Tag Archives: Open Beta

Game News

Modern Warfare 4 Beta Launches Tonight at 2am SGT — Campaign Mission Is a CoD First

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After we covered the open beta schedule back in July, the wait is finally here. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4’s early access beta kicks off tonight at 2am SGT (Saturday 22 August) — and Infinity Ward has one more thing that no Call of Duty beta has ever done before: a fully playable campaign mission.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 operators advancing through darkness
Image courtesy of Activision

Watch COD NEXT at Midnight SGT — Beta Goes Live Right After

Before the servers open, Activision is hosting COD NEXT 2026 — a live showcase with gameplay reveals, developer insights, and creator broadcasts. It streams tonight at midnight SGT (Sat 22 Aug, 12:00am SGT) on the official Call of Duty channels on YouTube and Twitch. The MW4 early access beta launches immediately after the broadcast ends, at 2:00am SGT.

The show will spotlight the full multiplayer reveal, new Warzone intel, and the debut of Kill Block’s competitive format. Pre-load is already active across PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC — so if you have a pre-order, the game should be sitting on your drive right now waiting to go.

Entrenched — A CoD Beta With a Campaign Mission, for the First Time

The standout detail confirmed this week: the beta includes Entrenched, a standalone mission from MW4’s full campaign. According to Activision, this is the first time in Call of Duty beta history that players will get hands-on access to a campaign mission before launch.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 Campaign First Look – Entrenched | Playable in the MW4 Beta — via Call of Duty on YouTube
MW4 Entrenched campaign mission - soldiers watch an aerial strike over a treeline
Image courtesy of Activision

Entrenched follows a squad of South Korean marines alongside an embedded American operative during an uphill offensive. The combat draws on three pillars: close-quarters trench fighting, armoured personnel carrier support sequences, and cinematic hand-to-hand encounters. It is set in Korea — one of four theatres in MW4’s full campaign, alongside New York, Paris, and Mumbai — so this is a genuine early taste of the game’s tone and direction.

All Maps, Modes and What’s Actually In the Beta

The beta is content-heavy by CoD standards. Six core multiplayer maps are confirmed: Rooftops, Silkworm, Transit 213, Cachette, Lithium, and Kill Block. Ground War makes a return with the Combat Outpost mode playable on two large-scale maps — Imjin Farmland and Wolves Stadium.

Modes available across the beta: Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint, Kill Confirmed, Search & Destroy, Hijack, Combat Outpost, and the new Inflation — a mode where each elimination increases your in-match wealth and simultaneously raises your target value, escalating every engagement. Kill Block runs in both 10v10 and 3v3 Gunfight formats. A Mobility Course is also available as a dedicated training space to get comfortable with MW4’s movement and combat before going live.

MW4 open beta content card listing all maps modes platforms and Warzone Zodiac
Image courtesy of Activision

Singapore Timing — When to Download and When to Play

Early access beta (pre-order required, Switch 2 not included):

  • Starts: Sat 22 Aug at 2:00am SGT
  • Ends: Tue 26 Aug at 1:00am SGT
  • Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam, Battle.net, Xbox on PC)

Open beta (free for all, Switch 2 included):

  • Starts: Fri 29 Aug at 1:00am SGT
  • Ends: Wed 2 Sep at 1:00am SGT
  • Platforms: All of the above plus Nintendo Switch 2

Switch 2 players who want to pre-order ahead of the open beta can do so from 26 August. Cosmetic rewards earned during either beta weekend carry over to the full game at launch. An online multiplayer subscription may be required to play. Full details and any schedule updates are on Activision’s official beta page.

MW4 launches on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2 on 23 October 2026. Check our Game News section for coverage when the open beta opens and Switch 2 players can jump in.

Game News

Gears of War: E-Day Multiplayer Fully Revealed — Free Open Beta Starts 13 August

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The Coalition pulled back the curtain on Gears of War: E-Day’s full multiplayer suite yesterday, and Singapore players on Xbox Series X|S and PC have an easy on-ramp: a free open beta running 13–17 August that requires no pre-order or subscription to join.

Gears of War E-Day Horde Siege — COG soldiers battle a massive Locust boss in a ruined city
Image courtesy of Xbox / The Coalition

Horde Siege — 12 Players, Three Squads, One Massive Front

Horde Siege is the headline mode, and it is the biggest co-op the series has ever shipped. Twelve players split into three squads of four work simultaneously across the same large map — each squad pushing their own section of the Locust front while sharing a common objective pool. The result is coordinated chaos that scales in a way the classic five-player Horde never could.

