MMORPG Bellatores Opens Korean CBT on Steam, Has Switched to Action Combat and UE5

Today, South Korean developer Nyou provided an update on its upcoming PC MMORPG, Bellatores. Sign-ups for a Closed Beta Test to be conducted via Steam will open on July 8, while the actual CBT will run for five days from July 30 to August 3. In the CBT version, players will be able to choose from 2 out of 5 planned noble Houses, and the test will focus on core content such as combat, progression, and the skill system.

CEO Jung Hwan Kim stated:

Through this CBT, we aim to evaluate whether Bellatores delivers the gameplay experience we envision, in collaboration with the players. We plan to actively incorporate player feedback.

You might recall that we interviewed the studio CEO a while ago. Back then, the game was being made with Unreal Engine 4 and its combat system was going to use tab-targeting, like the MMOs of old (think EverQuest, World of Warcraft, and up to Star Wars: The Old Republic). Now, though, there have been major changes: Nyou has switched to Unreal Engine 5 and also decided to go for full-fledged action combat, with weapon switching and stamina management playing a major role in fights.

Bellatores will also innovate with its skill-based progression system. Here's what Producer Lee Gi Baek revealed in today's new developer diary:

A key feature of Bellatores is its Mastery based progression. Instead of following fixed class paths or a linear leveling system, players will accumulate Mastery in different aspects of combat, survival, or crafting based on the weapons they use and the activities they engage in. As you accumulate Mastery and reach certain milestones, you will unlock unique abilities or new combat styles. This approach to player progression will allow for players to experience different playstyles that will change based on what Masteries you acquire.

Crafting Mastery will also play an important role. Crafting efficiency, resource yields, and the chance to create rare items will all hinge on a player's crafting Mastery. Furthermore, equipment won't be available as farming drops, but are gained exclusively through crafting or trading with other players. Moreover, the appearance and stats of crafted items will vary depending on the creator's Mastery, making crafting not just an optional feature but a core system that ties in player progression with the community.

However, there will be a limit to how many Expert Masteries a single player can earn in Bellatores. It will be impossible to obtain or handle everything on your own. To get everything you need, players will naturally need to cooperate with one another. This system was designed to encourage active community interactions, a core essence of MMORPGs. As such, players will be able to develop personalized characters with unique identities based on their Masteries, which in turn will affect combat, survival, crafting, economic, and political activities. The goal of the Mastery system is to avoid forcing uniform content on all players, but instead, letting each player enjoy the roleplay they want based on their own playstyle.

The Steam page also includes the minimum and recommended system requirements for Bellatores:

Minimum:
OS: Windows 10 64-bit (or newer)
Processor: Intel Core i5-8400, AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, AMD Radeon RX 6600
DirectX: Version 12
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 80 GB available space
Additional Notes: SSD required

Recommended:
OS: Windows 10 64-bit (or newer)
Processor: Intel Core i7-12700K, AMD Ryzen 5 5600x
Memory: 32 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT
DirectX: Version 12
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 80 GB available space
Additional Notes: SSD required

Bellatores will launch in 2026 in Russia. However, the CEO of Nyou confirmed to Wccftech that the game is still seeking a Western publisher. We'll let you know when that changes.

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