To get yourself ready for the Battleborn Open Beta, wrap your mind around what’s at stake. Set in the distant future, you’re fighting to save the last star in the universe. You have 25 heroes – each with wildly different personalities, powers, and play styles – at your disposal as you dip into the action-packed Story Mode or go 5 v 5 in Competitive Multiplayer matches. Experience the natural progression of the game as you rank up and unlock new heroes, skins, taunts, Helix mutations, and more during the Battleborn Open Beta.

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The Basics:

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WHEN IS IT? April 8 to April 18!

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• April 8th at 10am PST (5pm UTC) – PS4
• April 13th at 10am PST (5pm UTC) – PS4, PC, and Xbox One
• Open Beta ends April 18th at 7am PST (2pm UTC)

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PLATFORMS: PS4, PC, and Xbox One

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PS4 BETA PLAYERS: As a thank you to PS4 players who participate in the Open Beta, they will receive the first Battleborn DLC Pack 1 and instant access to Alani upon release. In addition, PS4 players will have access to the Battleborn hero, Toby, during the Open Beta.

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PRE-LOAD DATE: Rev up those consoles and computers: pre-load begins for all platforms on April 6th.

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• PS4 – 5pm PST (12am UTC)
• PC – 10 am PST (5pm UTC)
• Xbox One – 5pm PST (12am UTC)

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APPROXIMATE DOWNLOAD SIZE:

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• PS4: 8.5GB
• PC: 12GB
• Xbox One: 11GB

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WHERE TO DOWNLOAD: The Battleborn Open beta will be available through PlayStation Network, Steam, and the Microsoft Store. The Open Beta will be available to download straight from the store, no sign-up or code required.

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AVAILABLE REGIONS: The Battleborn Open Beta will be available worldwide!

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PS PLUS / XBOX LIVE:  PS Plus is not required to participate in Open Beta. Xbox Live Gold members will have access to all Story and Competitive Modes in the Open Beta. Xbox Live Silver members will be able to play private Story Mode episodes and private Competitive Modes, but will not have access to public matchmaking features.

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FEEDBACK AND BUG REPORTS: Feedback and bug reports are an essential part of the Battleborn Open Beta. Log into the Gearbox Open Beta Forums and send us your feedback!

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The Content:

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During the Open Beta, you’ll be able to experience the natural progression of Battleborn; including two Story Mode episodes, two Competitive Multiplayer Modes, 25 heroes (some instantly available, some will unlock as you progress), and as you play, you’ll rank up on three different progression systems.

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STORY MODE: Go in solo or co-op with up to 5 players in two full Story Mode episodes: The Algorithm and Void’s Edge.

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• The Algorithm: Take on The Algorithm mission to debug and unlock the rogue Magnus AI, ISIC. If you played in the Closed Technical Test last year, you’ll notice Geoff, the Spider King, has made a few changes to his lair.
• Void’s Edge: Bring a jacket, ‘cause the ice-planet, Bliss, is mighty cold. A Varelsi portal has opened and it’s up to you to fight your way through the invasion and deliver the payload.

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COMPETITIVE MULTIPLAYER MODES: Challenge other players to duke it out in two Competitive Multiplayer modes: Incursion and Meltdown.

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• Incursion: (Overgrowth map) Destroy the enemy’s two Spider Sentry Drones before they get to yours.
• Meltdown: (Paradise map) Send waves of minions to their death and score points for every minion who throws themselves into the incinerator. The team with the most scrap metal wins!

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PARTY UP WITH FELLOW BADASSES: Conscript your friends for a truly badass Open Beta experience!

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• Party up with friends or search for random players to join them in Co-Op Story Mode episodes.
• Play Split-Screen on PS4 and Xbox One in either Story Mode or Competitive Multiplayer Modes.
• Communicate with your teammates through in-game Voice Chat.
• Practice makes badass – create private custom matches with friends to get a handle on controls and practice with new characters as you unlock them.

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BATTLEBORN HEROES: Battleborn has a large starting roster of 25 playable heroes, which will continue growing with five additional, free heroes after launch. In the Open Beta, you’ll start with 7 unlocked heroes and the rest will be unlocked as you rank up and complete objectives. In the meantime, here’s a quick rundown of the main character types: Attackers, Defenders, and Support.

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• Attackers: Charge into the fight with a variety of offensive Battleborn heroes. Throw punches, slice ‘em up, blast ‘em down, or break out the big guns with Rath, Deande, Phoebe, Whiskey Foxtrot, Mellka, Thorn,Marquis, Oscar Mike, Benedict, Caldarius, El Dragón, Orendi, Shayne & Aurox, and Ghalt.
• Defenders: Take a hit for the team (or two, or three) with the likes of Attikus, Galilea, Kelvin, Boldur, ISIC,Toby, and Montana.
• Support: Shields, heals, and still more firepower – Miko, Reyna, Kleese, and Ambra can help the team in the fight.

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PS4 players, remember: you’ll have Open Beta access to the adorable penguin in a mechsuit, Toby! Toby will not be unlockable on PC or Xbox One during the Open Beta but he will be unlockable on all platforms in the retail version.

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PROGRESSION SYSTEMS: Experience Battleborn’s multiple progression systems during the Open Beta. Playing either Story Mode or Competitive Multiplayer Modes will earn you XP towards temporary Helix augmentations as well as persistent Command Rank and Character Rank levels.

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• Helix: During a single Competitive match or Story episode, each level you gain activates a new Helix augmentation opportunity – all the way to level 10. Each level has two augmentation choices and a character’s Helix resets at the beginning of a new match or episode, meaning you can tailor your character’s abilities to the situation at hand.
• Character Rank: Each character ranks up the more you play them, up to rank 15. The Character Rank levels persist across all Modes, and unlike Helix augmentations, this experience does not reset at the end of a match or mission. Increasing Character Rank unlocks Mutations, which are extra Augments that become available on the Helix Menu. The higher the Character’s Rank, the more Helix augmentations, taunts, titles, and skins you can unlock for that character.
• Command Rank: Command Rank persists across all Modes and all characters played. Every Competitive match (excluding bots) and Story episode grants XP towards your player Command Rank. Rising through the ranks in Open Beta will unlock characters, new Gear options, titles, and more up to Command Rank 100.

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WHAT TO BUILD: On every map and in every Mode, you’ll find strategically located, buildable tactical structures. These buildables can purchased – and upgraded – using Shards found throughout each level. Here are a couple samples of what you can build over the course of any given match.

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• Automatic Turrets: Turrets have different types of offensive armaments and will attack any foe in sight, enemy minions and Battleborn alike.
• Healing Station: The Healing station will regenerate health over time in an area around the station for the team who purchases it.
• Accelerators: Accelerators give a speed boost to friendly Battleborn and minions when passing next to them.
• Super Minions: Super Minions can be purchased in the team’s base and are well worth the Shards. Their ability to sustain and deal more damage than other minions adds additional firepower to your team.

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Other Information:

• Is there an NDA? Nope – it’s an Open Beta which means you can stream, record video, and play Battleborn to your badass heart’s content!
• Can I stream or record video of Battleborn? Hell yes!  Tweet at @Battleborn and let us know you’re streaming Battleborn live!
• Do I need a SHiFT account for the Open Beta? Nope!
• Will there be any kind of maintenance scheduled during the Beta? No, there is no planned downtime or maintenance during the Open Beta. If something comes up and maintenance is necessary, we will let you know on the Battleborn Twitter channel or in the Gearbox Open Beta Forums.
• Will my progress carry over to the retail game? No, Open Beta progress will not carry over to the retail game.

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