs before July 31st or received a code from EA or through Twitch Drops.

Even in early access, the beta has been a monumental success. The player count on Steam alone has well surpassed 300,000 concurrent players, so lord only knows how much bigger it actually is combined with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

When does the Battlefield 6 open beta start?

The release time for when the first Battlefield 6 open beta will start is 1AM PT/4AM ET/9AM BST on August 9th. The second beta will then start at the same hours on August 14th.

There is crossplay for the beta. However, EA has said they will try to ensure console players get matched against other console players, and that PC players will only be added when necessary to fill lobbies.

All the start times are the same for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, as well as PC for Steam, the Epic Games store, and the EA App as confirmed on EA’s post.

Battlefield 6 open beta start time US

• 1AM PT on Saturday, August 9th
• 4AM ET on Saturday, August 9th

BF6 open beta start time UK

• 9AM BST on Saturday, August 9th

Countdown

When does the Battlefield 6 open beta end?

The first Battlefield 6 open beta will end on August 11th at 1AM PT/4AM ET/9AM BST. After starting on August 14th, the second BF6 open beta will then end on August 18th at the same hours.

The full release date for BF6 is October 10th, 2025. We still don’t know the release date for Black Ops 7, so it will be interesting to see when the new Call of Duty comes out this year to face-off against its EA rival.

How to play BF6

Anyone can play the BF6 open beta on either PC, PS5, or Xbox Series X/S as a code isn’t needed, nor do you need to pre-order the game. It’s a fantastic opportunity to play entirely for free before the full game launches in just a couple of months.

The open beta is free to download right now from the PSN store, as well as Microsoft for Xbox. It is also on PC for Steam and is available via the Epic Games store and EA App, too.

Below is what’s included in both beta weekends:

Beta 1 – August 9th – 11th:

• Maps:
  • Iberian Offensive
  • Liberation Peak
  • Siege of Cairo
• Modes:
  • Conquest
  • Closed Weapon Conquest
  • Domination
  • King of the Hill

Beta 2 – August 14th – 18th:

• Maps:
  • All beta 1 maps
  • Empire State
• Modes:
  • All beta 1 modes
  • Rush
  • Squad Deathmatch
  • And more

PC system requirements

Below are the minimum and recommended system requirements for PC courtesy of EA:

Minimum:

• Graphic settings: 1080p at 30FPS Low Settings
• GPU:
  • Nvidia RTX 2060
  • AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT
  • Intel Arc A380
• Video Memory: 6 GB
• CPU:
  • Intel Core i5-8400
  • AMD Ryzen 5 2600
• RAM: 16GB (Dual channel 2133mhz)
• Operating System: Windows 10
• DirectX12
• Storage: 75GB HDD (at launch)
• TPM 2.0 Enabled
• UEFI Secure Boot Enabled
• HVCI Cable
• VBS Cable

Recommended:

• Graphic settings:
  • Balanced: 1440p at 60FPS (High Settings)
  • Performance: 1080p at 80FPS+ (Low Settings)
• GPU:
  • Nvidia RTX 3060Ti
  • AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
  • Intel Arc B580
• Video Memory: 8 GB
• CPU:
  • Intel Core i7-10700
  • AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
• RAM: 16GB (Dual channel 3200mhz)
• Operating System: Windows 11 64-bit
• DirectX12
• Storage: 75GB SSD (at launch)
• TPM 2.0 Enabled
• UEFI Secure Boot Enabled
• HVCI Cable
• VBS Cable

Free BF6 rewards

Below are the free and exclusive rewards you can unlock by participating in both weekends:

Beta 1 free rewards:

• Lights Out Player Card — Reach level 10
• Rising Star Character Skin — Reach level 15
• Night Terror Weapon Charm — Reach level 20
• Striking Distance Weapon Package — Get 50 close quarter kills (within 10m, Assault)
• Own the Night Weapon Sticker — Revive 100 teammates (Support)
• After Dark Weapon Sticker — Repair 3,000 health to vehicles (Engineer)
• Seeker Character Skin — Spot 300 enemies (Recon)

Beta 2 free rewards:

• War Machine Vehicle Skin — Capture 42 flags in Conquest, Domination, or King of the Hill
• Bat Company Dog Tag — Get 200 kills or assists
• Dominion Weapon Package — Capture 10 sectors in Breakthrough or Rush

If you purchase the full game, all the above rewards will be given to you upon launch.

BF6 pre-order bonuses

Although pre-ordering isn’t necessary to play the open betas, you can pre-order any of the following editions if you wish to before launch (prices and bonuses via PSN store):

Standard edition – £69.99:

• Pre-order bonus Tombstone Pack:
  • Gravedigger Soldier Skin
  • “Fallen Heroes” Player Card
  • “Bandolier” Weapon Charm
  • “Express Delivery” Weapon Sticker
  • “Hatchet” L110 Weapon Package
  • “Doomsayer” Soldier Patch
  • Tombstone XP Boost Set

Phantom edition – £99.99:

• Tombstone Pack
• Battlefield Pro Token
• Phantom Pack
• Phantom XP Boost Set

In other Battlefield 6 news, DICE has explained itsPortal map-maker is “absolutely” essential for modern gaming as players “don’t just want a game they can complete”. DICE has also said scope glint is “here to stay”, but the sizes of sniper trails and glaring scopes will change until they’re perfect.