Battlefield Hardline’s open beta begins next week, full details here

As promised, Electronic Arts revealed today the beta details for Visceral Games’ Battlefield Hardline, the next installment of EA’s popular first-person shooter series.

The eagerly awaited open beta for Hardline’s multiplayer will run from February 3 to February 8, and will be available to all players regardless of platform: PC, PS4, PS3, Xbox One and Xbox 360.

The beta will feature three different maps and modes “highlighting this cops and criminals fantasy mode.” This includes the new Hotwire mode which brings high-speed chases to the battlefield, as the criminals attempt tos teal a list of marked cars while the cops try to stop them. Hotwire will be playable on two maps: Downtown and Dust Bowl. Battlefield’s signature Conquest mode, which can feature battles up to 64 players,  will also be playable on Dust Bowl. And because Battlefield 4 players met their challenge, we’ll also be getting a third mode: Heist. New to the Battlefield series, Heist sees the criminals attempting to break into a vault, steal the loot, and take it to various drop off points throughout the map while the cops try to stop them. Heist will be playable on the Bank Job map. You can find details for all of the maps and modes that’ll be available at Battlefield Hardline’s launch here.

In addition to game modes and maps, the beta will provide players access “to a breadth of multiplayer progression” in the game, which includes new weapons, vehicles, gadgets, and gear.

“Players will have to create new strategies on the battlefield with faster getaway methods like the zipline and muscle cars, or new entry tactics with the grappling hook and non-lethal takedown options like arrests, interrogations and stun guns.”

The beta will also give a first look at another new mode called Hacker. This new feature allows one player on each side to hack the battlefield, gaining access into security cameras which allows them to spot areas and specify areas for their team to attack or defend. Hacker mode will be playable on all modes in the beta.

To celebrate next week’s beta, Visceral Games has put together a trailer that gives us an in-depth look at how new innovations with story, speed, and strategy are “helping make Battlefield hardline a complete first-person shooter experience.”

Battlefield Hardline is set to release on March 17 for PC, PS4, PS3, Xbox One, and Xbox 360.