Update: Koei Tecmo has stated Dead or Alive 6's beta is exclusive to PS4. A PlayStation Plus membership is required to play. Original story follows.
Dead or Alive 6 recently saw its release date delayed by a couple of weeks, but fans will still get to play the fighting game very soon. Without any form of prior announcement, publisher Koei Tecmo has launched an online beta of the game on PS4.
The demo version is available to download now on the PlayStation Store, though you'll need to wait until 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET / 3 PM GMT on January 11 (2 AM AET on January 12) to play. The trial will last for precisely 72 hours.
Fighters Online Beta test for #DOA6 is available for pre download now! It will be playable Jan. 11th 2019 at 8:00AM PDT - Jan. 14th 7:59AM PDT. Kasumi, Ayane, Hayabusa, Hayate, and one of the most anticipated newcomers, Diego will be the available characters! #DEADORALIVE6 #DOA6 pic.twitter.com/YXhsKjEyua
— DOATEC(DOA6)OFFICIAL (@DOATEC_OFFICIAL) January 11, 2019
In a tweet announcing the beta, Koei Tecmo did not mention platforms, leading many to believe the test would be available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, as with the full game. However at present the beta only appears to be on the PlayStation Store, not the Xbox or Steam equivalents. Five characters are included in this free pre-release version: Kasumi, Ayane, Hayabusa, Hayate, and new fighter Diego.
Dead or Alive 6 was due to launch on February 15. However, following a delay to allow developer Team Ninja to "further polish its balance, gameplay, and expressivity," the game will now be released on March 1. The sixth main entry in the series focuses less on the overt sexuality of previous titles and more on easing in newcomers, according to our preview.