Four classes shape how each player contributes: Assault holds the mid-range with a sonic pulse mine; Breacher dives into close-quarters with shotgun and an adrenaline injector for self-healing and damage boosts; Marksman keeps distance using a pulse detection drone to spot enemies; and Medic keeps the squad alive. Every class has 30 progression levels to work through, adding long-term depth between sessions.

Gears of War E-Day Horde Siege Classes screen showing Assault, Breacher, Marksman and Medic
Image courtesy of Xbox / The Coalition

Three mission lengths keep the mode accessible across different schedules: Blitz runs 15–20 minutes, Siege stretches to 20–40 minutes, and Horde goes the full distance at 50–60 minutes. Three difficulty settings — Infantry, Commander, and Allfather — scale the Locust threat accordingly. The beta will showcase the Golden Quarter map, a dense city district set within Kalona; three additional maps are confirmed for the full October launch.

Gears of War: E-Day | Official Multiplayer Reveal — via XBOX on YouTube

Versus — Six Maps, Four Modes, Classic 4v4

Versus keeps the classic 4v4 structure and adds E-Day’s new traversal mechanics to the familiar competitive formula. Six maps are confirmed at launch, each built around a distinct setting within and around Colona: Outpost (military camp with bunkers and elevated bridgework), Battleship (exposed warship decks and contested dock bridges), Park (a coastal zoo in ruins with a central fountain), Precinct (tight police-department corridors with flanking routes), Market (a seaside marketplace with long sightlines and balconies), and Skyward (a rooftop environment built around vertical play).

Gears of War E-Day Versus — Battleship map interior showing CNV Valiant warship deck
Image courtesy of Xbox / The Coalition

Four game modes round out the Versus offering. Team Deathmatch and Conquest are returning staples. Demolition is a bomb-planting mode, and Crucible introduces a power-core control mechanic with a shrinking battlefield. The Coalition has confirmed additional Versus content post-launch without specifying what or when.

How SG Players Can Get Into the Beta

The E-Day beta rolls out in two phases, and the second phase is completely free:

  • Early Access (6–10 August): Accessible with a pre-order of Gears of War: E-Day on Xbox Series X|S or Steam, or with an active Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass subscription. If you already subscribe to Game Pass in Singapore, you are in from day one of the beta.
  • Open Beta (13–17 August): Free for all players on Xbox Series X|S and PC. No pre-order, no subscription required.

Singapore players with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate — or who grab the game on Steam — can lock in early access on 6 August. Anyone else can wait a week and play for free. See more gaming events and betas on GameTrader.SG.

Cosmetics You Actually Earn

The Coalition is positioning E-Day’s progression on the opposite end of the spectrum from recent multiplayer releases. Nearly all cosmetic customisation — including character skins, weapon wraps, and charms — can be unlocked by playing the game and completing in-game challenges and medals. Premium cosmetics exist and include a Metallica collaboration weapon set, but the studio has framed the experience around earned rewards rather than a battle pass or seasonal currency system.

Gears of War: E-Day launches 6 October 2026 on Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store, with day-one availability on Game Pass. Full game release coverage is on GameTrader.SG as it drops.

Game News

Silver Palace Dichotomy Beta Is Now Live — Play Until 13 August

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The wait is over. Silver Palace, the Victorian open-world action RPG from Singapore-based publisher and developer Elementa, launched its Dichotomy closed beta test on 23 July 2026 — and it runs until 13 August 2026, giving you three weeks to explore the gaslit streets of Silvernia before the servers close and progress resets.

If you signed up before the July 16 registration deadline, check your email for your access invite. No new sign-ups are being accepted for this round.

Silver Palace Dichotomy Beta Test key art showing both protagonists
Image courtesy of Elementa

What’s New in the Dichotomy Beta

The Dichotomy test is the biggest and most content-complete public build Silver Palace has ever opened to players. The headlining addition is the male protagonist, who becomes playable in the story for the first time — previous tests only let you explore his counterpart’s detective path. Both routes are now available, giving the beta a genuine dual-narrative structure to dig into.

