Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 multiplayer beta coming January 14th

By Danny Cowan Published January 6, 2016

PopCap fans can get an early look at the studio’s competitive third-person shooter sequel Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 with a free multiplayer beta launching next week, publisher Electronic Arts announced.

The limited-time beta will be available as a free download for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, giving players the chance to check out Garden Warfare 2‘s new playable classes ahead of the game’s retail release in February.

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The Garden Warfare 2 beta features multiple gameplay modes, including the King of the Hill-inspired Flag of Power mode, the base-capturing Gardens & Graveyards, and the all-new Herbal Assault mode. Players compete across four maps, including the low-gravity Moon Base Z level that offers floatier physics than maps featured in previous games.

The upcoming beta will also mark the first time that six of Garden Warfare 2‘s new character classes will be publicly playable. Players siding with the Plants faction can control the new Rose, Citron, and Kernel Corn classes, while Zombies supporters can get an early glimpse at the Imp, Super Brainz, and Captain Deadbeard characters.

Between matches, players can explore Garden Warfare 2‘s Backyard Battleground, a new hub world that connects all of the game’s featured maps and modes in a playground-like environment. EA notes that Backyard Battleground features a collection of dynamic events that will unfold throughout the duration of the multiplayer beta.

Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 is the sequel to a PopCap-developed third-person shooter that originally hit consoles and PCs in 2014. Inspired by the hit tower defense game Plants vs. Zombies, Garden Warfare adapts the strategy-oriented gameplay of its series predecessors to suit squad-based multiplayer battles.

The Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 multiplayer beta will be available for download from Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network starting on January 14th, and multiplayer sessions will be playable through January 18th. Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 premieres for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PCs on February 23rd.

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