The Secret World Beta will be open to players on August 26th! And it is an Open Beta, so anyone who has signed up for the beta via the official website will be able to try their hand at this interesting new MMO, which has a target launch date of April 2012.
The Secret World is a unique MMO that is set during modern day and seeks to “make true” ancient myths, urban legends and fables, while dropping the whole shebang upon a realistically styled world set in present-day city environments and locations. Not only that, but the storyline is written by Ragnar Tornquist who wrote The Longest Journey, Dreamfall and Anarchy Online.
Hidden beneath it all are three-specific factions that pull the strings, they are:
The Dragon (The Art of Chaos) – Unknowable instigators of change, through quiet violence they create tiny ripples that grow into sweeping tsunamis.
The illuminati (Sex, Drugs and Rockefeller) – Invisible puppet-masters and corporate manipulators, they crave power and wealth by any means necessary.
The Templars (Deliverance From Evil) – The old guard; suave and sophisticated, but fiercely brutal and uncompromising in their crusade against darkness.
In addition, the game has no classes or levels, with character progression being entirely skill-based!
Here is the CG trailer from Gamescom 2011 for The Secret World.
And here is Creative Director Ragnar Tornquist himself talking about the upcoming MMO.
Last but not least, here is the latest developer diary discussing the World and Features of The Secret World.