Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Pokemon Winds and Waves
  • New Games for 2026
  • GamesRadar+ Replay
  • Mario Day deals
Don't miss these
Battlefield 6
Battlefield Battlefield 6 designers say developers have a "responsibility" to make games intuitive
The new GamesRadar+ logo on a dark background adorned with crosses in orange and grey
Games The next generation of GamesRadar+ is here
Ready or Not
FPS Games Ready or Not shows off gameplay for new DLC Boiling Point, teasing a tense stand-off with a mysterious group
Best FPS games: A screenshot of the Doom Slayer shooting a Cyberdemon in the game Doom Eternal.
FPS Games The 25 best FPS games to play in 2026
A toy monkey with dynamite attached is surrounded by zombies in Call of Duty: Warzone's Black Ops Royale mode
Call of Duty Warzone Warzone gets back-to-basics battle royale dubbed "Blackout 2" by Call of Duty fans
BioShock 4: a screenshot of a Big Daddy and a Little Sister.
Adventure Games BioShock 4: Everything you need to know about the next BioShock game
Cropped Helldivers 2 art from the official 'Save Cyberstan' poster.
Third Person Shooters Helldivers 2 devs "underinvested" in the game's engine, Arrowhead CEO admits, who pledges "things can/will get better"
A snow scene in Call Of Duty Black Ops 6 with soldiers moving forward, aircraft exploding in the background
Call of Duty 10 Best Call of Duty Games of All-Time
FPS Games Overwatch is only in "the beginning of a comeback," lead says, as Blizzard plans to keep "making the best game" for fans
Doom The Dark Ages Doom Slayer with yellow eyes
FPS Games Doom: The Dark Ages DLC is "freaking huge," says director: "It's basically like a sequel"
Battlefield 6 Season 2 key artwork of soldier wearing a gas mask in the woods
Battlefield Battlefield 6 Season 2 roadmap, everything coming in each update, and when Season 3 will start
Marathon runners in pre-order bonus styles
FPS Games Marathon console players can turn off PC matchmaking, but Bungie made a point to give everyone the same experience
Dawn of War 4
Games Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 – Everything we know about the new RTS game
Crimson Desert: Macduff looking out into the distance during the new game, Crimson Desert.
Open World Games Crimson Desert devs aren't "hiding anything," will show console versions of the RPG "ahead of launch," says PR lead
A screenshot of a marine without an helmet in the Total War: Warhammer 40K trailer
Strategy Games Everything we know about Total War: Warhammer 40,000
  1. Games
  2. FPS
  3. Call of Duty
  4. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s beta is “quite an upgrade” over the alpha, a lead dev claims

News
By Hirun Cryer published 2 October 2020

Lead gameplay systems developer says: "Nearly everything has taken leaps forward."

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Activision)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

A lead designer on Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War has claimed that the upcoming beta for the game will be "quite an upgrade" over the recent alpha on PS4.

The claim comes from Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War lead gameplay systems developer Tony Flame. From the sound of Flame's tweet, which you can see just below, it sounds like Treyarch and Raven Software have both been hard at work redoing parts of Black Ops Cold War in between the alpha (which ran in September) and the beta, which kicks off later this month.

The Black Ops Cold War Beta is quite an upgrade over the Alpha. I don't think anyone quite realizes what this team can do in a short amount of time. From new features to the core feel, nearly everything has taken leaps forward.My favorite part tho: the new lobby music kicks itOctober 2, 2020

In a follow-up tweet, Flame confirmed that those who already downloaded the alpha file on the PS4 can delete the file, since the upcoming beta won't be updating the previous alpha file on PS4.

You may like
  • A toy monkey with dynamite attached is surrounded by zombies in Call of Duty: Warzone's Black Ops Royale mode Warzone gets back-to-basics battle royale dubbed "Blackout 2" by Call of Duty fans
  • A snow scene in Call Of Duty Black Ops 6 with soldiers moving forward, aircraft exploding in the background 10 Best Call of Duty Games of All-Time
  • Black ops 7 season 1 Call of Duty is cracking down on cheaters ahead of season 2 with "major" anti-cheat measures for ranked play

The Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War alpha ran from September 18 for 48 hours, exclusively for PS4 players. It featured 6v6 and 12v12 gameplay modes, including Team Deathmatch, Domination, and Kill Confirmed. The alpha featured three maps from the final game: Miami, Moscow, and Satellite. 

