Ghost Recon: Future Soldier beta begins April 19th

The long-awaited Ghost Recon: Future Soldier beta is coming soon. The multiplayer test session will run for about two weeks: from April 19th through May 2nd on both Xbox 360 and PS3.

While the beta was originally unveiled as an Xbox 360-exclusive, access has been expanded on both platforms. Owners of the Xbox 360 version of Splinter Cell Conviction will be able to access the beta "directly through the game." If you don't have the game on-hand, another option will be to pre-order Future Soldier from GameStop for a beta code.

PS3 owners will be able to get access to the beta with a PlayStation Plus subscription. No other method will grant entry on Sony's console.

The multiplayer beta will allow for up to twelve simultaneous players (6v6). Testers will get to choose between three classes (Rifleman, Engineer, and Scout) and play in two modes. The first mode is Conflict, in which players will have to complete objectives scattered throughout the map to earn points. The team with the most points wins. On April 26th, another mode will open up. Saboteur has teams competing to retrieve a bomb and detonate it at the opposing team's base. (CTF, essentially.)

Two maps will be playable during the beta: Pipeline and Mill.

The beta will give an early taste of the game's online features. Ghost Recon: Future Soldier will then be available on May 24th.