Phase 2 of closed beta testing has begun for Forsaken World!  With this new phase, a new array of events, dungeons, and content has been unlocked for testing!

Invitations for new players to participate in Phase 2 have been sent out!  If you are the recipient of an invitation, all you have to do to get started is download the game and log in.  Additionally, all phase 1 testers will also be able to continue progressing their characters through Phase 2 content.  Thanks for everyones continued participation!

Along with the start of Phase 2, a patch has been deployed that addresses a variety of issues.  Read on to find out more about what changes and updates have been made:

Major gameplay changes:

Level cap raised to 40

New dungeons available:
The Arena of Souls
Wraith Castle
Glistening Lowlands

New event available:
Hunting Festival

New professions:
Merchant
Scavenger
Armscrafter
Gearcrafter

Localization
Significant updates/relocalization for:
Numerous pet skills
Numerous player skills
The event window
Achievement names and titles
Job system window
Loading screen tips
Nightmare Carnival NPC's
Party settings window - loot distribution and instance selection

We at PWE look forward to continue polishing Forsaken World into as perfect of a state as it can get before official launch.  Congratulations to all new Phase 2 players, and even if you aren't in a current beta phase, never fear!  The day will come when all willing players will be able to get their hands on Forsaken World before its official launch!

Pets in Forsaken World play a very important roll.  They can heal, deal damage, and grow from small fluffy creatures to hideous, fanged monsters - that consequently are very handy to have in a fight.  Raising one properly can be a challenge, though.  Read on to learn more!

First and foremost, you have to hatch a pet from its egg in order to even use it.  To begin the hatching process, simply right click on your pet stone.  At this point, you are presented with your first opportunity to increase your pets statistics.  The longer a pet remains in its hatching state, the more powerful it will be immediately upon hatching.  Keep hatching pets until you get one with a long hatch time, as it will be much more useful than one that hatches quickly!

After hatching your pet, you can check its statistics screen for a variety of things.  One thing to take close note of are any offensive or defensive abilities that it comes with.  You can also check to see what the pets strengths and weaknesses are - which are randomly determined upon hatching.  Don't like your pets strengths or weaknesses?  Hatch a new one to reroll them!

Next, you need to make sure you've got the correct food to feed your pet.  Pets have a hunger gauge that will gradually deplete, and must be kept full to keep your pet happy.  You can buy pet food from the pet merchant in Freedom Harbor, or find it out in the wilderness from killing monsters.  Certain pets will require certain foods, so make sure you get the right kind.

As you kill monsters with your pet summoned, it will gain experience the same way you do.  As your pet gains levels, its statistics increase, it becomes more powerful overall, and even its size changes.  The higher level the pet, the bigger it will be!

Once you've decided on a particular pet, there are a variety of tweaks and changes you can do as an owner.  Explore the pet menu by hitting "P" in game, and see which areas you'd like to focus on.  Various pet-related merchants are scattered about Freedom Harbor, so pay each of these a visit to see what they have to offer.

With diligence and proper training, your pet can contribute more to a fight than you'd think was possible.  You definitely won't regret having an all-powerful Dudu Turtle watching your back when fighting a giant stone golem with fists the size of school buses.  Good luck!

Forsaken World is home to a vast array of dungeons and instances.  These areas, accessible daily, are scattered far and wide across the face of the world.  Finding these dungeons can be daunting, but luckily, the dungeon queue makes things easy!

The dungeon finder can be opened at any time by simply pressing the "T" key while in-game.  A window will appear, and display a list of events and/or dungeons that you are eligible to participate in.  Items in white text are available to enter immediatly, while items in grey are upcoming events or dungeons that are not yet available at that particular time.

Choose which dungeon or event you would like to participate in, and click "start" in the lower left hand corner.  This will place you into a queue, at which point all you need to do is sit back and relax while the game assembles a party for you!  Once enough eligible people have queued for the same event or dungeon you have, a box will pop up asking you to confirm your entrance into the dungeon.

Accepting this invitation will teleport you automatically to the dungeon or instance, and from there, it's up to you and your group!  You can queue in this fashion solo, or in a group of any size.  Groups using the auto-queue will always have a healer of some sort, and either a warrior or Protecter to serve as the "tank". 

