Here's when New World's open beta kicks off today
Amazon's MMO is back for a little tryout sesh
Back in July, thousands upon thousands of players descended upon New World's last beta, suggesting that Amazon might actually have a winner with their upcoming MMO. Unfortunately, they delayed it just a week later, making players wait an extra month to get their hands on it again. You'll be able to get a little bit of a fix this weekend though, because New World is getting an open beta that starts later this very day.
The open beta goes live today at 3pm BST (7am PT), and runs until 8am BST (12am PT) on September 12th. To get access, you'll need to head to the New World Steam page and click "request access" just underneath the game's purchasing options. Then at some point today, you should get an email letting you know when you can download the beta.
"The open beta test will utilize Steam’s new Playtest feature, which allows all interested players in our supported regions to request access to the test, for free," the devs say in an FAQ. They also mention that there'll be a progress wipe between this beta and launch, so don't get too attached to any stuff you collect.
It's also worth noting that if you played in the previous beta, you can't use that old build you have downloaded. You'll need to request access like everyone else, and download the new open beta.
Ed enjoyed the game in his New World preview, praising its mixture of survival and MMO elements. He reckons it's got more in common with Valheim than it does the likes of World Of Warcraft though:
"Right from the start of New World you'll be rustling bushes for sticks and pocketing flint to make yourself a skinning knife. And it won't be long before you're gutting a boar for its meat and watching it crackle over a fire. Health bars don't just top themselves up around here, sonny."
New World will release in full on September 28th, and you can grab it on Steam or Amazon.
If you're heading into the beta for the first time today, we have a bunch of New World guides to get you started. It might be helpful to know how New World's attributes work, or perhaps how to make and upgrade your camp.