Titanfall 2 developer Respawn Entertainment will run an open multiplayer "tech test" for the first-person shooter over two weekends in August, publisher Electronic Arts announced today.
This weekend will mark the first phase of the test, with two modes playable on two maps from Friday, Aug. 19, through Sunday, Aug. 21. The tech test will also allow players to try out a new feature called Networks, which is Titanfall 2’s version of clans.
The first mode, Bounty Hunt, is a five-on-five offering that is new for Titanfall 2. The two teams face off against each other as well as the Remnant Fleet, and must deposit their points at the bank between waves without dying. The second mode is Pilots vs. Pilots, which pits two teams of eight humans against each other — without their titans. Both modes will be playable on the maps Boomtown and Homestead.
Titanfall 2’s tech test will return the following weekend, from Aug. 26-28. The aforementioned content will still be playable, and Respawn will add one more mode and another map. Six-on-six Amped Hardpoint is a twist on Titanfall’s Hardpoint Domination mode, allowing teams to double their score if they amp a hardpoint while defending it. The new map in the second weekend will be Forward Base Kodai.
The Titanfall 2 tech test will be available only on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, not Windows PC. Respawn explained yesterday that it is concerned about PC players unearthing campaign spoilers, and also said that it’s still working on supporting various hardware configurations.
Titanfall 2 is set for release Oct. 28 on PC, PS4 and Xbox One. For more, check out the multiplayer tech test trailer above, and our preview of the single-player campaign. You can also read about the tech test on the Titanfall website.
Correction: The second weekend's new mode is Amped Hardpoint, not Armed Hardpoint. We've edited the article to reflect this.
Correction: Respawn refers to the sample as a "tech test"; it is a pre-alpha version of Titanfall 2, not a beta. We've edited the article to reflect this.
Update (Aug. 18): Respawn is adding Amped Hardpoint to the first weekend of the tech test, the studio announced on Twitter.
