Call of Duty: WWII open beta preloading has begun

The Call of Duty: WWII multiplayer open beta gets underway this weekend—September 29, to be precise—and those of you who want to avoid wasting time when ye olden shooting begins can start preloading it now on Steam

The open beta client is separate from COD:WWII on Steam, and is roughly 14GB in size. "Beta participants will experience the all-new War Mode where players compete against each other in objective-based, team gameplay," the standalone Steam listing says.

"As a critical stress test of our systems, the Beta will also enlist players in fast-paced, grounded Call of Duty action on maps set in World War II locations such as Pointe du Hoc and the Ardennes Forest. Team up with your friends to compete in fan-favorite modes such as TDM, Domination, Hardpoint, and more." 

The open beta runs until October 2, and everyone who takes part will get given a "Beta Combat Pack" of a helmet, calling card, and emblem when the game launches on November 3.   

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Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.