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War of the Vikings is 'historically inspired,' not historically accurate
War of the Vikings, a sequel to multiplayer melee combat game War of the Roses, is currently in development at FatShark, for launch on the PC sometime in 2014. It's a game that executive producer Gordon Van Dyke says will be "historically inspired," not necessarily entirely historically accurate.
This choice gives FatShark some wiggle room when it comes to technology of the time and the types of weaponry the development team can put in the game. "We wanted to have a broader range of stuff. Even though there were a lot of places the vikings went, their technology stayed the same for 300, 400 years," Van Dyke said. "So we wanted to be able to use any style we wanted from those time periods, but we also wanted to make sure there is real evidence of these weapons so there's no fantasy, there's nothing made up. We're very factual but maybe not 100% accurate. We didn't want to paint ourselves in that corner."%Gallery-195410%
If you're familiar with War of the Roses, then you won't be surprised to hear War of the Vikings hits all the same beats. It's a team-based online multiplayer medieval combat game for up to 64 players but, unlike its predecessor, War of the Vikings won't feature mounted combat and will ship with controller support – which was added to War of the Roses months after launch.
As a fan of the first game, I'm anxious to get my hands on it. Van Dyke said closed Alpha tests, which you can sign up for here, would run alongside Gamescom, PAX Prime and one mystery weekend in September. "We really want to get peoples' feedback as early on as possible, about the new pacing and the combat."
There's also a possibility this is the mystery PS4 project currently in development at Paradox Interactive. When asked, Van Dyke said, "we could put this on PS4. It's not 100% confirmed but I personally would like that." Whether or not Paradox ports the game to PS4 largely depends on how successful the PC launch is, he concluded.
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Paradox Interactive Announces War of the Vikings
Sharpen Your Axes, Prepare Your Armor, and Groom Your Beard for a New Close Combat Experience
NEW YORK - August 6, 2013 - Paradox Interactive, a publisher of games and a cultivator of epic facial hair, today announced War of the Vikings, an all-‐new multiplayer game built upon the technology that drives Paradox's medieval squad combat title War of the Roses. Developed by Fatshark, War of the Vikings is a new standalone entry into the War franchise that will pull players into the brutal and bloody Viking Age, challenging them to design a personalized warrior and sack England as a mighty Norseman – or defend it as a brave Saxon. Featuring intense close-‐quarters combat, authentically inspired settings and weaponry, rich customization options, and large-‐scale 64-‐player battles, War of the Vikings will add a new unforgettable experience to Paradox's close combat arsenal.
View the teaser trailer for War of the Vikings here: http://youtu.be/5SCDhF2d3AE
"War of the Roses was a fantastic experience for us to launch, and as it's evolved over time, eventually growing into its current Kingmaker edition, we've been inspired many times over by the possibilities of the close-‐combat genre," said Gordon Van Dyke, Executive Producer for the War of the Roses franchise. "It's clear to us that that there are many more experiences we can share with our players, and War of the Vikings is our next step in establishing Paradox and Fatshark as leaders in the art of online war."
The intensity is greater and the beards are longer in War of the Vikings, where players must band together on the battlefields of 9th and 10th Century England and fight to conquer or defend Britannia. Environments, weapons, and visuals drawn from Viking Age history will immerse players in a bloody new conflict between the Vikings and the Saxons, with each warrior hand-‐designed by its player from a wide variety of customization options. Built on skill-‐ driven gameplay and a deep combat system, War of the Vikings will bring close combat closer than ever.
Players can apply to join the Alpha for War of the Vikings by heading to
http://signup.waroftherosesthegame.com/
War of the Vikings we'll be shown at Gamescom from August 20-‐22, to set up an appointment please contact pr@paradoxplaza.com.
War of the Vikings features:
• History Comes to Life (and then you kill it) – Historically inspired content from the
Viking Age, including levels and environments, weapons, helmets, shields, and heraldry
• Close Combat and Ranged Ravaging – Skill-‐driven fighting blends swinging, blocking,
and dodging with intense ranged combat, including arrows, spears, and throwing axes

• Mod Your Squad – Enhanced squad features allow players to define a role for their warriors in battle using custom squad perks to buff your hirdmen
• A Viking to Your Liking – Design your own Viking or Saxon warrior, choosing everything from weapons and armor to battle perks, customized taunts to unhinge your foes, and a variety of beard options
• Pick Your Battles – Game modes include up to 64-‐player epic battles, new hardcore "Pitched Arena" mode with 32 players and no respawns, and a Training Ground to test out new character builds
War of the Vikings is scheduled to release in Q1 2014.