The auto-queue is a fast and easy way to get into specific dungeons or events, so get out there and queue up!

Whether you're killing gigantic forest beetles or facing down a multi-headed, 5 story tall behemoth, the one thing that crosses everyone's mind is "where the heals at?"

Where the heals at indeed.  In Forsaken World's case, the Priest is where the heals are at.  As the premier healing class in the game, the Priest is the glue that holds the party together.  Whether killing the boss of a long, dangerous dungeon, or out in the wilderness amongst untold dangers, a good Priest is one of the most sought after classes in the game.

Besides being able to keep entire parties alive while under intense onslaught, the Priest can mix things up a bit with an array of offensive abilities.  A variety of water based abilities reside with the Priest that both snare or slow targets upon being struck.  The priest even has a couple AoE options available to it, just to mix things up a bit.

A good priest will be able to keep the tank alive, toss in a couple offensive abilities, yell at the dwarf that's aggroing nearby mobs, and then heal that same dwarf anyway even though he totally deserves to die for nearly messing everything up.  Being a priest is often a thankless job, but in the end, you can attribute your parties success to how you as a Priest performed.

Anyone playing a priest will also need to specialize down one of the three talent paths.  You can either specialize in straight healing power, offensive abilities, or abilities that augment the Priests personal masteries.  Regardless of how one specializes their priest, their role in any party is clear.  Just be ready to weather the eternal deluge of "res plxs".  God speed.

With Phase 1 of beta testing well underway, it's time to get some information about Phase 2 out in the open. 

Phase 2 is set to begin on November 24th.  This phase will raise the level cap to 40, which will unlock a multitude of new dungeons, quests, professions, and more.  Selection for participation in this phase will be a random drawing amongst all submitted beta keys, with those chosen being sent an email confirming their acceptance.

Additionally, all Phase 1 testers are automatically included in Phase 2.  Characters from Phase 1 will transfer over, and can continue being played.

We're looking forward to unlocking a whole new batch of content, and can't wait to let even more people experience Forsaken World first hand!  Watch the Forsaken World forums and front page for regular updates and additional information.

Also, the Forsaken World Facebook page is home to regular giveaways, contests, and information as well.  Become a fan today!

Not interested in healing, tanking, or being all up in a raid bosses grill with a sword?  What about lounging in the relative safety of the back-line while casually conjuring massive storms of fire, ice and lightning?

The Mage is a pro at this.  With skills divided between three elements - fire, ice, and lightning, a mage player can choose whether they want to freeze opponents in place with ice spells, stun and knock back multiple foes at once with lightning based abilities, or simply just blow up everything that stands in their way with fire. 

With extremely quick and efficient spellcasting, the Mage can unleash a multitude of offensive and defensive abilities within seconds.  It's wholly possible to unload an entire lineup of attack spells one after the other in the span of 10 seconds.  You'll be completely out of mana, but whatever you're aiming at will most likely be dead.  Mission accomplished, right?

It will be necessary for anyone playing a Mage to decide on which element they want to focus on.  The talent tree only has enough points available to specialize down one path, with a bit left over to splash into other elements.  As mentioned earlier, you can break down the three elements as such:

Ice - Control the battlefield, freeze enemies in place
Lightning - Knockbacks and stuns, decent AoE abilities
Fire - The king of damage, mass AoE, burning, and general unhappiness from anything targeted by you.

Pick your poison, and go to town.  Ladies and gentlemen, the Mage.

With a successful 3:00 PM launch, Forsaken World's first phase of closed beta testing has now begun!  Players with Phase 1 access can now log in and start seeing the sites and enjoying the game.

As the largest game ever launched by us here at PWE, we are very happy with the stability and popularity of the game so far.  Within seconds of the servers opening, starting areas from around the game world began filling up with newly created characters.

With phase 1 set to last between three and four weeks, there will be plenty of time to get your feet wet before moving on to additional phases.  Look out for more information about Phase 2 as Phase 1 progresses!

