Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader closed beta goes live next week

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, the first classic-style computer role-playing game to be set in Games Workshop’s iconic science fiction universe, will begin a closed beta starting June 1. Fans must pre-order the game to be invited. The announcement arrived during the Warhammer Skulls showcase Thursday, along with a new trailer from developer Owlcat Games (Pathfinder: Kingmaker). Dedicated to showing off the game’s many new locations and enemies, as well as revealing a new playable companion in the form of Space Wolves marine Ulfar, the trailer also offered a tantalizing look at the game’s Chaos faction.

A turn-based RPG with squad-based gameplay, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader follows a band of merchants, warriors, and explorers scouring the unruliest corners of the 40K universe in search of plunder and power, all the while coming face-to-face with the greatest horrors that threaten the Imperium of Man. Players will command Psykers, assassins, engineers, and soldiers as they explore dungeons and cities, tearing through adversaries and claiming rare loot in their pursuit of conquest.

The trailer offers a cool glimpse at the moment-to-moment gameplay of Rogue Trader, from maneuvering your squad of characters to get the drop on Eldar enemies to piloting your voidship in explosive space battles. A full release is expected sometime later this year.

The Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader closed beta will be available to download on Steam and GOG.