Battlefield 1’s open beta starts August 31

Online shooter fans will soon get their first taste of World War I.

Publisher Electronic Arts and developer Dice announced today that Battlefield 1 will start its open beta test on August 31 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The online shooter is one of Electronic Art’s biggest releases for the holiday season, which is when game sales are at a yearly high thanks to gift-giving. The full game comes out on October 21. Such betas are meant to help developers find bugs and problems with a game before launch. However, they also serve as a way to let players try a title and (hopefully) begin to spread positive buzz, resulting in increased sales for the final release.

The Battlefield 1 beta will feature the Sinai Desert map and two modes: Conquest and Rush. Each supports up to 64 players, which is in line with the franchise’s reputation for large-scale combat. The map also shows off some of the game’s new features, including an armored train and horses.

Previous Battlefield games have taken place during World War II, Vietnam, modern times, and even futuristic settings. This is the first one set during World War I. Despite the glut of WWII and modern combat titles, we’ve rarely seen The Great War in gaming. Although the Call of Duty franchise usually outsells Battlefield, EA’s series may have an advantage with this unique setting (Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare has a sci-fi feel, which is becoming familiar ground for that franchise).

:story: VentureBeat