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You can play the new Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville right now

Gabe Gurwin
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Image used with permission by copyright holder

Electronic Arts and PopCap are back with the next installment in the Plants vs. Zombies franchise. A successor to Garden Warfare 2, Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville is an action-packed shooter filled with your favorite characters. It’s arriving this October for Xbox One, PS4, and PC, but those who are eager to get in on the action early can play right now.

Beginning today until September 30, you can play Battle for Neighborville early as part of the $30 Founder’s Edition. This will initially include a small slice of the game with more content coming each week in the lead up to the full launch on October 18, after which the price will increase to $40. Those who purchase the Founder’s Edition will gain access to the standard version of the game at launch, and will also get some exclusive rewards during the early access period.

Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville Founder's Edition Content Drop Calendar
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville takes place in the titular town and focuses on the never-ending battle between the two factions. There are 10 character classes per side, including the ones you know and love from past Garden Warfare games. They’re joined by newcomers like Nightcap — a mushroom Plant with spores for a weapon — as well as Oak & Acorn, which functions like a giant, powerful behemoth with smaller turrets on top. The latter character can actually transform from an acorn into the oak tree, with other acorn characters riding it like passengers.

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Battle for Neighborville is split into a few different components. Traditional multiplayer and  “Ops” make their return, including all the modes you remember from past games. They’re joined by the Battle Arena, which is a round-based four-versus-four mode that forces you to switch classes each round. Also included are the narrative-heavy Free Roam regions near the bottom of the map, and a social hub in the middle filled with mini-games.

PopCap intends to support Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville for a long time, and it will do this through live service content. This includes festivals, new characters, maps, modes, and features, and other ongoing updates. Players can unlock customization rewards using an in-game currency called coins, and after launch, the option to buy cosmetic items using a premium currency called Rainbow Stars will be available as well. There will be no blind loot boxes in the game, and a limited amount of Rainbow Stars can be earned rather than bought.

If you would like to pick up the Founder’s Edition of Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville (which is digital-only), you can find it on Origin, the Xbox Live Store, and the PlayStation Store starting today. It’s also included as part of Origin Access Premier, and if you’re a subscriber of Origin Access Basic or EA Access, you can get 10% off the Founder’s Edition until September 30.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the game’s use of blind boxes. There will be no loot boxes, and premium currency won’t be available at launch.

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Gabe Gurwin
Gabe Gurwin
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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