Battlefield 1, Electronic Art's new first-person shooter set during the first world war, will have a public beta starting on August 31st for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC players. If you'd like to play it a little early, you'll need to register as a Battlefield Insider, the game's online testing and fan community. It's free to join, and as long as you do so and pick your platform preference before August 21st, you'll be eligible for early access. The beta will feature popular game modes Rush and Conquest with up to 64 players and a number of various classes and vehicles.

Announced back in May, Battlefield 1 is bringing the wartime shooter to one of the more fascinating periods of historical combat. Early rumors and concept art speculation had many assuming the game would be a kind of steampunk alternative history version of WWI because it featured zeppelins and a blend of old and new machinery.

However, EA clarified at the game's announcement event that Battlefield 1 is in fact drawing solely from factual history. WWI was a time when incredible leaps in technology meant tanks, planes, and firearms that had never before been used in large-scale war clashed against horses, swords, and a variety of other antiquated equipment and transport. Battlefield 1 is slated to launch on October 21st, but you can preorder a special deluxe version of the game or join the subscription service EA Access to play the game a few days early.