Some Call of Duty fans have their doubts about Infinite Warfare and the game’s hard sci-fi setting, but developer Infinity Ward knows how to win you over.
The next Call of Duty title will give anyone who preorders a chance to join a beta test that begins October 14 on PlayStation 4. An Xbox One version of the trial will come soon after — although publisher Activision has not provided an exact date. The demo for the space shooter is completely skipping PC.
It’s fitting that Call of Duty is getting a beta because it is the series that has helped define what a test like this means for a game and its marketing. In 2007, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare gave away thousands of codes for an early trial version. That got players buzzing and talking about the military shooter, which was one of the reasons it was such a huge success. Now, nine years later, Infinity Ward is doing the same thing for a game that comes bundled with the Remastered version of Call of Duty 4. (See more of our Call of Duty XP coverage here.)
Pre-order any edition of #InfiniteWarfare and get access to the Infinite Warfare Multiplayer Beta, starting Oct. 14 on PS4.
— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) September 2, 2016
Activision says that the beta will last for at least three days. This should give fans some time to figure out what’s new and what’s familiar about Infinite Warfare.
Call of Duty has had a new release every year for more than a decade, but Infinity Ward is trying to shake up the formula by taking the action into the solar system. But while that is a step away from the franchise’s focus on a terrestrial war on terror, the studio is promising to deliver weapons and movement that all feel familiar.