Battlefield 2042 technical playtest coming in July, here's how EA is picking participants

Battlefield 2042
(Image credit: EA)

The Battlefield 2042 technical test will offer players a chance to get their virtual boots on the near-future ground before the game's official launch. 

EA and DICE plan to host a Battlefield 2042 technical playtest sometime in early July. It will not be an open event, and every participant will be required to agree to an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) before they can give the game a try. This is distinct from a standard closed beta, because EA and DICE don't plan to solicit applicants for trying it out.

Instead, EA plans to invite "players identified as Battlefield veterans" from the US and European regions to participate in the test. In other words, it sounds like whatever you could have done to increase your odds of getting picked has already been done - EA will likely do a sweep of accounts that have put a good amount of time into recent Battlefield games, select a small sampling of them, then send invites out to the email addresses associated with those accounts.

But what will these lucky test subjects get to play once they've agreed to the NDA, installed the game, and the event begins? EA's keeping tight-lipped about that too, but it does say this particular test will use a "grey box environment" to focus on "validating technical performance and stability in preparation for launch." In this case, "grey box" likely refers to the testing strategy rather than the level design: testers will likely only experience a carefully prepared slice of the game, and there will only be minimal documentation for getting started.

Fortunately, the technical test won't be your only opportunity to try out Battlefield 2042 ahead of time. EA and DICE are also planning to host an open beta test for the game before the proper launch, with early access guaranteed for folks who put in a pre-order of the full game. Battlefield betas are typically pretty generous, so curious players should have a lot to look forward to this fall.

The Battlefield 2042 release date has been confirmed for October 22, and will launch on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, and PC.

See what else is up next with our guide to video game release dates.

Connor Sheridan

I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and now I'm a staff writer here at GamesRadar.

Read more
Battlefield Labs
How to sign up for Battlefield Labs
Battlefield 4
"Campaign is back": Battlefield 6 suddenly emerges with 10 seconds of gameplay footage, 4 separate development studios, and a closed pre-alpha test
Battlefield 2042 screenshot
EA says Battlefield 6 will launch before April 2026
Elden Ring Nightreign beta
How to play the Elden Ring Nightreign beta
Mecha Break screenshot showing a a massive winged mech suit mid-air, colored white, pink, and cyan
Mecha Break, the lovechild of Armored Core and Titanfall, gets a closed beta test that you can sign up for now
Elden Ring Nightreign screenshot with three players battling an explosive creature
Sorry Elden Ring sickos, the Nightreign network test only lets you play for a few short hours a day
Latest in Action
Dragon Age Inquisition
Dragon Age actor says the last time he played Inquisition, he upheld the RPG tradition led by Baldur's Gate 3 actors and romanced his own character: "Which is the best — the best"
Lester sitting at a computer in some artwork for GTA Online
Some GTA 5 players can't bring their characters to the new PC upgrade, and the open-world game's mixed Steam reviews are hammering FPS caps and a lack of text chat
Assassin's Creed Shadows cinematic screenshot
Assassin's Creed Shadows will take upwards of 80 hours for completionists, creative director confirms, and Ubisoft is considering adding New Game+ post launch
Monster Hunter Wilds trailer screenshot showing a young woman with long blonde hair tied back into a ponytail smiling slightly, pumping her left fist in the air
Monster Hunter Wilds' worst feature is its "ridiculously poorly built UI," according to fans of the new action RPG – but there's already "a mod that fixes that"
Assassin's Creed Shadows screenshot showing female protagonist Naoe
I figured Assassin's Creed Shadows' Red Bull collab would just be some naff cosmetics, but it's actually a pair of surprisingly useful gameplay boons for Naoe and Yasuke
Fighting side-scrolling opponents in Absolum
Street of Rage 4's developer returns with Absolum – a fantasy flavored beat 'em up with a Hades twist
Latest in News
Dragon Age Inquisition
Dragon Age actor says the last time he played Inquisition, he upheld the RPG tradition led by Baldur's Gate 3 actors and romanced his own character: "Which is the best — the best"
Monster Hunter Wilds
Capcom promises "this is just the start for the next generation of Monster Hunter" as Wilds shatters sales milestones: "The Guild authorizes this celebration!"
Lester sitting at a computer in some artwork for GTA Online
Some GTA 5 players can't bring their characters to the new PC upgrade, and the open-world game's mixed Steam reviews are hammering FPS caps and a lack of text chat
Kamala Khan holds Jean Grey's body in an homage to the cover of Uncanny X-Men #136
45 years after the original Dark Phoenix Saga, Ms. Marvel Kamala Khan will travel back in time to save X-Men history
Assassin's Creed Shadows screenshot showing Yasuke kneeling and praying while wearing a traditional purple robe
Assassin's Creed Shadows is the first game in the series with "a fully customizable sandbox" as your base, which is where Yasuke and Naoe hang out and pet baby animals
Monster Hunter Wilds screenshot of spider boss Nerscylla
Monster Hunter Wilds takes an infamously rare and annoying material from the old games and absolutely buries you in it – and also buries you in tiny spiders