C&C Generals multiplayer test soon

Westwood has kept the Command & Conquer: Generals multiplayer component under wraps since the game was announced early this year, but EA has announced that a public multiplayer test of the game is coming soon. Starting October 25, 3,000 testers will be able to try out five of Generals' multiplayer maps in online competition and test the unit balance of the game's three sides.

Sign-ups for the test will open up on October 10 at 12:01am. At that time, those interesting in testing the game can go to the game's official Web site to submit a test application.

"Multiplay is a critical part of any RTS game and we're really looking forward to hearing from our fans on how to make the experience in Command & Conquer: Generals even better," said Mark Skaggs, general manger of EA Pacific, the studio developing Generals. "The team has been working hard, and we're all excited for players to see the innovative multiplay features we've kept under wraps for the past six months."

Command & Conquer: Generals is scheduled to ship early next year. In today's announcement, EA also revealed that the game will contain 23 missions, one fewer than was previously stated. For more details, check out our previous coverage of the game.