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Call of Duty: Vanguard alpha dates, platforms, and more

Everything you need to know about the upcoming Vanguard Alpha

A amle soldier weating a brown military uniform holds an LMG while a fire rages behind him

The build up to the Call of Duty: Vanguard release date is now in full swing. We’ve seen the reveal trailer, and the next stop on the hype train is the Vanguard alpha. Here, players will get their first chance to get hands on with the new CoD title and can get to grips with an all-new mode that’s coming to Vanguard: Champion Hill.

This 48-hour alpha will not only give fans of the series a taste of what is to come for Vanguard’s multiplayer, but it will also be an important step in fine tuning the game for its full release in November. From discovering bugs to balancing weapons and attachments, the Vanguard alpha will provide plenty of important information for developer Sledgehammer Games.

But when is the Vanguard alpha, which platforms can I play it on, and which modes will be available? We’ve got all the answers to your alpha-related queries right here.

Call of Duty: Vanguard alpha dates

The Call of Duty: Vanguard alpha will run between August 27 and August 29, lasting 48 hours.

Call of Duty: Vanguard Alpha start time

The Vanguard alpha will start on August 27 at 10:00 PT/ 13:00 ET/ 18:00 BST.

The Vanguard alpha ends at the same time on August 29.

Vanguard Alpha preload

You can preload the Vanguard alpha to your console starting August 23, giving you plenty of time to get it downloaded and installed ahead of it going live on August 27.

Call of Duty: Vanguard Alpha platforms

The Vanguard alpha will only be playable on PS4 and PS5 consoles as it is a PlayStation exclusive. The alpha is a PS4 build, with backwards compatibility for those playing on the new-gen PS5.

Can I play the Vanguard Alpha on PC or Xbox?

Sadly, you won’t be able to play the Call of Duty: Vanguard alpha on PC or Xbox consoles. Only PlayStation players will have access to it.

PC and Xbox players will get access to the Call of Duty: Vanguard Beta later in the year though, but only if they have pre-ordered Vanguard.

Vanguard Alpha Champion Hill

Champion Hill will be the only mode featured in the Call of Duty: Vanguard alpha.

The mode is essentially an adaptation of the Gunfight mode made popular by 2019’s Modern Warfare, but puts a battle royale and round-based spin on it. During the alpha, Champion Hill can be played as a Duo (2v2) or Trio (3v3). While a Solos mode has also been rumoured, it will not feature in the alpha.

For more information on Champion Hill, check out our explainer guide.

Four soldiers stare down the camera, each armed with World War 2 weapons and wearing WW2 military gear.

Vanguard Alpha rewards

For those who participate in the Vanguard alpha, you will be rewarded with two in-game items. You will receive an Emblem and a Calling Guard for taking part. The designs for these have not yet been revealed.

The Calling Card and Emblem will be redeemable in Vanguard when it releases fully in November, and will also be usable in Warzone after it has integrated with Vanguard.

That’s everything we know about the Call of Duty: Vanguard alpha so far. While you’re here, you’ll probably want to get clued up on the Vanguard beta dates as well!