The Crew 2 open beta is live now - here's how to start racing by land, sea, and air

The Crew 2 open beta is live now, and you have a long weekend worth of flying, racing, and other motor-propelled thing-ing across the virtual U.S. ahead of you. It's the perfect time to see if you dig Ubisoft's second attempt at online, open-world racing before it comes out for real on June 29, and we've got all the details you need to start playing right here.

How to download The Crew 2 open beta

The Crew 2 open beta is downloadable now across all supported platforms - that is, PC, PS4, and Xbox One. All you need to do to start playing is head to your platform's download store of choice (either Steam or Uplay on PC), search for The Crew 2 Open Beta, and download the client. Here's how much space you'll need free to play:

  • PS4: 26.44GB
  • Xbox One: 23.95GB
  • PC: 25GB

When does The Crew 2 open beta end?

The Crew 2 open beta began on Thursday, June 21 at 1 am PST / 4 am EDT / 9 am BST and it will end four days later on Monday, June 25 at 1 am PST / 4 am EDT / 9 am BST. That means you have all weekend to try out the different disciplines and events, or just tool around its massive recreation of the continental United States.

Does The Crew 2 open beta require PS Plus or Xbox Live Gold?

Nope! You don't need to have PS Plus or Xbox Live Gold to play The Crew 2. You can even putter around online and see other players while free roaming. However, if you want to participate in more of the social features like racing with friends or joining a crew, you will need to pay for a subscription (unless you're on PC).

Will my progress in The Crew 2 open beta carry forward to the full game?

Sadly, no. All of your progress will be wiped between the beta and the full game coming out. But you will have something to show for checking in early - read on!

Will The Crew 2 open beta offer any special rewards for the full game?

Yep! All you need to do is participate in The Crew 2 open beta to unlock a special Gold Helmet for your player avatar in the full game. The reward will be bound to your Ubisoft Club account, so make sure you use the right one while playing. Oh, and US citizens who reach at least Fame Level 2 could qualify for a contest to win a real-life motorcycle - the terms and conditions are here.

Connor Sheridan

I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and now I'm a staff writer here at GamesRadar.