Call of Duty: Vanguard alpha start time and how to get in

CALL of Duty: Vanguard is launching this November, but PlayStation players are getting early access this weekend with the limited-time alpha.

PS4 and PS5 players wiling to try out an early build of the game can boot up the new Champion Hill multiplayer mode from Friday, August 27.

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The Call of Duty: Vanguard alpha is free for everyone on PS4 and PS5 gamers, and as a bonus, no PS Plus subscription is required! Although players in Germany will need one due to the game's age rating, as per the .

Vanguard's Champion Hill alpha kicks off on Friday, August 27, at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST / 7pm CEST.

It wraps up on Sunday, August 29, at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST / 7pm CEST.

Players can pre-load right now, so as not to waste precious time with those notoriously huge Call of Duty files. Activision has helpfully provided the free alpha links for each region below:

• PlayStation 5
• PlayStation 4

If you already have Modern Warfare, Warzone, or Black Ops Cold War installed, you can access the Call of Duty: Vanguard alpha through the main menu once it's downloaded.

You can do this by selecting the alpha menu blade, situated to the far left of the main menu screen. If it's downloaded, you'll be taken straight to the action – otherwise you'll be redirected to the PS Store.

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• Call of Duty: Vanguard Standard Edition, £59.99 / $59.99 –
• Call of Duty: Vanguard Cross-Gen Bundle – £69.99 / $69.99 –
• Call of Duty: Vanguard Ultimate Edition – £99.99 / $99.99 –

Participating in the Vanguard alpha will get you a Calling Card and an Emblem which you'll be able to access in-game when it launches.

You can also access them in Warzone once Vanguard has released and the two are fully integrated.

Call of Duty: Vanguard alpha – what to expect

Sledgehammer is bringing a ton of new features to Call of Duty: Vanguard that you'll be able to get some hands-on time with during this weekend's alpha.

Champion Hill is described as "a tournament-style, multi-map and multi-life game mode where tactics and strategy go beyond the pull of a trigger."

Here are the basics of what's going on in the Vanguard alpha:

• Squads will be either a Duo (2v2) or Trio (3v3)
• Access to four maps:
  • Airstrip
  • Trainyard
  • Market
  • Courtyard
• Access to Vanguard's four main characters:
  •  Lucas Riggs
  • Polina Petrova
  • Wade Jackson
  • Arthur Kingsley
• Weapon modification with up to 10 attachments
• Reactive environments
• Blanket loadout that can be upgraded with cash

Sledgehammer is keen for players to interact with (and destroy) the reactive environment which can be utilised to create new sightlines or ambushing campers.

All players will begin with the same loadout, but by earning cash through kills and loot drops, you can upgrade your starter weapons or buy new armaments, perks, killstreaks, and equipment during Buy Rounds (between Combat Rounds).

The gameplay itself is a round-robin death match tournament betweeen squads. The aim is to get the opposing squads' life count to zero before your own squad is eliminated.

As for the map, Champion Hill technically takes place on one giant map split into five.

Four are used for the Combat Rounds while the central Buy Station area is a spectator platform for eliminated players to watch how the remainder of the tournament plays out.

Be sure to pre-load now ahead of the alpha going live so you can dive straight in this weekend.

• Read the latest stories for PS5
• Keep up-to-date with all the Xbox news
• Read the latest gaming news

If you want to secure a early access to the beta, you'll need to pre-order Call of Duty: Vanguard.

If you're interested in the historical side of things, you can read up on how Vanguard's Sgt. Arthur Kingsley is based on real-life paratrooper, Sidney Cornell.

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