Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3: MW3 Open Beta Dates and Times

With Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 barely a month away, the time for the open beta is nearly upon us. Featuring maps from one the most (in)famous entries in the long-running series, Modern Warfare 2 (2009), the MW3 beta will re-introduce the world to some of the best play areas in the franchise. But you may be wondering about the MW3 open beta dates and times. They depend on what platform you’re playing on.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3: MW3 Open Beta Dates and Times

Technically, the Modern Warfare 3 open beta start date is Friday, October 6, but only if you’re on either PlayStation 4 or PS5. The complete list of dates is:

• October 6-8: Weekend One – PlayStation Early Access Beta.
• October 8-10: Weekend One – Open Beta for All PlayStation Players .
• October 12-13: Weekend Two – All Platforms Early Access. The early period is also available to PlayStation players.
• October 14-16: Weekend Two – All Platforms Open Beta. All players everywhere can jump in and play.

When Does the MW3 Open Beta Start?

As for when the MW3 open beta starts on each date, we’re still not sure. However, if we go by last year’s Modern Warfare 2 betas, it will likely be at 1:00 p.m. EST/10:00 a.m. PST/6 p.m. BST. That goes for each beta period, so PlayStation users will start at 1:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, with the game opening up at the same time for additional users on the appointed date.

It’s unclear if the Modern Warfare 3 beta will contain all the refreshed MW2 (2009) maps, but I doubt it. Expect four or five at the start, then one or two more to show up as the beta periods progress. There are also likely to be at least a few updates and changes over two the two weekends as millions of fans get their hands on the game and start trying to break it.

Lastly, I think you should be ready for a massive server crash — or at least long queue times — at the start time of each new beta period. The size of the Call of Duty community makes most other games look tiny in comparison, and if throngs of players new and old descend on the servers at once, there’s no amount of preparation that can prepare the hardware for it. I just hope the game runs well on PC.

That’s what we know about the MW3 open beta dates and times. For more coverage of Modern Warfare 3, check out our articles on the recent multiplayer trailer, details on all the platforms, and more in our hub for the game.