It's been yonks since The Behemoth has released a game. However, you'll soon be able to get your hands on their next XBLA game, Battleblock Theater. You just have to jump through a lot of hoops first.

Read more: You'll have to work for it »

In case you missed the news, God of War: Ascension will have a competitive online multiplayer mode, a first for the series. While many will undoubtedly have reservations, we found it to be pretty darn fun. PlayStation Plus members will be able to get their hands on the online offering soon, with the beta opening on January 8th.

But if you participated in The Rise of the Warrior social game, you may have earned access to said beta now. Additional bonuses are coming to players, including "exclusive DLC items," so it's not too late to join.

Watch: Earn the 'Favor of the Gods' »

Trion Worlds and Shacknews have teamed up again, this time for a key giveaway for the final beta test of the upcoming free-to-play real-time strategy MMO End of Nations. At stake are 20 keys and the chance to join in on an exclusive five-on-five Shack Battle with the devs.

Read more: Dress your units in pink camo »

It's easy to be skeptical of God of War: Ascension's multiplayer mode. As with all single player games that go online, fans are typically wary. Thankfully, fans will be able to get an early taste of the game's competitive offerings with a brand new global beta--"available exclusively first to PlayStation Plus subscribers."

Watch: Kratos on Kratos action »

Want an early peek at the upcoming Dashboard revision for the Xbox 360? You're in luck! Microsoft has just launched an open beta for this year's firmware update. If you're selected as a tester, you'll get early access to a number of new features on your Xbox, including enhanced search and discovery features, personalized recommendations, and most importantly, Internet Explorer for Xbox.

Beta testers will have to sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement), meaning everything you see during the beta will be a secret. Also, you'll be expected to complete a survey at the end of the beta.

Read more: Sign up for the beta »

Can't wait until this summer to play Skyrim's first expansion pack? Bethesda has announced a new beta program for Dawnguard, exclusively for Xbox 360 players. Applicants for the beta will be selected in about a week, and those that receive early access will get a download code for the full version of the expansion pack--complete with Xbox Live achievements.

Read more: Registration takes a few minutes »

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.

Read more: Maps and modes detailed »

Beta testing for the pandaful World of Warcraft expansion Mists of Pandaria will be beginning soon, an announcement on the official WoW blog has revealed. "Annual Pass holders, press, fan sites, friends and family," will be invited, along with other opt-in beta testers.

Read more: The beta details »

"What is Hybrid?" That's the tag line Scibblenauts dev 5th Cell has been using for its upcoming multiplayer shooter for Xbox Live Arcade. Unfortunately, in spite of some new videos, we don't really have a great answer to that question.

Thankfully, that should change once the beta for Hybrid goes live at the end of April.

Watch: Oh, so that's what Hybrid is »

As previously reported, the Starhawk public beta will begin today for PlayStation Plus members. (Private beta users have continued access to the public beta.) You'll have about four months to hone your skills before the official release of LightBox Interactive's spiritual successor to Warhawk. Sony has announced that Starhawk will be on store shelves on May 8th.

Watch: What to expect from the beta »

If you missed your chance to get into the Starhawk private beta, don't fret. The public beta is about to begin very soon. In fact, it will be available for PlayStation Plus members beginning next Tuesday, January 17th.

Everyone that had access to the private beta is welcome to continue playing the public beta, with or without Plus access.

Read more: Other ways of getting into the beta »

After a development cycle so long that some of its original futuristic concepts are probably now a reality, Ubisoft has announced Ghost Recon: Future Soldier will launch on May 22 in North America and May 24 in Europe for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. And continuing Ubisoft's track record, the PC version of the game won't be available until "a later date."

Read more: Beta coming to Xbox 360 and PS3 »

As promised, the time has come. If you were lucky enough to receive an invite, the PC closed beta for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has begun. Originally scheduled to start in October, Valve pushed the beta's release to late November due to feedback from top Counter-Strike players.

The beta population will increase over time, according to Valve, as the company aims to hit the game's targeted "early 2012" release. But in typical Valve fashion, the developer said last month that there is "no mandate from anybody of when we have to ship this." Valve says CS:GO will ship when it's ready.

Watch: Counter-Strike GO in action »

The Starhawk private beta start date has been confirmed, with the test kicking off on November 22. Publisher SCEA had previously announced the limited beta would run at some point in November, but failed to lock down a date.

According to a post on the PlayStation Blog, the initial beta will be very limited, with access only open to "a selected number of loyal Warhawk players." As time progresses, senior producer Harvard Bonin noted on the blog, more users will be "slow rolled" into the beta.

Read more: Uncharted 3 owners get early 2012 access »

It looks like gamers hungry for their shot at Valve's upcoming expansion into the multiplayer online battle arena genre may be satiated soon.

"We've just finished our first significant expansion of Dota 2 server capacity around the world, and that means it's time to kick this thing up a notch," a blog post on the official Dota 2 site revealed yesterday.

Read more: Celebrate Dota 2 beta expansion with a comic »