Head To The Desert: 'Battlefield 1' Open Beta Is Live

We tried Battlefield 1 for the first time at E3 earlier this year, but now you too can play DICE’s latest entry in the series. The game's open beta starts today on PC as well as on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

During the beta period, you will play on the hot sands of the Sinai Desert map. Most of the infantry combat will take place in the small village of Bir el Mazar, but you can also drive vehicles and airplanes in the surrounding desert and cliffs. One of the new features in Battlefield 1 is the Behemoth, a large vehicle that spawns for the losing team for a chance to turn the tide of battle. Unlike the E3 multiplayer session, which had a large airship as the Behemoth, the beta will feature an armored train packed with a full arsenal of weapons.

When you enter the beta, you’ll get to play two game modes. Obviously, there’s the always-popular Conquest, which can have up to 32 players on each team fighting for multiple objectives on the map. You’ll also get to play Rush mode, wherein an attacking team of 12 players must destroy the defending team’s Telegraph Poles, which are used to call in artillery strikes. The defenders must protect the Telegraph Poles in order to win the game.

There doesn’t seem to be an official end date to the beta. However, a quick look at the game via the Origin PC app suggests that you can try out Battlefield 1 until September 8. Even if you don’t get to try out the beta, you won’t have to wait long for the official launch of the game on October 21.