Dragon Ball FighterZ is scheduled to release on Nintendo Switch September 28th. Before that, Switch owners can get a taste of how the critically acclaimed fighting game will play on the console later this month. Bandai Namco announced that Open Beta testing will begin next week, on August 9th.

You can download the Beta now on the eShop to have it ready for next week. Although the Beta won't open, reading its description in the eShop yields some interesting tidbits. Those who play the Beta will get access to 23 characters, which is almost the entire roster. (The only ones missing are certain DLC characters and Android 21.) During those three days, players can battle others online. "Battle Tutorial" will also be available, so players can test and master the complex techniques of the diverse characters.

Siliconera reports the following things that will be in the Open Beta:

"“Extreme Type” – Lets you perform special attacks with simple inputs with the “Extreme Type” controls. This can be changed at anytime during the character select screen.

Arena Match – 1v1 battles against other players in the lobby.

Replay Chanel – Watch replay videos. You can place Z stamps to mark parts you like in the video.

Circle Match – Gather players to form a circle in a lobby and fight each other."

That is a solid amount of content. Regarding the above quoted material from Siliconera, "Extreme Type" sounds like a good thing to have for more casual players. It will be very interesting to see how it works during Open Beta. Meanwhile, Arena Match is a concept that is highly anticipated. Why? For the first time, FighterZ will enable 1v1. Prior to this, only 3v3 was allowed. What is peculiar about this mode though, is that it seems to imply that you will be able to battle other people online utilizing 1v1. Bandai Namco announced last week that the Switch version would be getting "new local multiplayer features," including 1v1 and 2v2. It seems like 1v1 will be available for online play during Open Beta, so that could mean that 1v1 will be available for online battling. Or, 1v1 will only be available for online play during Open Beta.

Via G2play.net

FighterZ has emerged as one of the most popular games of 2018. It is the highest-rated Dragon Ball game on Metacritic, with a score of 87. EVO, a massive eSports event, confirmed FighterZ as having the most entrants. The head of EVO, Joey Cuellar, said the number was 2,575. (This beats out Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Tekken 7, and even Street Fighter V.) Clearly, FighterZ is one of the most notable fighting games of the era. Having it on Switch will be a great thing, because a new fanbase can discover the game. Also, it appearing on Switch means the game can be played anywhere, not just on a television or computer screen.

RELATED: Dragon Ball FighterZ Switch Features New Local Multiplayer Modes, Including 1v1 Battles

Dragon Ball FighterZ will release for Switch on September 28th. Open Beta testing begins next week on August 9th, and will be available until August 11th. You can download the Beta now to have it ready to go.