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Invitations to the closed beta of Doom 2016 are now heading to inboxes

Kevin Parrish
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Anxiously waiting Doom? We sure are, and the closed beta is just around the corner, as in it begins March 31 at 10 p.m ET and will run until April 3 at 11:59 p.m. Gamers can preload the Doom beta build starting on Wednesday, when it officially goes on sale for Windows PC, the PlayStation 4, and the Xbox One on May 13. Invites to the closed beta are going out now to gamers who registered for the event.

To get into the closed beta, participants needed to have redeemed their Doom beta codes that were provided with the physical copy of Wolfenstein: The New Order. Codes were also given to those who pre-ordered the Wolfenstein game before May 26, 2014. However, if you missed those two windows, there’s still a chance to get into the closed beta. Starting April 1, gamers can head into GameStop or EB Games Canada to receive a free access code, which will be offered until April 3.

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For PC gamers, you’ll need at least an Intel Core i5-2400 or AMD FX-8320 or better processor to run the beta, a Nvidia GeForce GTX 670 (2GB) or AMD Radeon HD 7870 (2GB) or better GPU, up to 22GB of hard drive space, a Steam account, a broadband connection (as this beta is multiplayer only), and a 64-bit version of Windows 7, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10.

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The beta notes warn that at this time, the Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 Ti graphics card isn’t supported, nor are mobile GPUs found in laptops. However, this is a beta of Doom, so things could change before the final game ships in May. Gamers are recommended to check back for the final list of minimum and recommended specs when the game goes gold.

That said, what do you need to get the most out of the Doom beta for the PC? Try an Intel Core i7-3770 or AMD FX-8350 CPU or better processor, and a Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 (4GB) or AMD Radeon R9 290 (4GB) graphics card or better. You’ll still need up to 22GB of hard drive space, a Steam account, a broadband connection, and a 64-bit version of Windows 7, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10.

The closed beta will contain two maps: Heatwave and Infernal. It will also introduce two game modes, including 6v6 Team Deathmatch and Warpath. There will also be a handful of weapons at your disposal including the rocket launcher, the plasma rifle, the super shotgun, the lightning gun, and more. Equipment will include frag grenades, a personal teleporter, and a siphon grenade. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Doom is back!

“The Closed Beta features a limited content and feature set,” Bethesda states. “The intent is to encourage people to play as many matches as possible during the Closed Beta test period.”

The new Doom installment will be unlike the previous Doom 3 release, which hit the gaming scene way back in 2004. Unlike the previous chapters, Doom 3 featured slow gameplay as gamers inched their way through the Martian base.  The new Doom (2016) returns to the fast-paced shooting action that made the franchise so great back in the 1990s.

Granted the closed beta takes place within a short amount of time, this will provide Bethesda and id Software with plenty of information about game stability on multiple hardware configurations on the PC, network play across all three platforms, and how the multiplayer servers handle the load. Bethesda set out to make the perfect Doom sequel for the PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, and this is just part of the process.

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Kevin Parrish
Kevin Parrish
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kevin started taking PCs apart in the 90s when Quake was on the way and his PC lacked the required components. Since then…
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