How to get into Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2’s beta and what’s in it

As the sequel to what is arguably the most underrated multiplayer game of 2014 (thanks to Titanfall), Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 is slated to release on February 23rd, 2016. However, you can try it out a bit earlier, from January 14 to January 18, in the form of a beta.

That’s right, like every other major game out there, Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 will have a beta so that you can try out the game and give feedback.

How to join the PvZ Garden Warfare 2 beta

Fortunately, Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2’s beta doesn’t have any particularly restrictive parameters to join. In fact, there aren’t any restrictions to join. Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 will have an open beta that anyone can join, with no mention of any pre-order requirement or some such. You too can join the beta by visiting their website and clicking the appropriate link to download the beta to your console.

Ok, that’s nice and all, but what’s in the beta?

In the open beta, you get to try out six of the new characters that are being added to the original Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare roster. That means that you can play as the following:

• Kernel Corn – Leading the plant offensive as the primary assault class with dual cob busters and a high rate of fire.
• Rose – An extremely powerful sorceress that can turn zombie foes into fully playable goats.
• Citron – A time-travelling bounty hunter from the future – and also an orange.
• Imp & Z-Mech – The smallest and most agile of the zombies that turns into a Z-Mech robo of mass destruction with missiles.
• Super Brainz – The flashy, punchy-powerhouse superhero with exceptional hair and charismatic smile.
• Captain Deadbeard – A crusty peg-legged captain with a trick weapon up his sleeve.

On top of that, you will be able to play both the new and old gametypes, adding up to seven different modes to try. This includes the original Team Vanquish, Vanquish Confirmed, Gnome Bomb, and Suburbination modes (which will be on a daily rotation) and the classic Gardens and Graveyards mode where the plants have to defend gardens from zombies. You can also try the new 24 player Herbal Assault gametype where the plants go on the attack (for once) while the zombies defend.

You also get access to Backyard Battleground, an “interactive environment that connects you to every map and mode” (sounds a bit like open world PvZ, no?), where you can play Flag of Power, essentially Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2’s version of King of the Hill. 

Unfortunately, there are only so many maps that are going to be present in the beta: Z-Tech Factory, Frosty Creek, Moon Base Z, and Seeds of Time.