Battlefield 6 open beta starts next week, weekend dates and early access revealed – DICE says it's "the most content we've ever dropped in an open beta in Battlefield history"

The big Battlefield 6 multiplayer reveal live show also gave us the first official Battlefield 6 open beta details. Early access to the upcoming military FPS starts on August 7, with two follow-up weekends.

The Battlefield 6 open beta will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, EA app). You can find pre-load and sign-up information in the official beta page, which basically amounts to "link your EA Account to your platform account."

Developer DICE laid out the beta information toward the end of the reveal show. "As a token of our appreciation, anyone who signed up for Labs before today will get early access to the beta this Thursday and Friday," one developer explained. "For everyone else, watch your favorite creators on Twitch participating in the streamer showcase today to also gain early access next week. Then the beta will be open to everyone on August 9."

Here's how that shakes out:

• August 7 - 8: Early access beta unlocked by watching partnered Twitch streamers during the July 31 multiplayer reveal, or with a Battlefield Labs signup before July 31 ("Just log in with the EA Account you registered with")
• August 9 - 10: First weekend of open beta access, available to everyone, no code required
• August 14 - 17: Second and final weekend of open beta access, also open to anyone

We also have system requirements for the Battlefield 6 open beta, which ought to be transferable to the full game. They match the updated requirements on Steam, at least.

The scope of the included content remains to be seen, but DICE said the Battlefield 6 open beta has "the most content we've ever dropped in an open beta in Battlefield history."

In separate messaging, EA has made it abundantly, inescapably clear that Battlefield 6 is a "spiritual successor" to the "pinnacle" of the series, which is apparently Battlefield 3 and 4.

We've spent a few hours playing the game and talking to the developers – here are our 10 biggest takeaways for Battlefield 6.

Battlefield 6 pre-orders are live and the FPS is $70 after all, though there's also a $100 Phantom Edition with a pile of skins, stickers, and XP boosts.

I've played Battlefield 6 for an afternoon, and while it's a clear successor to Battlefield 3 and 4, I wish there was more destruction