The first Battlefield 2042 technical playtest starts Aug. 12, but players will be under NDA
An early test and a vow of silence.
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What you need to know
Battlefield 2042returns the long-running Battlefield franchise, often considered among thebest Xbox shooter games, to the near-future, and aims to be the largest and most ambitious title yet from Electronic Arts and DICE. To ensure the game can deliver on its chaotic promises, EA has promised aBattlefield 2042 betawith multiple stages, and the first of three is almost upon us. EA is hosting a Battlefield 2042 technical playtest, or preview, that begins on Aug. 12 and runs to Aug. 16.
This initial technical preview is designed to test core elements of the game in a closed environment, and players can only get in by receiving one of a limited number of invites. If you are lucky enough to be invited, you’ll be limited by a strict non-disclosure agreement. That means no streams, videos, or other content can be shared from this Battlefield 2042 technical playtest. The test will run for a few days, with specific three-hour windows every day opening up the doors for players to try out the game.
This is a little different to the firstHalo Infinite beta, which was still invite-only, but was open to players for the entire duration of the test and fully allowed any content to be made from the game’s technical preview. Battlefield 2042 is planning a closed beta and an open beta that should relax some of the restrictions and requirements of this early technical playtest.
Battlefield 2042 officially releases on Oct. 22, 2021, and looks to be an exciting addition to the bustling first-person shooter genre. If you want to ensure access to Battlefield 2042andgain early access to the game on Oct. 15, be sure to read ourguide on preordering Battlefield 2042. You can also bookmark ourultimate guide to Battlefield 2042for everything you need to know about this expansive and hectic shooter.
Battlefield goes back to the future
Battlefield 2042 debuts Electronic Arts' next-generation vision for the military shooter, supporting up to 128 players, the largest-ever maps, and is shaping up as its most ambitious entry to date.
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Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter@BoddyZachary.
