Titanfall beta registration now open, test kicks off this week - new trailer
Titanfall hopefuls, the wait is nearly over: sign on the dotted line for your chance to beta test Respawn's debut - sooner rather than later.
Registration is now open on the Titanfall website, and closes on February 17.
EA has confirmed the beta begins on February 14 - this Friday, and Valentine's Day, as rumoured.
It includes three game modes. Attrition requires one team to completely wipe out the other. Hardpoint Domination is a capture-and-hold mode with three capture zones. Last Titan Standing grants every player a Titan from the start of the round, and does what it says on the box.
You'll need an Origin ID to test on PC, and, obviously, and Xbox Live account for and Xbox One. There will be no Xbox 360 beta.
It looks like the site will take all comers; you won't need a pre-order to get in. Interestingly, it looks like you might not even need to be accepted into the beta, if somebody else who uses the same Xbox One is.
"If the closed Beta is installed on your system, all accounts should have access," a post-registration FAQ advises.
"Thee Titanfall beta is not final code and represents a small slice of the game’s content. Testing the game before release helps us create a better final product for our fans.
Respawn Entertainment co-founder Vince Zampella announced the sign-up site two hours before launch in a tweet.
"Tonight at 6:00PM PST there will be a website to sign up for Titanfall beta access. The website will be announced shortly before 6," he said.
Titanfall is a multiplayer-only shooter with some unusual elements - character are highly mobile, and have access to large mechs called Titans. It supports up to 12 players in each match, which has been met with dismay by some players used to call of Duty and Battlefield's player counts, but Respawn has said play is too chaotic with a higher player count. The maps are bulked out by AI opponents, though.
Titanfall is coming to PC, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. The PC and Xbox One version arrives in early March, but the Xbox 360 release has been pushed back a few weeks. Officially this is to allow for final polishing but analysts believe EA has so many pre-orders it can afford to delay and thereby defer some revenue into the next quarter.
The highly-anticipated shooter is Respawn's first release; the team was formed around a core group of Infinity Ward veterans who left Activision after Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.