Battlefield 2042 beta release date, start times, download size and beta access explained

When does the Battlefield 2042 start? Battlefield 2042 release date on PlayStation, Xbox and PC

The Battlefield 2042 open beta is available across two dates for all platforms, offering early access to people who have pre-ordered the game.

Battlefield 2042 beta early access start date (all platforms):

• Wednesday, October 6th (early beta access required)

Battlefield 2042 beta start date for all players (all platforms):

• Friday, October 8th

Battlefield 2042 beta end date (all platforms):

• Sunday, October 10th

When is the Battlefield 2042 open beta? Battlefield 2042 beta start times in UK / BST, CEST, EDT and PDT explained

UPDATE (Friday, October 8th): EA has announced the start of Friday's open beta period - which will see it available to everyone - has been pushed back to 10am BST / 11am CEST / 5am EDT / 2am PDT:

ORIGINAL TIMES: The Battlefield 2042 open beta start times remain the same for both its early access and open public beta periods. Across all platforms, the start times and end times are as follows:

• UK: 8am (BST)
• Europe: 9am (CEST)
• East Coast US: 3am (EDT)
• West Coast US: 12.01 am (PDT)

The Battlefield 2042 end times on Sunday, October 10th are the same as the aforementioned.

Battlefield 2042 beta pre-load times and download size

Alongside the above start times, you can also start downloading the Early Access Beta early to be all set for when the game launches.

In order to gain access to it, you only need to download the open beta from either the PlayStation or Xbox store. If you're on PC, the beta is available across the Steam, Origin and Epic apps.

The Battlefield 2042 beta pre-load kick off on Tuesday, October 5th for all players at the following start times:

• UK: 8am (BST)
• Europe: 9am (CEST)
• East Coast US: 3am (EDT)
• West Coast US: 12.01 am (PDT)

It's worth noting that the PC version via Origin had an issue where the preload option did not appear correctly in the library. In addition, the EA desktop app did not show the preload option for EA Play Subs.

While both of these issues have been addressed by the developer, the studio is currently keeping track of any more possible troubleshooting.

In case you were wondering about download size, this varies greatly depending on your platform (thanks to @BFBulletin on Twitter for the details).

The Battlefield 2042 download size is as follows:

• PS5: 16.506 GB
• PS4: 20.731 GB
• Xbox One: 9.34 GB
• Xbox Series X/S: 17.23 GB
• Steam - 19.1GB
• Origin - 18.8GB
• Epic - 18.8GB

Battlefield 2042 beta access explained

Pre-ordering any edition either digitally or through select retailers will grant you the Battlefield 2042 beta access on the Wednesday and Thursday before the open beta kicks off over at the weekend.

If you don't pre-order, however, you can still play the Battlefield 2042 beta - you just have to wait until Friday, October 8th.

What's featured in the Battlefield 2042 beta?

The Battlefield 2042 beta includes the returning Conquest mode.

Conquest is a multiplayer sandbox mode which now offers up to 128 players on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. The maps have been designed with this player pool in mind, so expect a large scale space with multiple points of interest. As a tweak from the previous iteration, you will now be navigating sectors with multiple flags instead of pursuing individual control points.

In addition, the beta also offers a first look at Orbital, a new map that features a rocket launch, which slowly impacts on the terrain itself.

Lastly, in case you were wondering about characters, you'll be able to play as four specialists: Webster Mackay, Maria Falck, Pyotr "Boris" Guskovsky and Wikus "Casper" Van Daele.

It's worth mentioning that any progress you make during the beta won't carry over to the final game. Also, there are no specific cosmetic items or any other rewards for taking part in it.

That being said, this is a chance to see what's in the cards for the next Battlefield entry. Have fun during the beta!