The current level cap for phase 1 is 29, which will allow you to explore all of the starting areas, as well as a portion of the danger filled countryside.  Future phases will rais this cap, and introduce more of the games content to beta testers!

Stay tuned for more information on future phases of beta testing!

Announcing our first Closed Beta Phase 1 event!  Anyone that plans on playing in Phase 1 will want to read this!

To thank our players for taking their time to help test our latest game, we'll be giving all Phase 1 participants that reach level 29 on three characters before the end of the phase a special pet to call their own once the game enters Open Beta.  Behold, the Dudu Turtle!

This turtle might look small, but you'll be glad it's by your side when limbs start flying.  This Dudu Turtle is also significantly more powerful than the regular version!

Not in Phase 1?  Never fear, the closed beta will be open to everyone sooner than you think.  We'll be rewarding all Closed Beta participants in due time, so stay tuned!

Leave the lurking in the shadows to the Assassins, the spellcasting and fire slinging to the Mages, and the musical outbursts to the Bards.  But leave the gigantic swords and the massive, thunderous blows to the Warrior.

The warrior is the premier no strings attached melee combat class.  The person who chooses to play a warrior must be capable of doing two things:  maiming and killing.  With a full lineup of offensive abilities, the Warrior can both strike down individual targets with ease, as well as level multiple targets foolish enough to get too close.

A proficient Warrior will be able to choose between two different stances, as the situation dictates.  The first stance, called the "Frenzy Stance", causes the warrior to abandon physical defense in exchange for increased offensive abilities.  The second stance, called the "Combat Stance", gives an increase to defense in exchange for a lower attack power.

Also available to the Warrior class are a variety of lightning based attacks.  These attacks provide the Warrior with the means to both strike multiple targets simultaneously, as well as slow the movement speed of all foes - even while they are mounted.

With the ability to increase their own runspeed, as well as a charge ability that stuns a target upon landing, escaping from a determined Warrior will not be easy. 

This class is designed from the ground up for a player that isn't afraid to throw all their cards on the table - since diving into a group of monsters, or even other hostile players can only have one of two outcomes:  victory or death.

Want to plan out your character build in advance?  Well now's your chance, as the official Forsaken World talent calculator is now available for all to use!

This talent calculator will let you plan out how you want your character to progress, as you choose which talents to spend your points in.  There are three paths to follow for each class, so plan carefully and build that perfect combination between being efficient and deadly!

Find the talent calculator here!

They play pretty music, wear feathered outfits, and have all of the elegance and grace that a class playable only by the Elf race could have.  Alongside all that, they can also cause mass destruction and mayhem with elemental attacks, as well as uplift party members with complex series of buffs.

The Bard class is hands down the most technical and complex class available in Forsaken World.  Alongside regular spellcasting, the Bard class is home to a unique system known as the Measure.  This measure can be populated with music notes that are generated through spellcasting both in and out of spellcasting.

As the measure begins to fill, special buffs are cast that are directly dependant on the order of notes generated.  This means that anyone playing a Bard has more to worry about than just spamming their skills - they need to plan ahead to create the proper set of notes for the correct buff at just the right time.

Any party will be thankful to have a skilled Bard in its ranks.  They have the ability to both increase everyone's combat and defensive abilities as well as drop massive twisting cyclones of music notes that shred enemy targets.  They are not for the weak of heart though - as their unique system of buff generation requires great concentration.

They've also got the most stylish hats in the game.  Ladies and gentlemen, the Bard.

With the beginning of the first phase of closed beta testing fast approaching, many people are wondering what will be focused on in terms of game play and mechanics testing.

With two phases currently planned for closed beta testing, the first phase will focus primarily on the following aspects of Forsaken World:

• First half of phase 1 - Content up to level 29.  Second half - Content up to level 30.  Characters will be capped at this point during phase 1.
• Starting zones for all races
• Basic guild functions
• Beginner pets and pet functions
• Crafting and refining
• All UI elements

Phase 2 will broaden the horizons a little bit, with content up to level 50 being accessible.  The following aspects of Forsaken World will then be open for testing:

• Guild Wars
• Arena Battles
• Dueling
• Cash Shop enabled (players will be provided cash shop currency for free during this phase)
• Advanced guild functions
• Advanced pet functions

Tentatively, these beta phases are slated to last around 3 to 4 weeks a piece.  As a we get closer to the launch of the open beta, more and more players will be allowed access to the closed beta for testing purposes.  Eventually, all players will have the opportunity to play during a closed beta phase.

