Titanfall 2: Top Reasons To Play The Tech Test

Take to the Frontier during the Titanfall 2 Tech Test. Go hands on with new grappling hook, new weapons and abilities. The dates of the Tech Test are weekend 1: 8/19 - 8/21 and Tech Test Weekend 2: 8/26 - 8/28. It is available on Xbox One and Playstation 4. Here are just a few of the reasons to check it out.

New Weapons

The Titanfall 2 Open Multiplayer Tech Test will give players a chance to experience just a few of the new weapons in Titanfall 2. Get ready to get up close and personal with some of the following, including:

• LSTAR - This rapid fire LMG fires plasma projectiles. If you can keep it from overheating, it will auto reload, otherwise it will need to be done manually.
• Double Take - The Double Take is a brand new energy based sniper rifle. It has a richochet mod that causes both shots to bounce off of surfaces.

Thunderbolt - This secondary weapon is a Anti-Titan arc ball launcher that fire a ball of electricity. This is perfect for crowd control as it zaps nearby enemies and provides concentrated damage on impact.

While some weapons from the original Titanfall do return, many have been updated and given a new twist. Make sure to try out as many as possible.

New Maps

During the first weekend of the Tech Test (August 19-21), players will be able to experience two maps, Boomtown and Homestead. Then on weekend two (August 26-28), we'll be adding a new map called Forward Base Kodai.

Weekend One (August 19-21)

• Homestead Tip:
  • Titans control the large, open fields, so Pilots must be extra cautious when traveling between the plateaus.

• Boomtown Tip:
  • Pilots will have peaked roofs to use as cover against combatants down below, use the large flat walls to run quickly from one group of buildings to the next.

Weekend Two (August 26-28)
Both Homestead and Boomtown will be available, plus a new map.

• Forward Base Kodai Tip: (Weekend Two)
  • Pilots can find safety from Titans in the hallways and chambers of the main building.Those seeking a quick escape from the exposed roof area should keep an eye out for two separate chutes that run from the interior of the main building to the roof.

Pro Tip: With all new tacticals like the grappling hook, there is much to explore in every map. Always think vertically and have an escape route planned in your mind.

New Titans

During the Tech Test, we'll be featuring two of the six new Titans in Titanfall 2. We'll be revealing more about the remaining four Titans soon, but for now get ready to battle with these two 20-foot tall war machines in the Tech Test.

• Ion
  • Ion is a laser based titan who is flexible enough on the Frontier to fill many roles. All Titan abilities come from a shared energy resources

• Scorch
  • Scorch is a Fire and thermite base titan. Scorch excels in controlling enemy movement and is able to stack damage with a heavy fire based attack.

For more information on these two, make sure to check out the Titans page to see their entire arsenal. This includes weapons, offensive, defensive, utility, and core abilities.

Pro Tip: Each Titan gets one electric smoke countermeasure that can be used by pressing Crouch when being rodeo'd.

Pilot Tacticals

Tacticals are a huge part of being an effective Pilot and even dictate players character models on the battlefield. This helps you quickly identify your enemy and the tactical abilities he potentially has, allowing you to plan your attack accordingly.

Some of the Pilot tacticals in the Tech Test include:

Grapple - The grappling hook is the best way to get around quickly. By mastering jumps and corners, pilots can quickly maneuver the map and get themselves into unique positions. Don't forget to try grappling an enemy pilot or titan for a quick takedown.

Pulse Blade - This throwing knife emits a sonar pulse for a limited amount of time. It will also kill enemy pilots if you hit them with it. Look for an orange outline of an enemy weapon if they are being pulsed, this even works through walls!

Holo Pilot - The Holo Pilot fires out a hologram Pilot who will mimic the exact movement at the time of use. Consider how crouching, running, sliding will effect what the enemy sees. This is the perfect way to divert attention or get an advantage against a greedy enemy, while teammates will see a holographic Pilot, enemies will see a normal pilot.

Stim - Beyond a speed boost for a short amount of time, the Stim also helps heal and restore health while active. This is the perfect way to enter or escape areas with heavy combat.

Cloak - When the cloak is active, players become nearly invisible. This ability has an increased effectiveness against Titans. Remember that firing a weapon will briefly break the cloak.

Pro Tip: Remember that certain abilities have two charges and can be used in quick succession.

Hands On Gameplay

Titanfall 2 is a shooter unlike any other. Tactics that work in other games, will keep you at the bottom of the leaderboard. Now is the time to get out on the Frontier and experiment with all the new ways to work around the levels. Here are five quick tips to get a gameplay edge and help understand how everything works.

Pilots have two weapon slots, one for primary and one for secondary. Ther secondary is a choice between a pistol or Anti-Titan.

Need to damage a Titan but don't have an Anti-Titan weapon?
Make sure to aim for their critical spots which can be spotted by looking for areas flashing red.

The Kraber-AP makes a return from Titanfall 1, make sure to note that not just headshots, but anything from the chest up is a one hit kill.

Rodeo mechanic is new. Rodeoing a Titan now steals a battery from the Titan, reducing its health by a significant amount. The battery can then be placed into a friendly Titan, giving them a significant amount of health

To Slide: When sprinting, press the crouch button to start a slide. It is the perfect way to surprise an approaching enemy.

Networks

A Network is like a clan but better. Networks make it easy to play Titanfall 2 with your friends and during Happy Hour allows players to earn XP at a higher rate. You can join, create and manage your teams by playstyle, locality and interests and will be available during the Tech Test.

Creating a network is easy, login and choose create network. From there follow a few easy to understand in-game/on Web prompts and you'll be up and running in no time. At the end of the Tech Test on August 28 we will take Networks offline, but don't worry as they'll return ahead of the launch on October 28.

Help Respawn Test Servers

During the Inside Development series, Respawn let fans behind the scenes to learn the intricacies behind matchmaking and servers. While not all fans may have understood the language, all fans speak the language of fun and smooth gameplay. By participating in the Tech Test, you can help Respawn get the critical details they need to make the launch of Titanfall 2 another success.

That is all for now Pilots, as we know you are eagerly awaiting a chance to get your hands on the Tech Test. We look forward to hearing your feedback, thank you.