Call of Duty Vanguard’s alpha will introduce its ‘Gunfight Battle Royale’ mode

Sledgehammer Games has confirmed it will hold a Call of Duty: Vanguard alpha test for PlayStation users next weekend.

From Friday, August 27 at 10am PT / 6pm BST to Sunday, August 29 at 10am PT / 6pm BST, every PS5 and PS4 owner will be able to participate in the alpha test, which will debut Vanguard’s Champion Hill, the mode previously described as “Gunfight Battle Royale”.

Champion Hill is a progression of the small squad multiplayer mode introduced with 2019’s Modern Warfare, now extended to a large map split into sections, with multiple teams battling to be the last squad standing.

“In Champion Hill, your squad — either a Duo (2v2) or Trio (3v3) during the Alpha — will compete in a round-robin deathmatch tournament against other squads,” the game’s developer explained.

“Everyone starts with the same Loadout, and while it can be lethal, collecting Cash — earned by taking enemy lives and picking up drops scattered around the map — will allow you to upgrade your starting weapons and purchase new armaments, equipment, Perks, and Killstreaks during Buy Rounds that happen between Combat Rounds.”

Champion Hill takes place on one large map split up into five sections; the Airstrip, the Trainyard, the Market, and the Courtyard. Once players are eliminated, they can watch how the tournament ends from a spectator platform.

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The alpha represents the first time the public will be able to try Vanguard before its release on November 5, including its new destructive environments and customisable armaments.

Preloading will begin on August 23 at 3am PT / 11am BST ahead of the Alpha’s scheduled launch on August 27. Those with Modern Warfare, Warzone and Black Ops Cold War installed will be able to access the Alpha through the main menu after it is downloaded.

On Sunday Sledgehammer also confirmed plans for a multiplatform multiplayer beta, which will take place beginning Friday, September 10 on PlayStation platforms, then beginning September 16 on other platforms for pre-order customers, and open to all from September 18.

Call of Duty Vanguard’s multiplayer mode is set to be shown in detail via a larger reveal on September 7.

As revealed this week, Vanguard will be comprised of a WWII campaign, 20 multiplayer maps and a Zombies mode (developed by Treyarch), with a release date of November 5 on consoles and PC.