Call of Duty: Vanguard PS5 and PS4 Alpha Test Runs August 27 to 29 - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 23 August 2021 / 1,922 Views
Publisher Activision and developer Sledgehammer Games announced the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 Alpha test for Call of Duty: Vanguard will start on Friday, August 27 at 10:00 am PT / 1:00 pm ET / 6:00 pm BST and end on Sunday, August 29 at 10:00 am PT / 1:00 pm ET / 6:00 pm BST.
Read the details for the Alpha test via the Call of Duty Blog below:
What is the Call of Duty: Vanguard PlayStation Alpha?
Similar to Alpha sessions in previous Call of Duty games, Sledgehammer Games is giving players a vital role in Call of Duty: Vanguard‘s development by granting them access to a limited pre-release version of the game’s Multiplayer, a small slice of what is to come on November 5. While also providing you with a ton of fun this weekend, the Call of Duty: Vanguard PlayStation Alpha will provide our developers feedback on a global scale to help them tune and polish the game’s Multiplayer prior to its upcoming beta and launch.
This Alpha is the first hands-on opportunity the world will have with Call of Duty: Vanguard, introducing just some of the game’s innovations—as broken down today on stream by Greg Reisdorf, Sledgehammer Games’ Multiplayer Creative Director—and putting them into your hands to experience and test.
For example, you can expect—and are encouraged—to explore reactive environments across the four maps within Champion Hill, breaking destructible barriers, doors, and other obstructions to create new sightlines or catch a would-be camper by surprise.
You will also get hands-on time with some of the game’s armaments, including being able to modify some with up to 10 attachments. You can also put yourself in the boots of the four main characters—Lucas Riggs, Polina Petrova, Wade Jackson, and Arthur Kingsley—as Operators, and of course, experience tactical fast-paced Multiplayer gameplay in Champion Hill.
Champion Hill: The Basics
In 2019, Infinity Ward broke ground through Modern Warfare Multiplayer with Gunfight, a new mode based on quick-action, close-quarter small-squad combat that is easy to learn but hard to master. For the next two years, both Infinity Ward and Treyarch continued to innovate, introducing the concept of Gunfight Tournaments to reward the best Duos with exclusive rewards and allowing the mode’s frenetic small-scale maps to see action in more traditional modes like Team Deathmatch in playlists like Face-Off.
Now, Sledgehammer Games introduces Champion Hill, a tournament-style, multi-map and multi-life game mode where tactics and strategy go beyond the pull of a trigger.
In Champion Hill, your squad—either a Duo (two-versus-two) or Trio (three-versus-three) during the Alpha—will compete in a round-robin deathmatch tournament against other squads. Your mission is to reduce all other squads’ life count to zero before your whole squad is eliminated.
Everyone starts with the same Loadout, and while it can be lethal, collecting Cash—earned by taking enemy lives and picking up drops scattered around the map—will allow you to upgrade your starting weapons and purchase new armaments, equipment, Perks, and Killstreaks during Buy Rounds that happen between Combat Rounds.
Champion Hill also takes place on one large map split up into five sections. Specifically, there is a central Buy Station Area and four arenas for Combat Rounds: the Airstrip, the Trainyard, the Market, and the Courtyard. Once you are eliminated, you can watch how the tournament ends from the Buy Station Area spectator platform, but ideally, you survive long enough to see victory for yourself.
Want to know more? Like a standard-issue Fragmentation Grenade, the Call of Duty Blog is cooking an exclusive in-depth guide to Champion Hill prior to its debut on August 27.
Preloading and Regional Download Links
Preloading will begin on August 23 at 3:00 a.m. PT / 6:00 a.m. ET ahead of the Alpha’s scheduled launch on August 27 at 10 a.m. PT / 1:00 p.m. ET.
Download the free Alpha at the links below for your respective region:
- PlayStation 5
- PlayStation 4
How to Access the Alpha
Those who have Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Warzone, or Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War installed can access the Call of Duty: Vanguard Alpha through the main menu after it is downloaded.
Within any of those released game’s menus, selecting the Alpha menu blade—to the far left of the main menu screen—either brings you to the Alpha to jump in and play if you’ve already downloaded, or redirects you to its download page on the PlayStation Store.
All participants will receive a Calling Card and an Emblem, accessible in Call of Duty: Vanguard upon its release—as well as Warzone following the integration of Vanguard—just for being the “tip of the spear” and participating in the Alpha.
Preorder Now on Digital
This Alpha is just a sample of Call of Duty: Vanguard. Expect more modes, maps, and weapons in the upcoming Beta in September and at the game’s launch on November 5.
Visit CallofDuty.com to digitally preorder now and get instant rewards like the Night Raid Mastercraft Weapon Blueprint for immediate use in Black Ops Cold War and Warzone; secure early access to the Open Beta, first on PS5 and PS4; and receive additional preorder rewards to be available in Call of Duty: Vanguard at launch, such as the Frontline Weapon Pack.
Call of Duty: Vanguard Multiplayer Reveal and Beta Dates Announced
As the Alpha approaches, you should know about one other pre-release experience of Call of Duty: Vanguard coming in September.
After a worldwide Multiplayer Reveal on Tuesday September 7, get ready to experience the Call of Duty: Vanguard Beta! This will be held over two weekends: from Friday September 10 to Monday, September 13, and Thursday, September 16 to Monday, September 20.
The first weekend – September 10 to September 13 – will be for PlayStation owners who have pre-ordered the game.
The second weekend will be considered an Open Beta in its entirety for PlayStation owners. Those on other platforms will need to pre-order the game to access the first two days of the Beta (September 16 and 17), before it becomes an Open Beta for all platforms from Saturday, September 18 to Monday, September 20 at 10 AM PT.
Call of Duty: Vanguard will launch on Friday, November 5 for the Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Battle.net.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel dedicated to gaming Let's Plays and tutorials. You can contact the author at wdangelo@vgchartz.com or on Twitter @TrunksWD.
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Love how they are like "just like previous years we are giving players (instead of saying only Sony players) a vital role in the game's dev", and yet there's no testbed for it's PC version (again).
Now all we need to do is wait for PS exclusive content and Xbox/PC players paying the same price out the arse again. I wish Bobby would die.
