Dynasty Warriors Online is an action-oriented tactical combat game, focusing on frenetic fighting and deadly showdowns against giant hordes on sprawling battlefields. Player-created characters interact with historical generals and warriors from China's famous "Three Kingdoms" period. Choosing from a wide variety of weapons, players defend their allegiances to warring factions and battle online to determine who will conquer Ancient China.

Aeria Games opens the gates of Dynasty Warriors Online for all gamers, following the success of its closed beta testing phase. The open beta allows players to reconnect with Dynasty Warriors' classic hack and slash gameplay only a select group of players experienced during the closed beta period.

"Dynasty Warriors Online starting open beta means one thing - the battlefields of ancient China shall be soaked in blood," said Brian DeSanti, associate producer for Aeria Games. "Players' reactions were off the charts during the closed beta and they're going to need more training time to get ready for what's coming in the open beta period."

Players flocked to Dynasty Warriors Online during the closed beta period and now gamers will enjoy the opportunity to build and level characters which will persist into the official launch. With the guarantee of their characters in place, players can also revel in several awe-inspiring features added for the open beta phase:

• Three entirely new weapons (Iron Sword, Tyrant Sword, Nine Tails), and two new ranks for every existing weapon
• Four new player ranks, new player guilds
• Two new mission maps, co-op quests
• Twice as much gear as before
• Original Japanese voices, by popular demand

Victorious contenders can battle to become one of the top 50 players to win one of thirteen momentous prizes. The grand prize winner will receive an Alienware M17x notebook computer, while the second and third prize winners will be awarded DWO Gaming Bundles and ten runner-ups will be given Xbox 360 Controllers. For official competition rules, visit the contest website.

Key Features:

• Vicious Head-to-Head Combat: Unleash your skills in hard-hitting 4-on-4 brawls and 12-on-12 clashes against opposing players
• Epic Online Battles: Wage war supported by massive NPC armies across several game modes, including PvP, territorial control, story-based battles and more
• Dynamic Character Growth: Fight with a broad variety of weapons and level up your warrior mid-battle - start each skirmish with basic attributes and collect power-ups from the field
• Rewrite History: Change the dominant faction of the Three Kingdoms based on players' in-game performance and victories