Closed beta phase 1 begins on October 27th.  We thank everyone for their patience in waiting for the start date of the Closed beta!  The wait will be worth it!

Update - The game client is now available for download!  Grab it here!

They're nine feet tall, carry hammers the size of people, and are regularly seen carrying dwarves on their shoulders.  They're the Stonemen, aka the Protector class!

This class is where the "tank" in the word tank comes from.  Looking as if they've been carved out of a granite slab, the Protector class is a race of men made entirely out of stone.  Naturally, this allows them access to a vast array of abilities to both absorb incoming attacks, as well as deliver bone-crushing assaults.

In a group formation, the Protector is the first line of defense in keeping everyone else out of harms' way.  With aggro-generating attacks and shouts, the Protector keeps the enemies' attention focused entirely on him.

As a Protector absorbs incoming damage, their special racial ability - known as Fury - gradually accumulates.  many skills and abilities become more powerful with more Fury accumulated.  Therefore, the longer a fight lasts, the more powerful a Protector becomes!  Some skills directly consume Fury points, for a quick boost to damage or protection abilities.  Wise use of accumulated Fury points can easily turn the tide of a battle.

This class is perfect for players interested in both dominating the battlefield with their presence, while simultaneously keeping everyone else out of harm's way.  It's also great if you want to be twice as tall as every other class in the game.  They can also probably open jars really easily.  What's not to love?

In a long-running poll located on the Forsaken World home page, players were asked to choose which class they planned on playing when FW went live.  The results, after thousands and thousands of votes, are quite interesting.

One class received nearly 40% of the total votes.  Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you the Vampire.

The Vampire class is hard to pin down as being designed to fill a specific role.  They can heal themselves as well as party members, sacrifice health to deal extra damage, become a back-line spellcaster, and even transform into a bat that can breathe fire (the bat is on fire as well, naturally).

Players that step into the Vampire class will be able to choose which rolls they want to fulfill.  Whether it's as an expert with fire oriented attacks, an HP battery to help your party survive, or a front line damage dealer, the Vampire has over 70 talents available in 3 different specialization trees for players to decide which route to follow.

If you want to be a versatile, stylish looking class, then the Vampire is definitely for you.  Also if you want to be able to transform into a giant bat that's on fire and can also breathe fireballs at enemies, the Vampire is a good choice as well.

They may be short in stature, but everyone knows that it's the size of the gun that really matters.  This week, we'll be delving further into the Dwarf exclusive Marksman class, and what makes it unique amongst the eight classes available in Forsaken World.

The Marksman is first and foremost the primary source of ranged damage dealing in the game.  As a Marksman gains levels, they will be provided with the means to both hold their enemies in place, as well as completely level anything nearby with a wide array of single target and AoE attacks.

One of the most unique characteristics about the Marksman class is their Crack Shot mode.  During regular hunting of monsters (or even other players), a Marksman can generate bullets inside of a special magazine.  At any point in time, the Marksman can enter Crack Shot mode, which consumes the stored bullets for added benefits to skills and talents.

Here is a small sample of some of the skills available to a Marksman:

Burst of Rage
Consumes 6 bullets in the Crack Shot magazine.  Fires six shots simultaneously for regular damage plus 643.

Bullet Screen
Increases the effective range on all AoE skills by 5% per level.

Soul Discharge
Deals base damage plus 883.  When fired in Crack Shot mode, damage is increased by 20%, and burns 5% of the targets mana.

Weakening Cloud
Slows all targets in the area of effect

Flammable
All targets on fire within Weakening Cloud explode, taking 500 damage, interrupting spellcasting, and knocking them back.

The Marksman is a versatile class that is extremely difficult to pin down.  If you like setting things on fire and then blowing them up with a flintlock taller than you are, the Marksman is the class for you.