Welcome to Vanguard Beta!

To all our Early Access PS5 and PS4 players ready to jump in -- let’s do this! And to all the returning players who checked out last month’s Alpha -- welcome back! We missed you.

Day One of Early Access to the Vanguard Multiplayer Beta is here, and we’re hyped for you to experience a taste of our Core Multiplayer offering for the first time – including new maps, modes, and gameplay innovations. For players returning from the Alpha, thanks for being vocal, typing us so many love letters, and creating amazing content. Seriously. And the suggestions box was filled. Thanks for the feedback.

While we were able to make updates to Vanguard’s gameplay since Alpha closed, some changes are still in progress and will push to launch.

Everything below outlines Weekend One of the Call of Duty: Vanguard Early Access Open Beta – which kicks off Friday, September 10th at 10 AM PT and runs until Monday, September 13th at 10 AM PT. As a reminder, the Beta represents just a portion of the full Multiplayer experience that is still in development, with even more content planned for launch on November 5th. Throughout the weekend, keep the commentary coming. We’ll be chasing intel from the Beta to further inform our launch offering. One team. One dream.

For a deep dive into playable content for this weekend’s Beta, check out the Call of Duty®: Vanguard Beta Guide for tips on Maps, Modes, Weapons and more.

BETA WEEKEND ONE PLAYABLE CONTENT

MAPS (WEEKEND 1)

Champion Hill

• Airstrip
• Trainyard
• Market
• Courtyard

Core MP

• Hotel Royal
• Gavutu
• Red Star

MODES (WEEKEND 1)

• Champion Hill – Duos, Trios
• Team Deathmatch
• Domination
• Kill Confirmed
• Patrol

OPERATORS

•        Daniel Take Yatsu

•        Arthur Kingsley

•        Roland Zeimet

•        Lucas Riggs

•        Polina Petrova

•        Wade Jackson

LEVEL CAP AND BLUEPRINT REWARD

The level cap throughout the Beta is 30. Reach level 20 during the Beta and you will unlock the Rat-A-Tat weapon Blueprint at launch. This Epic Blueprint has a total of 8 attachments that’ll equip you to blow (straight through) your enemy’s mind. Figuratively.

FEATURES

Combat Pacing is a feature that allows players the control over intensity to their games. Player count is determined by map size to achieve the intensity described in the Combat Pacing System. Player counts will vary.

• Tactical: These are the lobbies that franchise veterans know well. This is the experience that you're used to with classic Call of Duty combat timing. Tactical Combat Pacing is always 6v6.
• Assault: Balanced combat pacing that gives you enough room to breathe and a lot of targets to kill. In Beta Weekend 1, player counts will vary between 20-28 players.
• Blitz: High-action lobbies where the intensity is cranked up to frenetic levels. Prepare for plenty of combat when choosing to join a Blitz. In Beta Weekend 1, player counts will vary between 28-48 players.

CHANGES FROM ALPHA

Visual Updates

Several graphical improvements will be noticeable. We’ve responded to player feedback regarding low visibility when taking damage, and visibility issues with character and map lighting.

• Damage Overlay:
  • Refined the damage overlay when injured to help maintain visibility.
• Lighting:
  • Reduced the density of sun fog.
  • Increased the rim light around players to help separate them from the background.
  • Adjusted overall exposure—aka we turned up the lights.

Audio Tuning

The audio team has done a global mixing pass to improve informative audio for gameplay. Changes include:

• Non-player footstep volume slightly increased.
• Non-player weapon volume slightly reduced.
  • Note: Non-player is anyone that isn’t you (enemies and teammates).
• Announcer volume and callout frequency reduced.

Champion Hill Spawn Tuning

Spawns have been adjusted to mitigate issues observed in the Champion Hill Alpha such as players spawning very close to other players. To address this, we’ve tuned spawn locations and adjusted overall spawn logic.

Fixes in Progress

• We are aware there are nametag visibility and aim assist-related issues and have an ongoing investigation on how to resolve them. Gameplay clips have been a great resource for our teams to find and squash these problems, so keep them coming.

Stay tuned for September 17th, when the Beta opens up to players on all platforms. During the Beta, please make use of the following resources:

• Got constructive feedback? Please let us know your thoughts here or on any platform by tagging @SHGames, @sledgehammergames, or using the hashtag #Vanguard.
• Need Call of Duty: Vanguard support? Click here.
• Be sure to tag @CallofDuty with #CODTopPlays to share your best gameplay!

Good luck and have fun!

- Sledgehammer Games