The upcoming open beta for Back 4 Blood will be an exciting time for fans who have been waiting to try out Turtle Rock Studios' co-op zombie shooter. One of the most anticipated games of Fall 2021, Back 4 Blood will benefit from Turtle Rock's experience in the co-op shooter genre and will hopefully deliver a bloody good time that evokes great moments from the Left 4 Dead series while innovating with more zombie variants and modern gameplay mechanics.

When exactly players can join in the open beta depends on a few different metrics. Those who have already pre-ordered Back 4 Blood will have early access starting on August 5. This first time frame will last from August 5 to August 9. Other players will be invited to this first session, but only a limited number will be picked from those who register beforehand on Back 4 Blood's website. The second session will start on August 12 and last until August 16. This session will be for everyone who wants to test out the game for free on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

RELATED: New Back 4 Blood Trailer Reveals it Has Uncapped Framerates, Nvidia DLSS, and More on PC

The good news is players probably won't run out of things to do in Back 4 Blood's open beta. Turtle Rock has confirmed two maps for the Swarm PvP mode and two co-op maps. The Swarm mode is maybe the most unique addition to co-op zombie shooter gameplay as it allows player teams to go head-to-head as both Cleaners and Ridden in timed rounds. Six different Ridden types will be playable in the Swarm mode during the open beta, including the Bruiser, Crusher, Exploder, Hocker, Retch, and Stinger.

For the Cleaners, five of the eight confirmed will be playable. Introduced in Back 4 Blood's "Meet the Cleaners" trailer, Evangelo, Holly, Hoffman, and Walker will be ready to fight off the Ridden horde, and Mom is also making her debut in the open beta. As players try out the various Cleaners and Ridden, they will get to experiment with the many weapons and cards that can be used to customize mode playthroughs. These work in tandem with the game's Director feature, which modifies matches based on player actions to make matches unique and challenging.

When not in combat, players can explore the Fort Hope communal hub and likely learn some history about how the world has gotten into its current state. The open beta will have cross-play and cross-gen support, so friends with different platforms can still team up. For Xbox players, August will be a great time to form teams with friends and figure out how everything works before Back 4 Blood hits Xbox Game Pass on launch day, October 12.

Back 4 Blood releases on October 12 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S

MORE: Back 4 Blood's Best Feature May Not be The Zombies

Source: IGN