Far Cry 3 closed beta begins this summer

Far Cry 3 is due sometime this fall, but Ubisoft will be hosting a closed multiplayer beta in the summer to give a taste of jungle carnage. The company announced today that the two-week beta will be invitation-only, with a variety of ways to snag an invite, through a game purchase, sweepstakes, or various other giveaways.

You can score an invite by buying Ghost Recon: Future Soldier from GameStop starting May 22, if you're a PowerUp member. That will grant you an invite that you can validate online, and pick between the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 version. Once the beta goes live this summer, the code will be e-mailed to you. You'll also be able to enter a Facebook sweepstakes, and through spots on the official Ubisoft and Far Cry sites, along with social channels.

The beta will include 16 player matches, six playable classes, and various maps and modes. The announcement promises dozens of weapons and hundreds of upgrades and customizations -- probably more than you'll have a chance to get through in a fortnight.