Company of Heroes 2 Starting Closed Beta Next Week

Company of Heroes 2, Relic Entertainment's upcoming strategy game, will start up a closed beta with the purpose of playtesting the game's features and competitive modes.

This sequel to Company of Heroes will also take place in World War II but will feature action on the Eastern Front. The game is set to use the developer's own Essence 3.0 Engine, the ColdTech weather system for realistic atmospheric effects, the TrueSight line of sight system, and environmental destruction to help augment the feel of battle. The beta will test out six maps in 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, and 4v4 competitive gameplay, letting games play either alone or with teammates. Customization options up until level 40 will be available during the beta, which should give players a good feel for the game's progression.

Gamers will get a chance to experience all of those things and more when the closed beta kicks off on April 2nd, 2013. It will be hosted on Steam and requires players to have beta access keys in order to participate. These keys can be acquired by pre-ordering the game, at least in the beta's first phase. Details on how players can get into subsequent phases will be announced over the following weeks.

For now, check out the game's official site and check out the game's trappings! Let us know what you think of it and whether or not you'll be heading into the beta!