Battleborn open beta coming first to PS4 in 2016

Hey guys, Chris Thomas, Producer at 2K here. Gearbox and 2K are working hard to get Battleborn in your hands on February 9th. And today, during the PlayStation press conference at Paris Games Week, we dropped some awesome news: we showed off Battleborn’s competitive multiplayer modes and you — PS4 players — get your hands on the game even earlier than you might think!

Look, I realize that this may be the first time that you’re hearing about Battleborn, so let me break down for you what the game is all about: it’s a first-person shooter packed with 25 playable badass heroes fighting to save the last star in the universe from total annihilation.

Is it a co-op game?
Is it a competitive multiplayer game?
Is there a story?
Can you play that story solo or cooperatively?
Is there couch co-op?
Is there loot?
Is there character progression?
Am I tired of writing questions?

…

Yes.

 
You’ll play through Battleborn’s story mode and competitive multiplayer modes as everything from a laser-sword wielding space vampire samurai and a man-mountain with a mini-gun, to a psychotic gentlemen robot and a… walking, talking mushroom… that throws daggers? And, believe it or not, those are some of the more subtle characters in Battleborn.

But what’s the point of having 25 completely unique heroes if you don’t square off against buddies for some insane 5v5 firefights? Today, we unveiled Battleborn’s three competitive multiplayer modes — Capture, Meltdown, and Incursion.

• Capture: It’s classic capture-and-control showdown between two teams of heroes. But more badass. Because we said so.
• Meltdown: Each team has to march waves of their minions to their death into the chompers at the ends of lanes on the map. Sounds like fun, right? Think of it like a homicidal robotic sport. You score points for every minion who throws themselves into the incinerator and the team with the most scrap metal, wins.
• Incursion: Playing Incursion, teams of heroes must defend their base from waves of AI-controlled minions. Meanwhile, you’re working together alongside your own minions to lead them to your opponent’s base. Then destroy it.

The open beta is coming first to PS4!

The Open Beta is coming soon, in early 2016. And you guys — the PlayStation Nation — get first crack at playing it! We’re working with our friends at Sony to get you exclusive, early access to the Open Beta, and we’ll have more news for you on that front very soon.

Closed technical test this weekend

Can’t wait until 2016? You might not have to! We’re currently getting ready for a Closed Technical Test and the fun starts this Thursday, October 29th at 10AM Pacific. If you haven’t already registered, we’re still accepting new applicants — and we need your help to test our servers. Click here to RSVP!

The Closed Technical Test gives players a chance to try out competitive multiplayer mode, Meltdown, a new story mission called, “The Algorithm,” and 15 of the 25 playable heroes. It’s also the first time players will get to experience the game’s loot and gear system, by picking up loot packs in the story mission, or unlocking them using in-game credits they’ve earned during matches.

And believe it or not, there’s actually a lot more we have to show you — including the newly-announced playable hero, ISIC. (He’s a 500-year-old murder machine) and more details about the Story Mode — but, hey, to learn about that and more, head on over to the official Battleborn blog now.