Daum Games has announced the upcoming release of MMORPG Black Desert Online. In development by Korean studio Pearl Abyss, the game entered its first beta phase in 2013 and will start its second and final closed beta (originally expected in December) on February 18. Players can still register for the beta at the official site, and pre-orders, which guarantee access to the beta, will remain open until February 26. The character creator is also available as a free download and any characters made with it can be imported both into the beta and the final game.
Additionally, “a few days” are left to enter the game’s Beauty and the Beast contest, which is now in its “Beast” phase. Players are tasked with creating the ugliest character they can for a chance at one of 5 top prizes packages, which include a Black Desert t shirt, a limited edition figurine, a key to the second closed beta, and 5000 points of in-game currency. Second, third, and participation prizes will also be awarded and winners will be picked at random. Entries will close on February 5, but if you don’t get your character together in time, don’t worry: the contest is described as as the “first Character Creator event”, hinting at the promise of more competitions in the future.
Check out the above trailer heralding Black Desert Online‘s debut, entitled The Manifestation, above. A gallery of the latest screenshot images can also be found below. The second closed beta will end on February 22, 2016. The full game itself releases on March 3, 2016.