How to gain access to the Hello Neighbor 2 beta

The sequel to the popular stealth video game hit Hello Neighbor 2 is just around the corner this December, but an open beta is now live for those interested in playing the game early. Unfortunately, there is a complication that will stand in your way, at least at the time of writing.

To access the Hello Neighbor 2 beta, you will need to preorder the game on Steam, Epic Games Store, the PlayStation Store, or through Xbox. Otherwise, you’ll be out of luck. After purchasing the game, you’ll gain instant access to the beta.

“While the open beta will give players a good taste of what to expect from the full game, we’re keeping the best and juiciest surprises and secrets for launch day,” said the game’s publisher tinyBuild in a press release. “Still, the clues are all there – dive in now and see what you can figure out!”

Driving pre-orders is an important practice for video game publishers, especially those that have a lesser budget than the likes of EA and Activision. They are almost guaranteed sales that tinyBuild can trust in and formulate content around for the future of the game’s life cycle if DLC is planned.

The full release of Hello Neighbor 2 will creep into your consoles and PC on December 6 for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC (via Steam and Epic). If you get the deluxe edition of Hello Neighbor 2, you’ll have five days of early access.