As expected given the leaks, DICE and EA have released the official Battlefield 2042 beta dates (open and early access), and schedule! It is indeed starting this October, and will run for just a few days!

Official Battlefield 2042 Beta Dates and Schedule:

Per the press release:

September 28, 2021 – Electronic Arts and DICE today revealed that the Battlefield 2042 Open Beta* will be available on October 8 for Xbox® One, Xbox® Series X and S, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5 and PC. EA Play members and individuals who pre-order the game can gain access two days early on October 6. All players can preload starting on October 5th** 

• Duration: October 5-10, 2021

  • Oct 5: Downloads enabled for all players

  • Oct 6-9: Early Access window (triggers Oct 6 at 9am CEST)

  • Oct 8-9: Open Availability (triggers Oct 8 at 9am CEST)

  • Oct 10, 9am CEST: Sunset

Fans can expect to beta to feature the Conquest game mode, where the Orbital map will be available. Next-gen gamers can expect 128-player battles, while those on last-gen will be limited to 64 players.

From the press release:

The Battlefield 2042 Open Beta will feature the iconic Conquest experience on the Orbital map, previously showcased in the game’s reveal trailer. PC and next-gen console players will receive first-hand experience of playing the new, epic 128-player battles (64 players on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One) through Conquest’s large-scale game mode, and will fight for control of key objective points on the map.
During the Beta, participants will have a chance to jump into the franchise’s signature brand of All-Out Warfare as one of four unique Specialists each equipped with their own individual styles, specialties and traits. Players can step into the shoes of Boris, a Russian engineer who comes with a SG-36; Casper, a South African camouflage and long-ranged attacks expert; Falck, a skilled German medic who specializes in Support; and Mackay, a Canadian outdoorsman and nomad who is equipped with a Grapple Gun.

Set in Kourou, French Guiana, the Battlefield 2042 Orbital map lets players experience a race against time in hostile conditions as they battle around the site of an imminent rocket launch. Sectors found in this map include the Assembly Building, the Launch Platform and the Crawlerway connecting the two. During a Conquest match, players will experience Battlefield’s signature dynamic maps featuring an automated rocket launch sequence, zipline traversal between lightning towers, vehicular combat in adverse weather, including an unexpected tornado event altering the flow of battle, and much more.

Battlefield 2042 will be available this November 19 on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC.