Neverwinter Enters Open Beta Testing, Introductory Cinematic Trailer Released

As promised, Perfect World and Cryptic Studios have opened the gates of Neverwinter to the public today with the launch of open beta testing for the D&D-based MMORPG. To celebrate the momentous event, they've released the opening cinematic trailer, which essentially extends the introductory section of "The Siege of Neverwinter" cinematic trailers into one cohesive battle scene:



Roll the press release:
NEVERWINTERâ„¢ ENTERS OPEN BETA

Download and Play the Most Anticipated Free MMORPG of 2013

(Redwood City, CA) April 30, 2013 -- Perfect World Entertainment Inc. and Cryptic Studios are proud to announce that the most anticipated free MMORPG of 2013, Dungeons & Dragons® Neverwinter, is officially in Open Beta. Free to download and play, Neverwinter is built for gamers who crave more action combat, adventure and glory out of MMOs.

The major milestone of Open Beta marks the beginning of unrestricted access to Neverwinter and its content creation system, the Foundry, along with no further character wipes. All skill upgrades, profession choices, personal customizations, companions and mounts are persistent and shape the way adventurers rebuild the city of Neverwinter, saving it from Valindra Shadowmantle's evil forces. Neverwinter's Foundry further enables and empowers gamers and authors to create their own unique adventures, publish their own self-generated content directly to the game world, review the missions and quests of others and even tip creators with in-game currency.

"After four successful Beta Weekends and many months of internal Alpha tests, we are thrilled to be in Open Beta," said Cryptic Studios Executive Producer and COO, Craig Zinkievich. "On behalf of the entire team at Perfect World and Cryptic Studios, I'd like to thank the Founders, Beta Weekend participants, Alpha testers, fans, and press for their feedback and continued support in making Neverwinter the best game we've ever launched."

Open Beta also brings a new feature to the Neverwinter community. Neverwinter's Gateway is a web portal that allows players to remotely access in-game status information via their desktops, tablets, or smartphones. In its initial state, players can craft, view their characters, buy and sell in the Auction House, monitor guild activity and daily events, and access their mailboxes.

For more information about Neverwinter and to begin playing the Open Beta now, please visit the official website: http://www.playneverwinter.com/

ABOUT NEVERWINTER
Dungeons & Dragons® Neverwinter combines the best elements of dungeon delving, classic action RPG, 5-man party instances, PvP and a unique content authoring tool to create an immersive action adventure. Set in The Forgotten Realms, players explore and defend the iconic city of Neverwinter, travel beyond the besieged walls of the city once known as The Jewel of The North, to subterranean passageways in search of forgotten secrets and lost treasure.

ABOUT PERFECT WORLD ENTERTAINMENT INC.
Perfect World Entertainment is a leading North American online games publisher specializing in immersive free-to-play MMORPGs. Founded in 2008, Perfect World Entertainment has published 10 popular titles, including Blacklight Retribution, Forsaken World, Perfect World International and Star Trek Online. The company works closely with its American development teams and partners such as Cryptic Studios, developer of the highly anticipated MMORPG Dungeons & Dragons® Neverwinter , and Runic Games, developer of the hit Torchlight series, to provide unparalleled quality of service and game experiences to its players. A subsidiary of Perfect World Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: PWRD), Perfect World Entertainment is headquartered in Silicon Valley, California. For more information, please visit: www.perfectworld.com

ABOUT CRYPTIC STUDIOS, Inc.
Cryptic Studios, Inc. is a leading developer of online games committed to delivering the next level of gameplay. Cryptic Studios, Inc. develops AAA titles for PC and is rapidly diversifying its portfolio of games to expand beyond the traditional MMORPG genre. In addition to its successfully launched "Champions Online: Free for All" and "Star Trek Online", Cryptic Studios, Inc. is now developing "Dungeons & Dragons: Neverwinter" and other unannounced projects. Cryptic Studios, Inc., a subsidiary of Perfect World Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: PWRD), is located in Los Gatos, CA.