For Honor UK release date, news trailers and hands-on: Closed beta starts this weekend

24/01/2017: For Honor’s closed beta starts this weekend, running from 26-29 January for PS4, Xbox One and PC.

If you’d like to get an early hands-on with the game, you’ll need to register via Ubisoft. The company has also released For Honor‘s PC system requirements, so if you’re planning on brawling with a computer you’ll want to make sure your rig is up to scratch.

To play the 1080p60 experience you’ll need:

• OS: Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 (64-bit versions only)
• CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K | AMD FX-6350 or equivalent
• GPU: : Nvidia GeForce GTX680/GTX760/GTX970/GTX1060 with 2 GB VRAM or more | AMD Radeon R9 280X/R9 380/RX470 with 2 GB VRAM or more
• RAM: 8GB

To play the 720p30 experience you’ll need:

• OS: Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 (64-bit versions only)
• CPU:: Intel Core i3-550 | AMD Phenom II X4 955 or equivalent
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX660/GTX750ti/GTX950/GTX1050 with 2 GB VRAM or more | AMD Radeon HD6970/HD7870/R9 270/R9 370/RX460 with 2 GB VRAM or more
• RAM: 4GB

For Honor: Everything you need to know

For Honor lets you play as one of 12 classes, split across three factions – Knights, Samurai or Vikings. It would be a great trans-cultural exchange, if the involved parties weren’t slicing each other to bits. To help you choose which of the groups you’d like to opt for, Ubisoft has released a set of videos outlining some of the playable characters.

First up is the Kensei, from the Samurai faction, who has a big ol’ sword and likes to chop off heads. Next up is the Viking’s Raider, who has a big ol’ axe but not much in the way of armour. Finally, there’s the Knight’s Warden, who has a lot of armour and likes to take long walks along the beach.

All three of the classes will be playable during the closed alpha, which features six of the 12 characters and runs from 15-18 September. You can sign up for the test run via the game’s website.

For Honor: release date 

For Honor is due to be released on 14 February (Valentines day) for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. 

For Honor: No split screen mode

It looks like Ubisoft’s upcoming melee brawler, For Honor, will be released without a split-screen mode.

“The For Honor team made the difficult decision to cut split-screen co-op in order to deliver the best experience at launch,” Ubisoft told Eurogamer.

“It’s a feature that we liked and wished to deliver, but we found we can’t do it without impacting the quality of other elements that are more crucial to the For Honor experience. For Honor fans looking to play with friends will still have the option to play online co-op in the campaign and in all multiplayer modes.”

The decision follows a closed alpha test of the game, and comments from producer Stephane Cardin that his team would focus on refining the online co-op segment of For Honor.

When For Honor was first touted, creative director Jason VandenBerghe made much of the game’s inclusion of offline co-op, claiming that splitscreen was “absolutely a key feature”.

“You want sit on the couch and beat up your buddy, right?” he said at the time.

Head over to page 2 to read our hands-on impressions of For Honor from Gamescom 2016.