The beta will not be totally open, but you can follow the links on the game’s official site to sign up. It’s scheduled to run March 16 to 19, although beta periods often get extended, especially if the servers experience any downtime during that period.
The studio announced the beta in a studio update video posted to YouTube. Bleszinski and Rohan Rivas, Boss Key communications manager, described the beta, plus new content that will be available for fans to check out during the PAX East convention in Boston this month, including new characters, weapons, and maps. They teased that more support roles, including healers, are coming to Lawbreakers.
“We want to give everybody a chance to play it at PAX, but also it’s time to move it into your home and get it to you so that we can get your feedback,” Rivas said in the video, imploring fans to sign up for the beta.
Lawbreakers is a multiplayer first-person shooter in the vein of Overwatch and Unreal Tournament, which Bleszinski helped create almost 20 years ago. It features multiple character classes and weapon types, including melee weapons, and action that defies the laws of physics, including gravity — hence the name. The game was initially planned as a free-to-play model, but the developers announced in early 2016 that they’d shifted to a priced model that will launch exclusively on Steam.
“LawBreakers is a competitive game at heart and that means balance is a big priority to me, my team, and our community. Using a digital premium model helps ensure an even playing field by giving fans access to every available role without any barriers,” Bleszinski said at the time.
The developers will also host a panel at PAX East titled “Action After Alpha,” about Lawbreakers‘ road to beta.