It’s been one year to the day since Lone Echo and Echo Arena first debuted on Rift and changed the face of VR gaming forever. From the narrative depth of Jack and Liv’s saga to Echo Arena’s impressive, adrenaline-fueled E3 2017 showing and the cutting-edge procedural animations and hand-based locomotion of both, this groundbreaking franchise from Ready At Dawn ushered in a thrilling new era of AAA titles on Rift. Today, we’re excited to celebrate this important milestone by kicking off another Echo Combat Open Beta, now through 9:59 am PT on July 22!

This weekend’s Open Beta is the second of many scheduled events throughout the rest of the year and leading up to Echo Combat’s official release. Alongside these opportunities to play Echo Combat, players can also look forward to new content each month. New in this weekend’s beta, you can now use the weapon on your left-hand. Whether you’re a southpaw or just aiming to double your firepower, we hope you enjoy getting hands-on with this strategic feature.

Launch Echo VR from your Oculus Library any time during the Open Beta and matchmake into Echo Combat to join the futuristic FPS fun. You can also explore the shared social lobby and take a break from the firefight with some competitive zero-g play in Echo Arena.

And as an added bonus, anyone who plays an Echo Arena or Echo Combat match during this special anniversary event will receive a limited edition decal and emote, so you can share your love of Ready At Dawn’s critically-acclaimed franchise in style.

Dive into the Echo Combat Open Beta today, and celebrate the anniversary by sharing your favorite stories from the Echo Universe with the rest of the community using #1yearwithechovr!

— The Oculus Team