Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Alpha Test Announced for PS4

Activision and Sony brought Call of Duty players another look at Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War during the PlayStation 5 event with news of an opportunity to play the new game even earlier than expected. We knew already that an open beta would be offered, and it's now been confirmed that there will be an open alpha available before that. The Black Ops Cold War alpha test will go live on September 18th, and it'll be available only for those on the PlayStation 4.

Seeing Black Ops Cold War during the event wasn't a surprise given that the partnership with PlayStation will persist into the next game, but the news that people will be able to play the game sooner than expected should come as a nice surprise if you have a PlayStation 4. For those who missed the announcement during the event, Activision and Treyarch shared more information on social media afterwards.

The Black Ops Cold War alpha will go live on September 18th at 10 a.m. PT, Activision confirmed. Modes featuring teams of six will be enabled along with the new Combined Arms experience. The alpha will take up 25GB on your consoles, and you can pre-load it on September 17th.

Brief the squad - September 18, 10AM PT.

Experience signature 6v6 modes and be among the first to play Combined Arms - Domination in the #BlackOpsColdWar Alpha only on PS4.

Pre-Load of the 25GB Alpha begins at 8AM PT on September 17. pic.twitter.com/662FUkRIFy

— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) September 16, 2020

Surprise! Get your hands on the #BlackOpsColdWar PS4 Multiplayer Alpha this weekend!

Watch for pre-load and more details tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/vF01SUGVML

— Treyarch Studios (@Treyarch) September 16, 2020

Treyarch said more information will come on Thursday pertaining to the alpha, so it looks like we'll soon see a more in-depth look at the features and modes that'll be available in the first public test.

The Combined Arms mode teased above is one that features teams of 12 instead of six and encompasses multiple modes like Domination. These larger versions of the game modes can feature different vehicles depending on the maps players find themselves on.

"A 12v12 battle that combines infantry and vehicular gameplay, Combined Arms is a larger-scale mode where the action is tailed to the environment it takes place within," Activision said about the Combined Arms mode. "Depending on the map, vehicles such as Tanks, Snowmobiles, Attack Helicopters or Wakerunners will amplify and advance the action alongside traditional gunfights, allowing for jaw-dropping moments right in the middle of an intense engagement."

For those not on the PlayStation 4 who won't be participating in the alpha test, you can look forward to the beta when it's available next month. That too will come to the PlayStation 4 first on October 8th for those who obtain early access by pre-ordering or through other means and will enter into open beta for PlayStation 4 users on October 10th. Xbox One and PC players will get the early access beta on October 15th with the open beta coming on October 17th.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War releases on November 13th.