How to play the Call of Duty open beta on PS4, Xbox, and PC this weekend

Do you hear the call? The call of duty? It's now autumn, which means the next Call of Duty isn't far away. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, the 2020 installment of the popular military first-person shooter franchise, will be released for consoles and PC on November 13, 2020.

But eager players can play it a lot sooner with the open beta weekends happening now in October.

Here's everything you need to know to get to playing Black Ops Cold War right this minute.

When is the Black Ops Cold War beta?

The first weekend, reserved only for players on PlayStation 4, took place last week from October 8 through October 12. But for everyone else playing on PS4, Xbox, and PC, the open beta begins this weekend.

First and foremost, the days you can access the beta are divvied up into two categories: Early Access and Open Beta. To gain Early Access, you must pre-order any edition of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War from any valid retailer. The open beta is just that, open for everyone even for those without a pre-order.

For Xbox One, PC, and PlayStation 4 users:

• Early access for the Black Ops Cold War beta runs through October 15-16.
• The open beta for everyone else runs through October 17-19.

So, if you've already pre-ordered Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, you can get to running and gunning right now! If not, you still get to play Black Ops Cold War on Saturday (October 17), Sunday (October 18), and Monday (October 19), which is still several weeks early before the full game's release. Be sure to block out your weekend plans now. (You should be staying home anyway. Don't you know? There's a pandemic.)

How to download/pre-load the Black Ops Cold War beta

To access the beta for Black Ops Cold War, simply search for and download the Black Ops Cold War beta app through your preferred platform's digital marketplace. You can do that right now.

The download size is just under 32 gigabytes, which isn't a terribly big download. But if you intend on playing the open beta as soon as possible, it's advisable you download now so you can just jump in when the work day is done.

For Xfinity customers...

If you happen to be an Xfinity customer, you too can join in the fun of Black Ops Cold War. Xfinity began providing early access beta codes for all customers since September 21. To redeem your code as an Xfinity customer, you must visit this link and follow the instructions.

You have until October 18 to redeem your code.

What can I expect to play in the beta?

Contained in the beta for Black Ops Cold War are the following multiplayer match types:

• Team Deathmatch
• Domination
• VIP Escort, a new mode being introduced in Black Ops Cold War
• Kill Confirmed
• Combined Arms, another new mode expanding on Domination with two teams of 12 capturing six flags across a bigger map

Do I get any rewards for playing the open beta?

Yes! If you reach Level 10 in the open beta, you will be rewarded with an exclusive submachine gun (SMG) blueprint, which you can have at the launch of Black Ops Cold War. For Call of Duty: Mobile players, you will also receive "Adler" as a playable character.

What else do I need to know about the Black Ops Cold War beta?

Stop camping. We mean it.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War will be released November 13, 2020.