PSA: Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 beta has begun on PS4 and Xbox One

You don't have to wait for Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 to launch in February to play the wacky shooter. The game's open beta (no preorder required) started on January 14 and runs until January 18.

The Garden Warfare 2 beta will offer players access to a scaled-down version of the Backyard Battleground, which is a hub world that acts as a menu and connects players to every map and mode. For the beta players, the following content will be available in Backyard Battleground, with descriptions courtesy of EA:

• The King of the Hill-inspired mode, Flag of Power - Raise the Flag of Power and do everything you can to prevent the enemy from lowering it, igniting an all-out war where you'll have to fight off wave after wave of enemies in a frantic, escalating battle.
• Stats Room - Display all of your characters' stats and achievements. There's also a sticker book where you can get an overview of all the characters and accessories you've unlocked.
• Quest Board - Visit the Quest Board for a list of dynamically updated challenges that will reward you for every completed event and increase your XP multiplier.

Also included in the beta are two 24-player game modes (Herbal Assault and Gardens & Graveyards) playable on two maps: Moon Base Z and Seeds of Time.

Alongside those, new modes and maps will be rotated in as the beta progresses. These include:

• Modes:
  • Team Vanquish
  • Vanquish Confirmed
  • Gnome Bomb
  • Suburbination

• Maps:
  • Z-Tech Factory
  • Frosty Creek

Finally, EA has provided descriptions of the following characters, all of which will be playable in the Garden Warfare 2 beta:

• Kernel Corn - Leading the plant offensive as the primary assault class with dual cob busters and a high rate of fire.
• Rose - A powerful sorceress that can turn zombie foes into fully playable goats.
• Citron - A time-travelling bounty hunter from the future - and also an orange.
• Imp & Z-Mech - The smallest and most agile of the zombies that turns into a Z-Mech robo of mass destruction with missiles.
• Super Brainz - The flashy, punchy-powerhouse superhero with exceptional hair and charismatic smile.
• Captain Deadbeard - A crusty peg-legged captain with a trick weapon up his sleeve.

The Garden Warfare 2 beta has not been announced for PC.

The full version of Garden Warfare 2 launches on February 23 across PS4, Xbox One, and PC. However, Xbox One and PC players can jump in five days early if they have an EA/Origin Access membership.

For lots more on Garden Warfare 2, check out GameSpot's recent hands-on preview.