Today marks the official launch of open beta for Bigpoint’s online action RPG, Drakensang Online. The free-to-play browser game is now available to players that would like to check out the as one of its two classes: Dragonknight freedom fighter or a magical Spellweaver.

The game boasts more than 100 hours of gaming content and has a planned release for 19 different languages. Bigpoint is already at work on its next content update with the goal of expanding the world of Drakensang Online on a weekly basis.

Check out the official press release after the break and sign up to play on the official Drakensang Online website.

A new legend is born: Drakensang Online launches its Open Beta

• Drakensang Online heralds the next generation of free-to-play online browser games

• International release to go live in 19 languages

Hamburg, August 8, 2011 – Bigpoint’s (http://www.bigpoint.com/) quest for heroes and warriors to step into battle against the dark forces of the Anderworld has begun!

With the long-awaited launch of the Open Beta, fans of action RPGs will finally be able to explore the epic world of Drakensang Online (http://www.drakensang-online.com/), the free-to-play online browser game. The game invites players to take up arms as fearless Dragonknight freedom fighters or wise and magical Spellweavers to wage a brutal war against the terrifying dragons and savage monsters of the Anderworld. The international release of the game will be offered in 19 different languages including German, English, French, Spanish and Italian.

“Drakensang’s going online!” exclaimed Bernd Beyreuther, Head of Development at Bigpoint Berlin “The launch of this game allows us to realize a long-held ambition of developing a fully immersive action RPG game that can be enjoyed by all players from the first moment of playing, and is brought alive by its large community. We have developed a rich story within the game and will be constantly tailoring and expanding the game based on user demands.”

In addition to its two selectable character classes, Drankensang Online has impressed fans in Closed Beta with a variety of different character skills, exciting and challenging quests, an impressive armoury of weapons and magic, and over 100 hours of gaming content.

The visually stunning game world, featuring picturesque medieval towns, green forests, murky swamps and dark caves, was developed by Bigpoint using their in-house “Nebula3“ engine, impressing players with a level of 3D graphics and effects that have not been seen in browser games before.

“Exactly one year ago we took over Radon Labs, one of Germany’s most prestigious developer teams and the creators of the original Drakensang PC games, and expanded our Bigpoint Berlin operations,” says Heiko Hubertz, Co-CEO of Bigpoint. “The fact that we’re releasing Drankensang Online’s Open Beta today exceeds all expectations we had for the game. The team has accomplished amazing work and Drakensang Online is not only an action-packed gaming experience but also a technical achievement which every gamer should test out, especially since it’s free to play online in your browser.”

Cooperation is the key to strength: Gamers will have to fight as one if they wish to survive Drakensang Online’s treacherous dungeons. Players can meet up in public gathering sites such as cities or military camps to get to know each other, take on challenges together and hatch plans to march into battle united. In addition to cooperative gameplay, gamers can also test their mettle against each other in the PvP arena located in the capital of Kingshill and find out who is the mightiest hero in Drankensang Online.

The start of the Open Beta is just the beginning for Drakensang Online: The team at Bigpoint Berlin is currently working on the first updates and new content in order to expand the world of Drankensang Online on a weekly basis.

About Bigpoint

Bigpoint (http://www.bigpoint.com) is an online-game developer, publisher and content provider for large media concerns. Bigpoint-developed games are played by over 200 million people in more than 25 languages, are free-to-play anytime, anywhere, and require no download or installation. The company’s portfolio includes games in a quality which until now was associated exclusively with CD or console games. Over 700 employees from some 35 countries work at the world’s largest supplier of browser-based games; at the company headquarters in Hamburg, Germany or at one of the other locations in Berlin, San Francisco and Malta. Bigpoint’s many distinctions in the industry include the Media Momentum Award’s “Fastest Growing Larger Company” and “Uniqueness of Offering” 2010, as well as the MTV Skyscraper Award for extraordinary achievement in game development. For more information or press material, please visit the press are at the www.bigpoint.net.