HeroWarz, an anime-esque action RPG developed by A.Storm and published by KOG Games, has entered open beta according to a news post on the game's official website. Closed beta testing has concluded after a little under two months.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSwvtmGzbdo News of the HeroWarz Open Beta comes shortly after the conclusion of the second round of Closed Beta Testing. Playing the game requires installing a browser plugin for either Firefox, Chrome, or Internet Explorer. The game client (which is just under 8 GB) can then be downloaded and you can play. You can check out the system requirements here.
The game will be using a Free To Play model. However, the game's cash shop will be closed during the Open Beta. Publisher KOG Games expects to announce the Grand Opening of the cash shop at an unspecified time.
Six characters will be available during the Open Beta. Ara is a character that uses water-based ranged attacks. Audrey is also a ranged character that is thematically focused on firearms and other heavy weapons. B (yes, just "B") is a melee character that dual wields swords and focuses on flashy, high-speed attacks. Derrick wields what appears to be a manhole cover as a shield and smashes enemies in the face with it. Hades also seems to focus on ranged combat (like most of the game's female characters) by swinging around an enormous flail. Finally, Nagne is a swordsman in a similar style to B but with more of a focus on precision strikes.
A seventh character, Mary, was available in the Closed Beta but has been temporarily shelved so that the developers can rework her design and sort out some issues. She was the only melee-centered female character featured in the promotional trailer released last week.
HeroWarz features both PvP and PvE gameplay. PvE consists of levels where you fight hordes of oncoming enemies using a keyboard and mouse control scheme as seen in many other Action RPGs. PvP consists of MOBA-style gameplay. Players can group up in parties to tackle PvE content if they feel so inclined.
HeroWarz is available in a limited number of countries at this time. You can currently access the Open Beta in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and the majority of European countries. KOG Games intends on the game eventually being available globally. You can see if your particular country has access to the HeroWarz open beta here.
Finally, there was a minor disparity between the FAQ and this announcement. The FAQ stated that Open Beta starts on June 30, 2016, but this tweet from the game's official account states that the OBT is already live. I've downloaded and installed the game firsthand so it appears that the FAQ was in error and the Open Beta is indeed live now.
If you're interested in trying out HeroWarz you can sign up for an account here.
Will you be playing HeroWarz during its Open Beta? What do you think of the game's anime-esque aesthetic? Let us know in the comments below!