The open beta for Battlefield Hardline‘s multiplayer mode kicks off on February 3, inviting one and all for an early look at Visceral Games’ cops-and-robbers take on the long-running military shooter series from DICE. The beta runs until February 8 on all platforms the game is coming to, including PlayStation and Xbox consoles, and Windows via publisher Electronic Arts’ Origin service.
The early sampling of Hardline‘s multiplayer includes three maps — Downtown, Dust Bowl, and Bank Job — and three modes: Hotwire, Heist, and Conquest. The last of those three is familiar territory for Battlefield fans, a five-flag capture mode that amounts to a race for points. It’s playable on the beta’s Dust Bowl map with up to 64 players (it’s capped at 24 on PS3 and X360).
Hotwire and Heist are newcomers in Hardline. The former — playable on the Downtown and Dust Bowl maps — tasks a gang of criminals with stealing a list of specific cars (think Gone in 60 Seconds) while cops try to stop them from getting away with their prizes. The latter, on the Bank Job map only, sees the crooks blasting their way into a bank vault, then making off with the loot by bringing it to drop-off locations. Meanwhile, cops try to stop them, as is their way.
The beta gives players access to “the full breadth of multiplayer progression in the game,” so everyone can get a sense of how new gadgets like the grappling hook or taser change up strategies in Hardline. Also up for sampling is Hacker, a cops-and-robbers spin on Battlefield 4‘s second screen Commander Mode. As a PvP team’s Hacker (one per side), you surveil the field of battle, providing intel to your people by hacking security cameras, spotting enemies, and issuing attack/defend orders.
It’s likely our final look at Battlefield Hardline before the game comes to all the platforms supported in the beta on March 17 in North America, March 19 in Europe, and March 20 in the UK.
