'EA Sports UFC 3' Free Beta Out Now On PS4, Xbox One

The great thing about sports video games is they let players live out their rags-to-riches athletic fantasies years after it was too late to actually make those fantasies reality. EA Sports UFC 3 will give players a chance in the octagon they may not have ever gotten in real life when it launches on Feb. 2, but prospective virtual mixed martial artists can give it a shot for free this weekend.

As seen on Engadget, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One owners can try out EA Sports UFC 3 in a free open beta this weekend. PS4 players can download it here, while Xbox One players can download it here. You have until midnight on Monday to get your virtual fisticuffs on and figure out if you want to buy the game when it launches in a couple of months.

Players in the beta will have access to a couple of different modes, according to EA. If you just want to spar against other fighters online, Quick Fight is there for you. Fight Now Classic is another mode if you just want to do some fighting. Practice will let you, well, practice without worrying about winning or losing.

Last but not least is UFC Ultimate Team, which is the microtransactions-based collectible card game mode that is in every EA sports game, from FIFA to Madden . The new hook with Ultimate Team this year is you can use your own created character alongside legends like Conor McGregor. Hopefully the character creation tool gives you plenty of options to create yourself, or an ideal version of yourself.

When EA Sports UFC 3 launches in February, it will also include an in-depth single player mode called G.O.A.T. Mode. In G.O.A.T. Mode, you create a character and take them from the bottom rung of mixed martial arts all the way up through superstardom. Choices you make will affect your career path as you try to win the most fans and become the biggest name in the game.

EA Sports UFC 2 reviewed decently, but was not a consensus favorite when it launched in 2016. After all the recent controversy EA has faced with Star Wars Battlefront II , the company would probably prefer some positive buzz around its latest combat sports game.