For the first time in franchise history, zombies have taken over Suburbia and plants are on the attack. Each faction has enlisted new characters from the past, present, and future to join the fight. Play your way through all new modes, discover unique gameplay features, and explore all-new maps.

Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 taps into the heart of what fans loved about the original and goes above and beyond to deliver the funniest, craziest and most over-the-top shooter – and that’s only the beginning. Garden Warfare 2 will also deliver free content updates to ensure Zomburbia stays fresh and action packed.

Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 will host a public access multiplayer beta beginning January 14, and ending January 18. The multiplayer beta will be available for PS4 and Xbox One, and will be a chance for players to experience the craziest shooter of 2016 before Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 hits stores.

“More than 8 million players have experienced the original Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare since it launched in 2014,” said Justin Wiebe, Creative Director, Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2. “That level of engagement is incredible, and that’s why we’re so excited for players to jump into the next PvZ adventure with the Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 multiplayerbeta. This game builds on the crazy fun people loved about the original and adds tons of new ways to play. We can’t wait for people to jump in and start having fun.”

Downloading the multiplayer beta will get you:

• Limited access to Backyard Battleground, an all-new dynamic environment that connects you to every map and mode, and brings to life more ways to experience the Plants vs. Zombies universe. As soon as the game starts, players will be immersed in a wild playground full of dynamic events. Take your time exploring, or jump into the action right away with 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 fight off wave after wave of enemies in a frantic, escalating battle.
• Six new playable character classes are available including Rose, Citron, and Kernel Corn on the side of the plants, and Imp, Super Brainz and Captain Deadbeard on the side of the zombies. There will also be select variants including the Grass Effect Z7-Mech for a limited time.
• Classic and brand new game modes with 24-player multiplayer battles, including Garden and Graveyards, and the new Herbal Assault featuring plants on the offensive.
• Four new immersive and dynamic maps, including the low gravity Moon Base Z, and the snowy Frosty Creek.

To start playing the public access multiplayer beta, download it from the Xbox Live Marketplace and the PlayStation Network Store on January 14.

Fans have played a huge part in the development of Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2. As a thank you, all players of the original Garden Warfare will have the ability to transfer almost every one of their unlocked characters into Garden Warfare 2 right from launch, so they can jumpstart their new adventure with their favorite plants and zombies.

Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 reaches new levels of depth and fun. With fresh lawn-inspiring modes featuring plants on the attack, players can go on the offensive as the plants in an all-new 24-player Herbal Assault mode, or rally the zombies together and defend against the plants in the 4-player co-op mode, Graveyard Ops. Garden Warfare 2 also introduces six new character classes including Super Brainz, a zombie super hero who thinks he’s an 80’s action movie star, and Citron, a bounty-hunting orange from the future, for a total of more than 100 playable character variants. Each new character class offers outrageous powers and abilities that will provide an added layer of strategic depth to battles. All this takes place across 12 new immersive maps that are bursting with personality and humor, spanning everything from a Time Travel Theme Park to the final frontier.

Gamers can also play Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 their way. They can play multiplayer with or against friends or enjoy Garden Warfare 2 playing solo. For the first time, we’re introducing a unique solo play experience where fans can play every single game mode either by themselves against AI, or with the help of a friend in local split screen. Solo play will also offer a new twist on how gamers experience this universe with more details to come soon.