Chivalry 2 is out this June, with a closed beta in March
But you have to pre-order to guarantee access
Chivalry 2, a game about stabbing and being stabbed, will release on June 8th. This news came via today's Epic Games Store spring showcase, at the end of a video with lots of stabbing and developers talking about the stabbing.
They don't use the word "stabbing", but you know what they mean:
In Chivalry 2, as in all melee multiplayer games, I will be the man standing at the back of any fight, trying to throw my weapon at another player's head, missing, and then pressing the scream emote until someone kills me. I'm not good at this.
Ther will be a closed beta for Chivalry 2 from March 26-29. You can sign up at that link for a chance to gain access, although the only way to guarantee access is to pre-order via the Epic Games Store. (I don't recommend ever pre-ordering a game.)
The original Chivalry: Medieval Warfare was a bit of a cult hit, but this sequel looks to have learned some lessons from more modern multiplayer stabfest Mordhau. It's got more flexible sword controls, and a greater number of ways to bludgeon a man as he screams at you in a muddy field. It's also got much bigger fights, doubling the player count to 64 players on a sever.
Mordhau is an interesting reference in general. Matt Cox (RPS in peace) loved it, having a grand time with tense swordfights and silly japes, but we were often uneasy covering it due to racism among its community and its developer's failure to address it. I am optimistic Chivalry 2 can avoid the same problem, and hopeful we might have a new platform for reporting on physics chicanery.
The biggest news from the Epic Games Store showcase was that the Kingdom Hearts series is coming to PC for the first time. You can watch the entire showcase here.