The free-to-play MMORPG Neverwinter is coming to the Xbox One later this year, but a beta comes first. Perfect World Entertainment announced Thursday that it has begun taking sign-ups for the closed beta that is only a couple weeks away.
The Neverwinter closed beta will only last a couple of days. The current plan is to start it on Thursday, February 5, and let it run until Sunday, February 8. The full release is planned for “early 2015.”
Those interested in participating should head over to developer Arc Games website and sign up. Your name and an email address is all that is required; that and an Xbox LIVE Gold membership, plus an Xbox One.
At last! #Neverwinter on @Xbox One will have a closed beta from 2/5-2/8! Sign up today! http://t.co/YwbSA8pA3i https://t.co/hvDGEOV4iq
— Neverwinter (@NeverwinterGame) January 15, 2015
“Adventurers will be able to experience the captivating Tyranny of Dragons storyline as they battle against the Cult of the Dragon to save the city of Neverwinter,” Arc Games announced in a news post .
“Those who participate in the beta will get to experience the same fast-paced combat as Neverwinter’s PC incarnation, complete with all of the game’s diverse classes. To better optimize the translation from PC to console, Neverwinter will utilize Xbox One’s friends list integration and streamlined control scheme to provide players with an experience as engaging as the PC.”
There’s no word yet on if existing Neverwinter accounts on the PC will transfer over to the Xbox One version of the game, either during the beta or later at full release. Players can look forward to choosing between seven Dungeons & Dragons classes, among 12 different races, though. And, since it is already out on PC, there are already numerous guides and wikis to refer to for help.
Xbox Live Gold members can sign up for the Neverwinter Xbox One Closed Beta that runs 5-8 Feb http://t.co/CphO6S17ll pic.twitter.com/uKT9ozC6ay
— Larry Hryb (@majornelson) January 15, 2015
Since this is a free-to-play game though, expect to jump through some hoops to gain in-game currency to purchase items. Players can obtain Gold or Astral Diamonds in-game to spend on things like mounts, inventory space, and companions. A currency called Zen can also be purchased with real world money to help with professions, characters, and armor or weapon enchantments.
Additionally, there are various DLC packs available for Neverwinter for players to purchase. The prices on Steam range from $19.99 to $199.99, to either provide you with a few starter items or basically give you a load of items and a huge amount of Astral Diamonds to spend.
This is the second free-to-play game to announce a beta for the Xbox One recently. The MOBA, SMITE, is also coming to the console soon and is taking sign ups . There’s been no announcement about when the PlayStation 4 might receive a beta or full release following the game’s mention at E3 last year (via PlayStation Blog ).
Are you interested in trying out Neverwinter on the Xbox One? Sound off in the comments below.
[Images via Neverwinter ]