Update: Just pre-ordered my copy via Steam, current price is $56 AU. Didn't get the beta key yet, but then I suspect they won't send it out until closer to the 28th, much like the other pre-order / beta key deals going around.
Update 2: According to the Official BF Twitter, the beta will appear on Steam (only for those that have pre-ordered) when it is ready to download, so we may not get an actual key per-se, just access to download it via Steam:
Beta will show for pre-orders' only when it's ready to DL!
As promised here is the PC Blog on the Beta & a few other things, yes some people, places, and things may have leaked a little something, but we are here to clarify everything and make it all official since we can now commit to the listed dates!
BETA Details:
Beta Begins/Ends: Jan 28th/Feb 25th Map Name: Port Valdez Players: 32 Game Mode: Rush Environment: Snow Theme: Vehicle and Infantry
Back Story
The battle for Port Valdez is fought alongside the waterline towards a great oil industrial landscape in the Alaskan mountains. Using basically everything they've got the Russian forces are launching an airborne assault to knock out the oil industries in the area. In their arsenal there are Main Battle Tanks as well as fast-moving Quad Bikes and mobile armored AA. It's a vehicle focused battle, but with plenty of infantry combat.
How to Download
Check back to the Battlefield Bad Company 2 Beta Page closer to beta launch date for download instructions.
How To Get Access
Reserve Battlefield Bad Company 2 is the most sure fire way and right now we are still finalizing which Retailers & e-Tailers will participate (it's up to them). If you're eager to ensure you get in confirmed distributors to Pre-Order consumers are the EA Store and at GameStop.com. We'll have another Blog to update new retailers & e-Tailers that have teamed up with us as well as alternate channels to obtain a Closed Beta Key.
Steam Beta
Yes there was a leaked image of a Package file we propped on Steam. People with illegal accounts can see games in this environment, but this is not a Beta in the term of Public Test Beta, but a real development Beta installer client for the Steam version of the full game. We are however working with Steam to have the Public PC Beta available on Steam, but can't confirm this quite yet so cross your fingers Steam users.
Anti Cheat
We're going with PunkBuster supporting the same options BF2 and BF2142 had to run unranked without PunkBuster.
Mod Tools
There will not be mod tools for BFBC2. However a majority of the the games logic is controlled by the server and there will be Serverside control options for the dedicated servers.
Public Server Files
We will not distribute these publicly. There are many factors for why we have decided this with the biggest factor being security & integrity of our game & Dedicated Servers.
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And here is the next official video from the Battlefield Moments series: