Warhammer 40,000: Darktide PC Beta Set for October 14-16

Today, Swedish game development studio Fatshark announced the dates for the upcoming Warhammer 40,000: Darktide PC closed beta.

The test phase will take place on the weekend between October 14th and 16th. Players can sign up on the official website for a chance to be invited to the Warhammer 40,000: Darktide PC closed beta. You'll have to provide your email address, where Fatshark will send a survey requesting your PC specifications; completing this process is mandatory to be eligible for the beta raffle.

Chris recently got to play some Warhammer 40,000: Darktide at Gamescom 2022, coming away suitably satisfied by the experience.

As one could expect, Darktide'll sometimes filter you into arena-style areas; this is where the real meat of the combat starts. Hundreds upon hundreds of enemies swarm you and your team. Sometimes you're simply fighting them off, trying to survive. Other times, you have to collect power cores and put them in specific machines to let you progress, one person carrying the core while others strive to defend them. So far, so 4vsAI.

Let me be honest; it is all "so far, so 4vsAI". What matters here is that combat feels great. While swinging around my hammer, it felt like it had some heft. When I used my ability to create a bit of a shock blast, stunning enemies, it felt like I was doing that. Even when I pulled out my gun, taking shots from far away, it felt like the bullets had some weight. There's a heft to the combat that other titles can lack.

All of this is supported by a game that looks and sounds great. The cavernous areas suitably echo the approaching hordes of monstrosities and the sounds of combat. While some of the design has already led to me getting a little turned around - likely intentional - I can't help but praise the visuals. Everything looks so suitably vast and overwhelming, with the more minor details all present to add to the atmosphere and enemies that are appropriately gruesome; and gory when you happen to slaughter them.

Warhammer: Vermintide, and the second, were well-received titles. I would argue, with the advances made by Fatshark, and a setting that genuinely feels better for the game style, Warhammer 40k: Darktide could be the game that rises to the top in a type of game now arguably overused.

For a full overview of everything we know about the game, check out our dedicated roundup article. The game will be available on November 30th to PC gamers, while Xbox Series S|X fans will have to wait a while longer.