Revealed at the end of last month, the forthcoming stat-tracking subscription service Call of Duty: Elite will head into beta next month. This isn't, however, the open beta that Activision stated "over one million" gamers signed up for since last week.

The invitation-only beta will kick off July 14th, and will run a limited set of features while tied to Call of Duty: Black Ops so players can get "a taste of the [Elite] experience." Activision have not acknowledged an end date for the beta, but it's a safe bet that the invite-only is an early preview that will roll into the launch of the beta that fans signed up for last week. There is no word on when the beta for the registered signups will launch or if it will be any different in features than the invitation-only version.

Elite is expected to have it's feature-full release coinciding with the release of the highly anticipated Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 this November. There will be a paid and a free model of the service, though any details on what differentiates the two options or what the price has yet to be revealed.

Features for the Elite service include Career, Connect, Compete and Improve.

Career keeps track of your career stats, recent match results, custom class list, personal bests, leaderboards, weapon performance and my theater to view/share clips from recorded matches.

Connect is the social integration to Elite. This service introduces a groups option to connect with gamers using a variety of identifiers such as interests, location, etc. You also have access to your theater here where you can tag fellow gamers in the clips so you can identify who accomplished what in the matches. Clips can also be uploaded to YouTube from this menu.

Compete houses everything competitive around your matches. Upcoming events will be listed that you can partake in to win prizes and trophies. There are also Team Operations and Lone Wolf Operations - similar to the Contracts in Black Ops - where you can also win prizes for accomplishing various goals. There is also a program guide to keep your schedule organized and know when certain events and challenges will be.

Finally, Improve will show you your recorded habits in each map and match. Everything from locations where you get killed to weapon usage is available for you to study and improve your skills.

There is a lot of depth within the Call of Duty: Elite service, so be sure to check out our complete guide to the service.

Also, don't forget to follow our E3 2011 coverage all week for more information about Elite, Modern Warfare 3 and more.

--

Follow me on Twitter @jonlavallee and let us know what you think about the Call of Duty: Elite service.

Source: Joystiq