Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Open Beta: How to Join, Maps, Game Modes, and More

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is launching in a little under two months, but you can play the game early now. The first of two open betas Activision is running before the game's launch starts today, Aug. 30, and runs through Sept. 4.

Getting into the beta is fairly simple. The only requirement is that you have to preregister or prepurchase the game ahead of time. For players who digitally pre-register on Xbox, PlayStation, Steam, Battle.net and the Microsoft Store, you'll be automatically registered to the open beta as soon as you pre-register or pre-purchase the game.

How to Access the Open Beta

The method for accessing the beta depends on your platform.

PlayStation

PlayStation players can search the PlayStation Store for the Black Ops 6 open beta listing that is separate from the main game. Download that, open it and log in. You should have access to the beta after that.

Xbox

On Xbox, you should open the Microsoft Store and navigate to the Black Ops 6 listing. Once there, select the Choose Edition option and select the open beta. Once it downloads, open the game and log in. You should be good to go from there.

PC (Microsoft Store)

PC players using the Microsoft Store can follow PlayStation's example. The store has a separate listing for the open beta version of Black Ops 6. Simply download that, open it, log in and you'll be able to play.

Steam and Battle.net

Steam and Battle.net users have a slightly different path. For Steam, you'll need to have the Call of Duty HQ app installed. As long as you've entered your open beta code or preordered on Steam, you'll have access to the beta once you open the COD HQ app. This process is the same on Battle.net. Players who use the Call of Duty HQ app frequently may already have the beta installed if they have automatic updates enabled.

Other Ways to Access the Beta

• If you subscribe to Microsoft's Game Pass, you'll have beta access immediately on Xbox or the Microsoft Store with no pre-registration required.
• Xfinity Rewards members can also check out the game early through Xfinity.
• People who pre-order the game from participating retailers will receive a 13-digit code from the retailer. Once you have your code, hop over to callofduty.com/betaredeem, log into your Activision account, redeem your code and follow the instructions to get access to the open beta. Activision says that if you lost your open beta code, you should reach out to your retailer for help.

What's Included in the Open Beta

The open beta will feature six of the core maps that are coming with Black Ops 6 along with two of the strike maps. Initially, players will be limited to only a few at the launch of the beta but more will be added over the weekend.

Maps

The included maps are:

• [Map Names will be added here once they are announced]

Game Modes

In addition, players will have access to four game modes to test out the maps and will be able to reach level 20 in the first open beta. When the second open beta comes out, the level cap will be raised to 30 and two more maps will be added. The second beta will also feature the Gunfight and Face Off Kill Order game modes.

Other Features

• Players will also be able to use the custom loadouts function but will have to wait until level 4 to unlock it.
• Those who preordered the Vault edition won't have access to their preorder guns during the open betas.

Aim Assist Nerf in Black Ops 6

A Call of Duty developer has officially revealed that the much controversial Aim Assist has received nerf in Black Ops 6. They have also revealed that more details regarding the nerf will be shared with everyone soon. Popular Call of Duty content creator JGOD has posted a video on his X account and stated that, "Aim assist on Black Ops 6 is getting nerfed. Treyarch said they are going to have a lot more information to come on how they are going to do it." In the same post, a Treyarch developer named Matt Scronce replied, "We're making some changes to aim assist in Black Ops 6. We're focused on creating a level playing field for everyone. More details to come."

This confirms that the Aim Assistant has received a significant amount of nerf in Black Ops 6. Read on to learn more.

Why the Aim Assist Nerf?

According to the Treyarch dev, they have made some tweaks in Aim Assist to create a "level playing field" for everyone. Since the release of Modern Warfare (2019) and Warzone in 2020, fans have been complaining about the Aim Assist and asking Activision to nerf it. Several times, there were major debates between controller players and mouse and keyboard players regarding the aim assist being overpowered in Call of Duty. With the brand new Omnimovement in Black Ops 6, it is evident that controller players will have more advantage over mouse and keyboard players. Hence, it seems justifies that the developers have decided to nerf Aim Assist in Black Ops 6.

What's Next?

Right now, Black Ops 6 Beta is live, and the game will officially launch on October 25. We can also expect several changes in the original version when it launches. In the CODNEXT, Treyarch developers have stated that they will take feedback from the beta and make the game enjoyable for everyone.

What do you think about the aim assist nerf in Black Ops 6? Let us know in the comment section.

The Future of Black Ops 6

The open beta for Black Ops 6 is a great opportunity for players to get a taste of what's to come. With the aim assist nerf and the feedback gathered from the beta, Activision and Treyarch are sure to deliver a polished and enjoyable experience when the game officially launches on October 25.