Dissidia Final Fantasy NT’s US Open Beta Is Now Available

Japan can’t have all the fun: One day after the game’s official release in its home country, the official Open Beta for Dissidia Final Fantasy NT has gone live in the United States and Europe. Square Enix’s massive Final Fantasy crossover fighting game unites — and reunites — some of its most popular heroes and villains under the umbrella of a mysterious new threat. Along with the beta’s opening, a gorgeous new launch trailer has been released, featuring familiar faces like Zidane Tribal and the Onion Knight. Watch it below:

The game’s open beta boasts plenty to explore, including battles in stages both online and off, familiar stages from Final Fantasy games past, interesting new character customization features, and some of the franchise’s most iconic summons of all time. The game originally released for arcade in 2015, but the console adaptations present plenty of new content.

The Open Beta will be available over the course of three sessions leading up to the game’s official release, and will follow this schedule:

• 6am PT/8am CT/9am ET on Friday, January 12 through 1pm PT/3pm CT/4pm ET on Monday, January 15.
• 2pm PT/4pm CT/5pm ET on Monday, January 15 through 1pm PT/3pm CT/4pm ET on Thursday, January 18.
• 2pm PT/4pm CT/5pm ET on Monday, January 18 through 1pm PT/3pm CT/4pm ET on Thursday, January 21.

Among the playable characters, some of the franchise’s most iconic heroes are making their return. Lightning, Cloud, and legendary villains like Sephiroth are taking part in the fray, with unique attacks that give each of them specific advantages over others. For anyone actually interested in the story, here’s a snapshot of what you’ll find when you log on:

The once eternal struggle of the gods’ conflict changed when warriors from different realms were summoned to battle. Upon their defeat, the lands that governed these struggles served their purpose and faded between dimensions.

But by the birth of two newly awakened gods, the world returned to breathe for future conflict. The goddess of machines, Materia, and the god of magic, Spiritus. With the blessing of the light gathered in the world, the two welcomed a new conflict after a dormant time.

The essence of this new war is the “strength” that warriors from the past devoted to the gods, yet why must they be summoned to battle yet again? The crystals that inscribe these memories are only just beginning to lucent…

Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is available now for PlayStation 4 in Japan, and will release on January 30th in the US and Europe.