During Gamescom's Opening Night Live stream, Activision and Infinity Ward confirmed that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will be playable this weekend in a three day Alpha test for the new 2v2 Gunfight mode. The Alpha takes places from August 22 until August 25 and will be available exclusively on PS4.
Available this Thursday, Modern Warfare's multiplayer Alpha will be free to all players on PS4, meaning that no PlayStation Plus subscription or download code will be required. The Alpha features a single game mode known as Gunfight, that will be played across 5 new maps called Speedball, King, Pine, Docks, and Stack
Gunfight is a brand new 2v2 multiplayer mode in Modern Warfare, that focuses on fast-paced close-quarters combat. The first team to win five rounds wins the match but the catch is that all players are given the same randomly selected loadout that changes from round to round. In the full game, players will be able to take Gunfight offline in custom matches and select from 2v2, 3v3 or 1v1 matches.
Gunfight was designed as a competitive mode and because of that, it has different rules from other multiplayer modes in Modern Warfare, placing a much larger emphasis on teamwork and coordination between players. Standard 6v6 multiplayer, the new 10v10 mode, and the updated Ground War mode, all allow players to customize their loadout during a match, a major change for the series.
This will be the first opportunity for the general public to get their hands on Modern Warfare ahead of its release in two months time. While the Beta is expected to launch in late September, allowing all PS4 owners to download the Alpha without any limitations is a very smart move for Sony and Activision - a move they made with the original Destiny back in 2014 to great success.
Unfortunately, Xbox One and PC players won't have the chance to go hands-on with Modern Warfare until the Beta which is available as a pre-order bonus. For more details on the various editions and pre-order bonuses, we've compiled a complete guide.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare releases on October 25 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.