Beyond the story expansion, Elementa has opened previously locked districts of Silvernia, adding new side quests, open-world activities (including driving, chess mini-games, and — yes — riding a Silverium-powered Pegasus across the city skyline), and over 40 hours of playable content in total. Combat has also been refined based on feedback from earlier test phases, with smoother combos and better character responsiveness.

Silver Palace — aerial view of Silvernia city with a character riding a winged creature
Image courtesy of Elementa
Silver Palace丨Dichotomy Beta Test Gameplay Showcase – The Raven and the Rose — via Silver Palace on YouTube

How to Access the Beta

The Dichotomy beta is PC (Windows) only for this phase. If you registered, your invite should have landed in the email you used during sign-up. Players can download the client from the official Silver Palace website at silverpalace.elementagames.com. A couple of things to note: all progress will be wiped when the beta ends on 13 August, and there are no in-game purchases available during the test period.

Silver Palace — female protagonist on a Victorian street at golden hour in Silvernia
Image courtesy of Elementa

A Singapore Studio to Watch

Silver Palace sits in familiar territory for fans of Genshin Impact and Wuthering Waves — open-world exploration, multi-character teams, a heavy emphasis on story — but its steampunk-Victorian setting and dual-protagonist detective framing give it a distinct personality. For Singapore gamers, there’s an extra reason to root for it: Elementa is a local studio, and Silver Palace is shaping up to be one of the region’s most ambitious original titles.

The full release is targeting PC, mobile, and console globally. For now, if you have a beta invite, the gates to Silvernia are open. Head to our game news section for more on upcoming releases.

Game News

MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls Open Beta Is Live — 15 Characters to Try Free Until 27 July

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The wait is over. The MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls open beta went live at 3:00 PM SGT today (24 July) and runs until Sunday 27 July at 2:59 PM SGT. Download it free right now on PS5, Steam, or the Epic Games Store — no PlayStation Plus subscription required. As we covered when the beta was announced, this is your first hands-on look at the upcoming 4v4 tag-team fighter from PlayStation Studios and Arc System Works — and with 15 of the game’s 20 launch characters playable and a story episode included, there is a lot to dig into before the 6 August release.

Danger vs Captain America battle in Marvel's New York stage in MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls
Image courtesy of Marvel / PlayStation Studios / Arc System Works
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls — Official Open Beta Trailer via IGN on YouTube

What Is in the MARVEL Tōkon Open Beta

The beta delivers a generous slice of the full game. Fifteen playable characters are split across four squads, six stages span Marvel locations from NYC to the Savage Land, and you get both online and offline play. Modes on offer include ranked and casual online lobbies, a local versus mode, training mode, a tutorial (Start Up Battle), the social Open Lobby, and three chapters of Episode Mode following the Amazing Guardians. The full launch roster expands to 20 fighters when the game arrives on 6 August.

Full Beta Roster — All 15 Characters Across Four Squads

Each squad has a distinct team identity and visual DNA, which also drives how they combo and assist in the 4v4 tag system:

  • Fighting Avengers: Captain America, Iron Man, Black Panther
  • Unbreakable X-Men: Storm, Magik, Wolverine, Danger
  • Amazing Guardians: Spider-Man, Ms. Marvel, Star-Lord, Peni Parker
  • Samurai Outriders: Ghost Rider, Blade
  • Knights of Doom: Doctor Doom, Magneto
Wolverine close-up with adamantium claws in MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls
Image courtesy of Marvel / PlayStation Studios / Arc System Works

One fighter worth highlighting: Blade makes his fighting-game debut in Tōkon. The Samurai Outriders squad pairs him with Ghost Rider, leaning into the dark-supernatural aesthetic that Arc System Works has rendered in their signature cel-shaded style. His moveset is built around speed and relentless pressure, and this beta is your first chance to take him out for a spin in a competitive setting.

Episode Mode: The Amazing Guardians Story

Beyond versus play, the beta includes three story chapters following Spider-Man, Ms. Marvel, Star-Lord, and Peni Parker. It is a useful way to learn each character’s rhythm through light narrative framing before the ranked queue opens. Progress and unlocks do not carry over to the full game, so treat it as a preview.

Spider-Man in a comic-panel story cutscene in MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls Episode Mode
Image courtesy of Marvel / PlayStation Studios / Arc System Works

How to Download the Beta in Singapore

No registration is needed. Two hours before launch, a pre-download goes live on each platform:

  • PS5: Open the PlayStation Store, search for MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, and grab the free Open Beta download. A PSN account is required but PS Plus is not.
  • PC (Steam): Head to the Steam store page and download the Open Beta build for free.
  • PC (Epic Games Store): Search for the title and download directly from EGS at no cost.

