Hardware: Rivals builds upon the legacy of Hardware: Online Arena, a vehicle-based combat game that was one of the very first online gaming experiences for PS2 back in 2002.

We’ve taken the opportunity to introduce a truckload of upgrades and new features, but the spirit of the original gameplay remains the same. Bringing back the explosive mayhem and online rivalry of vehicle combat has been an absolute pleasure, and we can’t wait for you to get behind the wheel.

With multiple maps, game modes, challenges, and special events, Hardware: Rivals lets you jump online for some frenetic vehicle-on-vehicle combat. You can go in as a lone wolf or as part of a team, and on top of our regular game modes we also have a constantly updating schedule of special events that add new twists to the game.

Fast Attack Vehicles give you agility and quick access to those tricky weapon pickups, but you can’t get complacent out in the open. Tanks are less nimble but can take a hit and bring hefty firepower and a formidable presence to the battlefield.

You’ll be able to challenge your friends and hunt down your rivals. Wear your colors proudly and unlock vehicle upgrades to tweak your ride to your own personal taste. Here on the development team we have daily debates over which vehicles and weapons are the best, and we can’t wait to hear what you think.

The Hardware: Rivals beta will be launching exclusively to PS Plus subscribers worldwide tomorrow, 30th September.

Anyone with an active PlayStation Plus subscription is eligible to take part, and you can download the game from the PlayStation Plus section on the PlayStation Store.

During the beta we’ll be letting in batches of players on a first-come-first-served basis. When you launch the game, you’ll automatically be granted a beta key if one is available, and can start playing right away.

If all of the keys in the current batch have been taken, you’ll have to wait until a new batch is released. Don’t worry though, we’ll be releasing new keys regularly throughout the beta, so keep an eye on the official forums for updates. Everyone who gets a beta key in-game will also able to invite a friend to join them, so think carefully about who you want backing you up!

Finally, anyone who participated in our closed beta already has a beta key waiting for them as a little thank you so come and check out what’s new.