#Gamescom2016 Titanfall 2 beta details revealed, will be console only
EA has announced that the Titanfall 2 beta will take place over two weekends for PS4 and Xbox One, but not PC at this time (more on that later). The first beta takes place this Friday on August 19th and will run until the 21st. The second beta will then begin on August 26th and will end on the 28th. Each beta test will grant us access to the two new Titans, Ion and Scorch and will introduce new pilot skills with the Grapple, Pulse Blade and Holo Point.
The modes available for the beta this weekend will be Bounty Hunt and Pilots vs. Pilots. In Bounty Hunt, two teams will be pitted against one another in a 5 vs. 5 match-up (along with a 3rd party AI Remnant Fleet) and the aim of the game will be for teams to deposit their points at a bank to receive credits. If a player gets killed before the deposit is made, they will lose their points.
The second mode, Pilots vs. Pilots is simply a team deathmatch without the Mech’s. The two maps available will be Boomtown and Homestead.
During the second beta test, a third mode will be added with Armed Hardpoint. This mode first appeared in the original game and will be 6 vs.6 and players must amplify the beacon that you’re protecting to earn your team double points. A new map will also be added with the second beta test called Forward Base Kodai.
- Bounty Hunt (5v5):A brand new mode that pits Pilots and their teammates against an opposing team as well as the Remnant Fleet. Earn bonuses by killing grunts and enemies, but make sure and deposit all your points at the bank between waves without getting killed.
- Pilots vs. Pilots (8v8):Players can be the best Pilot on the Frontier and put their combat and mobility skills to the ultimate test in this classic 8 vs. 8 Pilots only mode.
MAPS
- Boomtown: A secret underground IMC facility where the latest in R&D is put to the test. In this facility Pilots can use the many peaked roofs to use as cover against combatants below. With tight lanes through the middle, Titans can also be easily ambushed.
- Homestead: The IMC have claimed Imminent Domain on a small commune’s plot of land. With a series of raised, rocky plateaus and a river running down the middle, Pilots are mostly safe from Titans among the rocks and trees but they also can duck into the caves and building when needed. However, the Titans control the large rolling fields.
During the second weekend of the Titanfall 2 open multiplayer technical test, all the content from the previous weekend will still be available, plus a brand new mode and map for players to enjoy:
MODE
- Amped Hardpoint (6v6):A new twist on Hardpoint Domination from the original game; now defending a Hardpoint will let you amp it, giving your team double score. Team work is the key to securing victory.
MAP
- Forward Base Kodai: Militia forces have taken over an IMC substation and set up a forward operating base. Pilots can find safety from Titans in the hallways and chambers of the main building, while Titans can walk over the roof to get a better view of the action.
During the open multiplayer technical test, fans will have access to two all-new Titans: Ion and Scorch, as well as a range of Pilot tactical abilities including Grapple, Holo Point, and Pulse Blade. Fans will also have access to a variety of weapons including a deadly horizontal spread shotgun known as the Masttiff and the Alternator, a dual-barrel SMG.
In addition, players are encouraged to try out Networks, a brand new feature in Titanfall 2 that makes finding and playing with friends fast and easy. To learn more about the Titanfall 2 Open Multiplayer Technical Test, head over to www.titanfall.com for all the details.
As briefly mentioned above, the beta will only be for PS4 and Xbox One, and not PC. The reason being as detailed on a blog post, is that the purpose of the beta is to stress test the servers and each server is “per-platform” meaning that at this time, there’s no need to test the PC servers, only for the console platforms. It also seems that according to the blog post, that the developers at Respawn are still optimising Titanfall 2 for PC and are working hard to make sure that the game is compatible with a variety of hardware, such as video cards and CPU’s and they feel that more work is needed for the PC’s minimum specifications.
So I guess when reading between the lines, it means that they are currently not confident that the PC will be all that playable, even for a PC beta test, so they’ll doing it in a safe, but sure way by restricting the stress tests to console only. Hopefully, that doesn’t mean that we won’t get a PC beta before the game releases for PC, PS4 and Xbox One on October 28th.
A stream for Titanfall 2 also took place yesterday, you can check out that footage below.