Titanfall 2 open multiplayer tech test: What to expect

We got to play in the Titanfall 2 open multiplayer technical test just long enough to give you a few tidbits on what to expect.

Prepare for Titanfall — again.

It’s going to be a little bit until gamers everywhere get the full Titanfall 2 experience, but EA and Respawn thrilled fans by announcing at gamescom that an open multiplayer technical test was headed our way this weekend. That’s a fancy name for what will be a very limited open beta that the companies will use to test servers and gameplay tidbits in the game’s early stages of development.

We were fortunate enough to get a taste of what’s in store even earlier, and while we didn’t exactly cover ourselves in glory, we put in enough time to fill you in on what awaits this weekend.

Two modes, two maps, two Titans

The open technical test makes no bones about the fact that this is Titanfall 2 in its pre-alpha form. Yet it already looks pretty good, and there’s even a tutorial mode for people who have never played — more possible than one might think since this is its first appearance on PS4 — to learn the basics of wall-running and shooting.

There are two modes from which to choose, one of which is classic 8v8 but with pilots only, so no Titans. Perhaps not surprisingly, there were zero games of this type played during our several hours in the early access part of the test.

The mode that was being played was a 5v5 Bounty Mode, with AI spawns that dropped in marked locations several times during the match. Eliminating the AI soldiers or Titans earned your team money, which could then be deposited in robotic banks after each wave of spawns for bonus bucks. First team to $6000 won, and you could also earn money by enemy kills, doing damage to enemy Titans, and other things.

Fittingly, two different Titans were available, one a generalist of sorts and the other a territory controlling type with fire-based weapons.

An introduction to Networks

As noted in some of the previous coverage of Titanfall 2, Networks are the game’s answer to clans, though of more of a loose-knit variety. They’re already implemented in the tech test, though undoubtedly with only a fraction of the functionality they will have when the game releases.

Be that as it may, you can already join a Network or start one of your own. If you opt for the latter, you can pick the name, abbreviation and a few characteristics to let other players know if they would want to join you.

Presumably, the matchmaking during the tech test will keep players grouped within their own Network, though that wasn’t easy to determine while we were playing since only two Networks had been formed.

Level up and loadout

You might be pleasantly surprised to know that you could level up both your pilot and Titan and earn merits to unlock certain weapons and mods. Again, it’s very unlikely the selection is anything but the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the full arsenal for Titanfall 2, but there are enough options to suit several different play styles.

The tech test offers several different pre-configured loadouts, though you can go in and modify any part of it. An additional, fully custom loadout can also be chosen. Plus you can switch between the two Titans, selecting which one you’d like to take into battle.

All told, it’s just enough to get you psyched for the finished product while hinting at what’s ahead. We expect the actual tech test weekends to be packed full if pilots, especially on PS4. Good luck!