Cross-play between PS5 and PC is supported out of the box. The game ships with full Japanese and Korean voice tracks alongside English, and text is localised in 17 languages. The servers close at 27 July 2:59 PM SGT — after that the client goes offline until the full launch.

Ghost Rider launching a flaming attack in a New York alley in MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls
Image courtesy of Marvel / PlayStation Studios / Arc System Works

Full Launch on 6 August 2026

MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls launches on 6 August 2026 on PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. The five remaining launch characters beyond the beta’s 15 are yet to be revealed by PlayStation Studios. A physical disc edition is confirmed for PS5. Catch the latest game news and releases across our Game News section as more roster details drop ahead of launch.

Game News

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Open Beta Dates Set for August 2026

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Activision has confirmed the open beta schedule for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 — and unlike previous years, Nintendo Switch 2 players get full access during the second weekend at no cost, with no pre-order required. Here’s what Singapore players need to know.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 operators
Image courtesy of Activision

Modern Warfare 4 Open Beta — Two Weekends in August

The beta runs across two consecutive weekends:

  • Weekend 1 — Early Access: 21–25 August 2026. Open only to players who have pre-ordered any edition of Modern Warfare 4 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, or PC (Battle.net / Steam). Nintendo Switch 2 is not included in Weekend 1.
  • Weekend 2 — Open Beta: 28 August–1 September 2026. Free for all players on all platforms, including Nintendo Switch 2. No pre-order required.

Singapore players on Switch 2 who want to try before they buy can jump in during Weekend 2 without spending a cent. Notably, Xbox Game Pass subscribers receive no early access advantage this year — Weekend 1 is pre-order only, full stop.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 Kill Block multiplayer mode
Image courtesy of Activision

What’s Playable in the Modern Warfare 4 Beta

Infinity Ward has confirmed the following content for the beta build:

  • Kill Block — the new flagship multiplayer mode, 10v10 in the Kill Block map. Players race to control a moving zone while holding it triggers elimination of the opposing team.
  • Search & Destroy — the classic round-based bomb mode, returning in full.
  • Training Mobility Course — an optional solo warmup for new players to learn movement mechanics.
  • Skirmishes from 3v3 up to large-scale tactical battles featuring vehicles including tanks.
  • Up to 19 unlockable weapons with customisable loadouts assisted by the new Gunny system.

The beta also introduces Ballistic Authority, a new gunplay philosophy Infinity Ward describes as “no bloom, no guesswork, no doubt” — prioritising precision over random weapon spread.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 | Reveal Trailer — via Call of Duty on YouTube

CoD: NEXT Reveal Event — 21 August

Alongside the start of Weekend 1, Activision is running Call of Duty: NEXT on 21 August — a livestream covering an in-depth breakdown of Modern Warfare 4’s full multiplayer offering, developer insights from Infinity Ward, and new reveals. Think of it as a Day One showcase for anyone still deciding whether to pre-order.

Nintendo Switch 2 Beta — How It Works

Switch 2 players get Weekend 2 access (28 August–1 September) for free. One catch worth noting: pre-orders for the Switch 2 version of Modern Warfare 4 don’t open until 26 August — which is after Weekend 2 begins. That means Switch 2 players have a two-day head start on playing the beta before they can even pre-order, which is either convenient or a little backwards depending on how you look at it. Switch 2 development is handled by Digital Legends in partnership with Infinity Ward.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 gameplay
Image courtesy of Activision

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 — Full Game October 23

Modern Warfare 4 is developed by Infinity Ward, with support from Beenox, Treyarch, and Sledgehammer Games. The setting is the Korean Peninsula: North Korea launches a full-scale invasion threatening global stability, and Captain Price goes rogue to dismantle the system that built him. The campaign drops players into environments ranging from collapsing Korean trenches to city-wide assaults in occupied territory, with Private Park — a young South Korean soldier in his first live combat — as a new playable lead alongside Price, Ghost, and the rest of the Task Force 141 roster.

Multiplayer ships with 12 all-new 6v6 maps on day one, plus large-scale vehicle maps. The extraction-shooter mode DMZ returns, set in a sprawling exclusion zone called Hajin with narrative-driven Story Missions and persistent progression.

