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Black Ops 6 Beta Guide: Dates, Start Times, and How to Play

Last Updated: November 1, 2025

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 key art featuring beta details.

The first hands-on opportunity with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has arrived. Following its blockbuster reveal, Activision and Treyarch have rolled out the highly anticipated multiplayer beta, giving players their first chance to experience the next chapter in the iconic series before its full launch on October 25.

The beta is the first major public stress test for the game's core multiplayer, including the revolutionary Omnimovement system, new weapon mechanics, and map design. This period is a crucial opportunity for Treyarch to gather player feedback and fine-tune the experience, while players get a valuable preview of the intense, spy-thriller action that defines Black Ops.

Official Black Ops 6 Beta Schedule and Access Times

The Black Ops 6 beta was structured across two main weekends, following the traditional Call of Duty format that prioritizes different platforms before opening up to everyone. The schedule provided players with multiple opportunities to jump in, whether through early access or the open beta periods.

Here is the complete breakdown of the Black Ops 6 beta weekends that took place:

Weekend 1: PlayStation Exclusive

  • Early Access (PS4/PS5): Thursday, August 28 – Friday, August 29
  • Open Beta (PS4/PS5): Saturday, August 30 – Monday, September 2

Weekend 2: Cross-Play Beta (All Platforms)

  • Early Access (Xbox/PC) + Open Beta (PS4/PS5): Thursday, September 5 – Friday, September 6
  • Open Beta (All Platforms): Saturday, September 7 – Monday, September 9

How to Get Early Access

For players who wanted to get in on the action as early as possible, there were two primary methods to secure early access:

  1. Pre-Order: Anyone who pre-ordered a digital copy of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on PlayStation, Xbox, or PC automatically received early access to the beta on their respective platform.
  2. Game Pass Subscription: In a first for the series, active subscribers to Xbox Game Pass (Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass PC, or Game Pass Console) were also granted early access to the beta without needing to pre-order the game separately.

Following the early access windows, the beta became completely free and open to all players on each platform for the remainder of the scheduled time, ensuring everyone in the community had a chance to participate.

What to Expect in the Black Ops 6 Beta

The beta offered a curated but substantial slice of the Black Ops 6 multiplayer experience, designed to showcase the game's biggest innovations.

  • Omnimovement: The star of the show was the new Omnimovement system. Players could test the ability to sprint, slide, and dive in any direction (forwards, sideways, and backwards), fundamentally changing the flow of movement and combat engagements.
  • Maps: The beta featured a selection of brand-new 6v6 maps, including the claustrophobic underground combat of Silo, the urban streets of Kami, and the upscale political battleground of Scandal.
  • Game Modes: Classic modes like Team Deathmatch, Domination, and Hardpoint were available, giving players a familiar proving ground to test the new mechanics.
  • Create-a-Class and Progression: Participants were able to experiment with a portion of the game's arsenal, customizing loadouts with new weapons, perks, and equipment. The beta included a dedicated progression path, allowing players to level up and unlock more content throughout the test period.

While progression from the beta did not carry over to the final game, players who participated were able to earn exclusive in-game rewards, such as the "Apparition" Operator Skin, which became available when Black Ops 6 launched on October 25.