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Amazon's colonial MMO 'New World' enters closed beta on July 23rd

It's also offering a peek at the game's combat.

Amazon

Amazon’s colonial online RPG New World is arriving later than expected, but you might not have to wait much longer to give it a try. The PC-only MMO’s closed beta is due to start on July 23rd, with sign-ups available now. The finished game is due to arrive just over a month later on August 25th. The news comes alongside a trailer that shows off the game’s action-oriented combat — unlike many such games, your reflexes and tactics should matter as much as your stats.

The title is a supernatural riff on colonialism during the Age of Exploration, with would-be settlers building homes and whole companies as they fight off undead legions (and each other) on a magical island. You can see up to 100 players on the battlefield at the same time, making for some particularly epic fights.

This comes soon after the early launch of Crucible, and the stakes are just about as high. Both titles represent Amazon’s first big forays into PC gaming — it wants to show that it can compete with big-name rivals. It’s too soon to say if New World is up to the job, but the beta will likely provide some answers.