Ready to answer the ‘Call’? ‘Infinite Warfare’ beta kicks off in a few weeks

By Gabe Gurwin September 26, 2016

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare‘s multiplayer beta test will kick off on October 14 for PlayStation 4 users, publisher Activision has announced.

The beta will be available through the weekend exclusively to those who pre-ordered the game on PlayStation 4. Users must like their PlayStation Network usernames to a Call of Duty account to participate in the beta. Activision says that beta access will “vary by territory” but has not clarified which regions will be restricted from participating.

The following weekend, beginning on October 21, the beta will be made available to anyone who pre-ordered the game on either PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. The PC will not be receiving a beta test, though last year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops III featured a beta on the platform.

The Call of Duty franchise has certainly thrown its hat into the PlayStation 4 camp in recent years. Early beta test and map pack access was given to Sony’s players for Black Ops III, and in addition to those perks, both Black Ops III and Infinite Warfare will also support improved visuals on the PlayStation 4 Pro console. The improved horsepower will allow for 4K visuals and “richer textures” along with the series’ expected 60-frames-per-second gameplay.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare‘s multiplayer component looks to build on the elements that have made the series so popular, with improved customization and specialized “rigs” that make different characters feel like something out of Blizzard’s Overwatch. The campaign, meanwhile, takes the series away from planet Earth for the first time, with a futuristic plot centered on a villain played by Game of Thrones‘ Kit Harington.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare launches for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on November 4. It will be the first game since the launch of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 that will not appear on their predecessors at all.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

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Although it's one of the most successful video game franchises out there, Call of Duty's quality varies significantly, with some fantastic entries in the series, but many mediocre ones as well. But which Call of Duty games are worth your time and which ones should you skip? To answer that question, we've ranked all the mainline entries in the series, with details about why you should or shouldn't play that particular game.

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The best field upgrades for Modern Warfare 3 Zombies

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's Zombies mode puts a slight twist on the mechanics you are already familiar with. It now plays much more like a souped-up DMZ mode rather than its old round-based format. And Field Upgrades have been modified in terms of both their effects and how you get them just for this game type. There are six different Field Upgrades you can bring into the map and use on a cooldown timer to help improve your chances of survival, but you can only pick one at a time. You will begin the game with only one option, but steadily unlock the rest as you level up. Once you have them all, the question then becomes which is the best Field Upgrade? We've managed to exfiltrate with the answer.

Healing Aura
Regardless of whether or not you're playing with a team or running solo, Healing Aura is no doubt the best Field Upgrade to bring on any Zombie run. When activated, you and any teammates in the area will not only gain immediate healing, but it will also instantly revive any downed teammates. The downside to all this power is that this upgrade has the slowest recharge time and is unlocked at level 19.
Aether Shroud
This is another upgrade that you will be glad to have. Aether Shroud makes you you temporary invisibile to all Zombies. This won't make you invincible, mind you, and PMCs can still take shots, but if you're getting swarmed and have no way to escape, becoming instantly invisible to a bloodthirsty pack of zombies can save your skin more often than you think. This upgrade has a medium recharge rate and is unlocked when you hit level 39.
Frenzied Guard
Just past the halfway mark, Frenzied Guard has a massive upside, but not without some risk. When you pop this Field Upgrade, you instantly repair all your armor, but also draw all the aggression of any enemy nearby for 10 seconds. However, another perk is that anything you kill during this time also repairs your armor, so situationally, it can be great or detrimental. This one recharges slowly, unlocking at level 9.
Frost Blast
Frost Blast does exactly what you expect: it fires a freezing blast that will slow down any enemy you hit with it and deal a bit of damage. It's decent in a pinch, but not a game-changer. You can get it when you hit level 29.
Tesla Storm
An odd ability on paper, Tesla Storm is only good if you have a team working together. Activating it will create a lightning chain between you and your team that will damage and stun enemies that get close to any one of you. It lasts for 10 seconds and can be great in the final moments while holding out for an extraction, but not in other situations. It recharges slowly and is the last upgrade you unlock at level 50.
Energy Mine
This is your default Field Upgrade, so it makes sense that it's the "worst" on the list. Energy Mine isn't exactly bad; you simply lay down a mine that does what a mine does -- explodes. It's just that setting up traps like this in Zombies isn't all that applicable except when kiting a boss around or waiting for the helicopter. It has a medium recharge speed.

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A soldier shields themself from an underwater explosion.

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How to fix packet burst errors

If you spot a symbol of three squares on the left of your screen while playing Modern Warfare 3, it means you're suffering from a packet burst. This is essentially an error where something is messed up in the communication between your system and the game's servers, resulting in terrible performance. While it could be simply an issue on the server side and not related to you at all, which you can check by looking at the Modern Warfare 3 server status here, there are a few things you can do to potentially fix the issue on your end.