Do You Have to Preorder MW3 to Play the Beta? Explained

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 is on the horizon, and If you’re an eager gamer like I am, you’re trying to find your way into the early access beta. I don’t blame you for wanting a headstart on all things MW3. But the question remains: do you have to preorder MW3 to play the beta? Find all your answers here.

Do You Have to Preorder MW3 to Play the Beta? Explained

As discussed here in our dates and times guide, the MW3 open beta will take place over two weekends. The first round begins on October 6 at 1:00 p.m. EST/10:00 a.m. PST/6 p.m. BST. Weekend 1 of the Modern Warfare 3 Beta is exclusive to PlayStation owners.

Weekend 2 begins at the same times (see dates below), and it’s for all platforms. However, regardless of your platform, there are two ways to join in.

MW3 Beta Access Explained

• Early Access times are exclusive to players who pre-order the full Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 game. You have to pre-order.
• The open beta is, as it sounds, open to all CoD players. You don’t have to pre-purchase MW3.

Is There Early Access for the Beta Each Weekend? Answered

Each weekend follows a similar structure, with the first few days being exclusive to Early-Access players. The last few days are open to all players. So to reiterate: you have to pre-order MW3 to get early access to the beta weekend, but no, you don’t have to pre-order to participate in the open beta. Here’s a breakdown of the days you can play without pre-ordering:

• October 8-10: Weekend 1 – Open beta exclusive to PlayStation Players.
• October 14-16: Weekend 2 – All Platforms open beta. All players everywhere can jump in and play.

That answers the question: Do you have to pre-order MW3 to play the beta? We’ve got plenty more coverage for the upcoming release, like how to get and redeem MW3 beta codes and more at our guides hub here.