The upcoming beta for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War kicks off on October 8, but only for those who have pre-ordered the game on PS4. A few days later, the beta will open up to all PS4 players on October 10, followed by pre-order customers on PC and Xbox One on October 15, and rounded out by the beta opening to all on the latter two platforms on October 17.

Activision has also revealeded the Zombies mode for this year's entry in the monolithic shooter series this past week. There's plenty of new additions to look forward to in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War's Zombies mode this year, including weapon and item rarities, reworked maps, and a battle pass that ties into the rest of the game.

For a complete look at every other game set to release in the remainder of this year, head over to our upcoming 2020 games guide.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
CATEGORIES
Xbox One PS4 PC Gaming Platforms Xbox PlayStation
Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer
Social Links Navigation
Freelance Writer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.

Read more
A toy monkey with dynamite attached is surrounded by zombies in Call of Duty: Warzone's Black Ops Royale mode
Warzone gets back-to-basics battle royale dubbed "Blackout 2" by Call of Duty fans
 
 
A snow scene in Call Of Duty Black Ops 6 with soldiers moving forward, aircraft exploding in the background
10 Best Call of Duty Games of All-Time
 
 
Black ops 7 season 1
Call of Duty is cracking down on cheaters ahead of season 2 with "major" anti-cheat measures for ranked play
 
 
BO7 meta
Black Ops 7 meta and best guns to use in multiplayer
 
 
Battlefield 6
Battlefield 6 gets Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 comparison amid AI accusations against "hollow and low effort" new artwork
 
 
Battlefield 6
Battlefield 6 Season 2 adding 2 new maps and a pair of limited modes, while the Battle Pass is becoming "more rewarding"
 
 
Latest in Call of Duty
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
Activision shuts down popular Call of Duty leaker, rubs salt in the wound by saying they weren't always right anyway
 
 
Black ops 7 season 1
Call of Duty is cracking down on cheaters ahead of season 2 with "major" anti-cheat measures for ranked play
 
 
Black ops 7 Astra Malorum zombies easter egg
How to complete the Black Ops 7 Astra Malorum zombies easter egg
 
 
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
Ex-Microsoft exec "rooting" for Activision "to come back with vengeance" after changes to CoD's release strategy
 
 
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
Activision says Call of Duty will no longer get back-to-back Modern Warfare or Black Ops releases
 
 
Black Ops 7 Zombies OSCAR
How to kill OSCAR easily in Black Ops 7 Zombies Astra Malorum
 
 
Latest in News
Doctor Who Maureen O'Brien
Lost Doctor Who episodes, featuring the early Dalek appearances, have been found after 60 years - and they will air soon
 
 
Roman Reigns as Akuma in Street Fighter
Street Fighter game director teases "very smart" movie adaptation in new behind-the-scenes featurette
 
 
Rosamund Pike as a bloodied Dr. Grimm in Doom
Dwayne Johnson's Doom was so bad that one of his co-stars is surprised it didn't end their own career
 
 
Screenshot from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 showing a number of characters stood together, a gloomy sky ahead of them.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 remains on course to match Baldur's Gate 3 GOTY record
 
 
Ghost of Yotei reveal screenshot for Ps5
Ghost of Yotei isn't bigger than Ghost of Tsushima, but "it feels larger" because the devs tricked you into thinking so
 
 
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 lead writer says it's "crazy" to see Final Fantasy legends praising Sandfall's game
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
    1
    Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 lead writer says it's "crazy" to see Final Fantasy legends praising Sandfall's game
  2. 2
    VisionQuest star says the upcoming MCU show realizes that "Marvel gets rewarded when it takes really big swings"
  3. 3
    Lego PlayStation 1 leak suggests a 1,900-piece mega build and December release date
  4. 4
    Anime legends Hayao Miyazaki and Hideaki Anno reunite, but it doesn't sound like they're working on a new movie
  5. 5
    Nier Automata's Yoko Taro thinks his generation of directors has "a lot of weirdos" and "oddballs," himself included

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...