Back 4 Blood has gotten a ton of praise thus far, and the game is only in its beta period.Called the "spiritual successor" to the Left 4 Dead franchise, Back 4 Blood does an incredible job of mixing cooperative gameplay with the horrors of a zombie apocalypse.Back 4 Blood launches in October, but eager players have been able to dive into early access during the beta. Of course, that beta will end. Players will then have to wait for the full version.Back 4 Blood: When does the beta end?Image via Turtle Rock StudiosThe Back 4 Blood Open Beta will begin on August 12, 2021, at 3:00 p.m. ET. PC, Xbox, and PlayStation players will be in monster-killing mode in just a couple of short days.There will be several campaign missions, the online versus mode, and access to the various customization options of Back 4 Blood. Players will get a taste of what they can look forward to in the full game.Been itching to slay again? Fort Hope is opening the front gates for Open Beta, August 5-9 & 12-16! Pre-order to join during Early Access. #Back4Blood pic.twitter.com/RO9lEbIPcJ— Back 4 Blood (@back4blood) July 28, 2021Be sure to download the beta and participate as much as possible. The beta period is not as long as many expected or hoped. It will close on August 16, at 3:00 p.m. This gives players four days, including a weekend, to test Back 4 Blood.The Open Beta will feature crossplay support, allowing all platforms to take on the undead together. According to the game's official website, there will be four-player co-op, competitive multiplayer, and "frenetic gameplay."You heard 'em! Open Beta arrives this Thurs. 8/12 @ 12PM PT and we want to see what you can do. Tag us in your posts and you might just become a Legend, if you can impress our Cleaners. #Back4Blood pic.twitter.com/YhSdbrzAt0— Back 4 Blood (@back4blood) August 10, 2021Ridden are zombies in Back 4 Blood, and the versus mode allows players to be human or Ridden. The beta period is a great time to try this mode.Players don't have to pre-order the game to participate in the Open Beta. Pre-ordering Back 4 Blood gives early access to the beta. However, this is not required for those looking to play from August 12 to 16.