Launch platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC (Battle.net and Steam). Vault Edition holders get early access from 16 October; full launch is 23 October 2026.

If you’re still riding out Black Ops 7’s Season 5 launch on 23 July, the beta weekends give you a natural bridging point before the next annual instalment drops in October. Keep an eye on the Game News section for coverage as CoD: NEXT reveals more.

Game News

MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls Free Open Beta Starts 24 July — No PS Plus Needed

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Arc System Works and Marvel Games are handing Singapore players a free weekend pass to one of 2026’s most-anticipated fighting games. MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls launches its open beta on Thursday 24 July at 3:00 PM SGT, letting PS5 and PC players try the 4v4 tag-team brawler at no cost before its August 6 release — and you don’t need a PlayStation Plus subscription to get in.

No Sign-Up, No PS Plus — Just Download and Play

Getting into the beta couldn’t be simpler. No registration code, no waitlist, no PlayStation Plus membership required — just head to the PlayStation Store or Steam (and Epic Games Store), download the open beta client, and start playing from 24 July. All you need is an internet connection and a PlayStation Network account. Pre-downloads open two hours before the beta goes live, so queue it up on Wednesday evening and you’ll be ready the moment the gates open at 3 PM SGT.

The open beta runs for a clean 72 hours, closing at approximately 3:00 PM SGT on Monday 27 July, giving Singapore players a full weekend plus a Monday afternoon to clock in some hours before the full game ships.

MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls | Open Beta Trailer — via MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls on YouTube

What’s Included: 15 Characters, Episode Mode, and Full Online

MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls — team battle gameplay
Image courtesy of Marvel Games / Arc System Works

The open beta is generous: 15 of the 20 launch characters are playable, spanning all four announced teams. The headline addition is Blade, who becomes playable for the very first time outside of closed testing, appearing alongside Ghost Rider in the Samurai Outriders faction. The full beta roster breaks down as:

  • Fighting Avengers: Captain America, Iron Man, Black Panther
  • Unbreakable X-Men: Storm, Magik, Wolverine, Danger
  • Amazing Guardians: Spider-Man, Ms. Marvel, Star-Lord, Peni Parker
  • Samurai Outriders: Ghost Rider, Blade
  • Knights of Doom: Doctor Doom, Magneto

Beyond the roster, the open beta opens up a surprising amount of content for a pre-release trial. Episode Mode unlocks the first three chapters of the Amazing Guardians storyline, giving players a taste of the game’s story campaign as Spider-Man assembles his team. For competitive players, Online Casual and Ranked Matches are live, along with a full Open Lobby that supports up to 16 avatars with social features. Training Mode, local Versus, and the Start Up Battle tutorial round out the package — six stages across iconic Marvel locations are included too.

Singapore Schedule — When to Queue Up

MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls — 4v4 tag-team combat
Image courtesy of Marvel Games / Arc System Works

Convert from Pacific Time and the beta lands squarely over the Singapore weekend:

  • Opens: Thursday 24 July, 3:00 PM SGT
  • Closes: Monday 27 July, ~3:00 PM SGT

That covers the full weekend from Thursday afternoon through to Monday — prime time for ranked sessions, local couch battles, and grinding through Episode Mode between matches. Rollback netcode is confirmed for online play, which should keep the experience clean for SEA players connecting to regional servers.

The Full Roster Awaits at Launch — August 6

MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls — stage environments
Image courtesy of Marvel Games / Arc System Works

The five missing characters from the open beta fill out the fifth team at launch on 6 August 2026 (7 August in Japan and Australia). Singapore pricing was confirmed at SGD 79.90 for the Standard Edition, SGD 113.90 for Digital Deluxe, and SGD 139 for the Ultimate Edition. Deluxe and Ultimate editions include the Year 1 pass covering post-launch fighters and content.

How to Download the Open Beta

MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls — key art
Image courtesy of Marvel Games / Arc System Works
  • PS5: Search “MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls Open Beta” on the PlayStation Store
  • PC (Steam): Find the open beta on the Steam store page
  • PC (Epic Games Store): Search for the open beta on the Epic Games Store

Pre-downloads go live two hours before start time — mark your calendar for Thursday 24 July and queue the download by early afternoon SGT. For the full character roster, SGD pricing, and story details, read our earlier coverage from the EVO 2026 reveal. Browse more game news on GameTrader.SG.