Activision Announces Call of Duty Elite Beta to Launch July 14

Activision announced today that the Call of Duty Elite Beta will launch July 14th 2011. The date of the full launch has yet to be announced, but the invitation only Beta will start next month. With over one million Call of Duty fans signed up for the beta so far, there are literally "millions" watching this launch. Not much has been leaked about the new "Elite" experience, but we were able to find a few details in the press release this morning.

The Elite service won't be fully operational until the release of Modern Warfare 3 in November, so initially beta testers will get an "Elite" taste of Call of Duty: Black Ops. Activision also announced Call of Duty Elite to include Skylanders Spyro's Adventure, and Prototype 2. We aren't sure if all Elite features will be fully operational at initial Beta launch, but Activision is trying to make Call of Duty Elite more than just a leaderboard subscription.

Activision has already promised that already free content will remain free, such as leaderboards, heat maps, and player data. Some of the new elite features mentioned in the press release today include the ability for players to customize weapons, attachments, and push them directly into the game. Players can also join custom groups through the new Groups feature based on interests, affiliations, or likes and take those groups directly into combat.

We will keep you posted as more news about Call of Duty Elite develops. With the Call of Duty franchise being the most successful in Activision history, will Elite take it to the next level, or just just be a frustrating disappointment?

[via Joystiq]