Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 beta details and editions have leaked

It’s been a big day for Call of Duty. First, Modern Warfare II got a release date before we’ve even seen a gameplay reveal. As part of the same announcement, we learned that Task 141 will be returning with the new game. Price, Soap, Gaz, and Ghost are back, along with new squadmate Colonel Alejandro Vargas of the Mexican Special Forces. That was all officially announced, but a big leak happened around the same time.

Call of Duty: Vanguard’s mid-season update is here, adding the H4 Blixen SMG and much more. It seems to have also divulged some classified information in the update files. As Dexerto’s Call of Duty wing @CharlieIntel discovered, information about Modern Warfare II’s beta and various editions was part of the patch. “Welcome to the new era of Call of Duty,” @CharlieIntel quoted on Twitter. “Pre-order the cross-gen bundle for early access to the open beta, first on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.” This wouldn’t be the first time such a beta happened first on PlayStation consoles, but it might be surprising considering that Microsoft’s planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard will eventually bring Call of Duty under Microsoft’s jurisdiction.

The “cross-gen bundle” that’s mentioned is also noteworthy. It’s one of three Modern Warfare II editions that @CharlieIntel names. Based on the titling, the Standard Edition will likely be the option for players to purchase the game on PlayStation or Xbox consoles, but without the option to upgrade from previous-gen versions to the current ones. The cross-gen bundle will presumably offer that. Finally, there’s the Vault Edition, which sounds like the most prestigious version of the game at this time.

@CharlieIntel wraps up the thread with a summary of what’s reportedly included in the Vault Edition. Operator skins, weapon blueprints, bonus XP, and battle pass skips are part of the bonuses. Also among these is an Operator Pack for Farah — the first we’re hearing of her inclusion in the game.

This is the latest of many reported leaks around Modern Warfare II. Footage from a six-month-old build is out there, in addition to a mock-up of a map reportedly used for both Warzone 2 and Modern Warfare II’s DMZ mode. We’ll find out how much is true when the game launches: its release date is October 28.