Sony Computer Entertainment dropped a big surprise when the game publisher decided to release the "Uncharted 4" multiplayer beta earlier than expected.

The beta was supposed to launch on Friday, Dec. 4, but it started rolling out in some parts of the world on Dec. 3.

PlayStation Europe made the announcement on Twitter Tuesday, saying that the "Uncharted 4" multiplayer beta will start rolling at 5 p.m. GMT (9 a.m. PST) on Thursday.

The beta will let players experience the gameplay and online infrastructure of the upcoming action-adventure third-person shooter platform game. The game development team from Naughty Dog will gather feedback and suggestions during the beta period to further improve the quality of the final version of the "Uncharted 4" Multiplayer game.

Those who purchased a copy of "Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection" and have subscribed to the PlayStation Plus membership can access the "Uncharted 4" multiplayer beta. They should save at least 7 GB of free space in order to run it.

However, the beta will only run until Sunday, Dec. 13, and it will not progress to become a full game. The beta contents will also be limited to a multiplayer content selection that includes two maps featured in the team deathmatch mode.

The PlayStation Blog posted the instructions on how to download the "Uncharted 4" multiplayer beta. The steps are as follows:

• Place the "Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection" game disc into the PlayStation 4 unit.
• Click on the "Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection" game icon
• Choose and click "Overview"
• Pick the "Uncharted 4" multiplayer beta tile and then click on the X button to start downloading from the PlayStation Store.

Meanwhile, those who purchased the digital version of the game can skip the first step.

As early as now, players have been experiencing several matchmaking issues in the game. But Naughty Dog immediately addressed the problem through a post on Twitter, saying that they will provide an update ASAP.

The final version of "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End" will come out on March 18, 2016.