2K has announced that Battleborn will be an online-only affair, with a beta for the upcoming Gearbox-developed shooter going live for PlayStation 4 owners on April 8, 2016.
The teaser will be made available for PC and Xbox One gamers on April 13 before wrapping up for all formats on April 18.
As for the content on offer, players can enjoy two story-based missions, namely Void’s Edge and The Algorithm, and a pair of competitive multiplayer modes in the shape of Incursion and Meltdown. 25 playable characters and a full progression system will be included too, though it’s not yet known if your progress will make the transition to the full game or not.
As for the online-only stance, here’s 2K’s official word on the matter:
"Battleborn requires an internet connection to play, whether you’re playing single-player, co-operatively with friends, or competitively against others. One of the reasons for this is that experience points earned in Battleborn’s Story Mode carry over to Multiplayer and vice-versa.
"All XP earned through the game’s persistent progression system contributes to leveling up individual Character Rank, as well as player profile Command Rank. In addition, maintaining data integrity is a major priority for the team, and online gameplay permits player’s data to be accessible, even after experiencing a hardware malfunction or purchasing a new console."
In addition, the publisher confirmed that a PlayStation Plus memership is required to access ‘certain gameplay and functionality.’
Battleborn will be released on May 3, 2016 for PS4, PC and Xbox One.