F2P jetpack-type shooter-thing Firefall would very much like for you to go to their website and sign up for their upcoming beta test, as they’ve just announced today that they’ll be launching the open beta on July 9.

If you’re a current closed beta player, you can expect to see major changes rolling out in May and early July. Once open beta hits, Red 5 plan to focus on developing episodic content, dynamic world events, and open-world PVP. There’s still no launch date, but registering now also gets you in the queue for the closed beta so hopefully you can start playing sooner rather than later.

We went hands-on with Firefall back in January — click here for our thoughts.

Source: Firefall

Firefall is the latest in a long line of titles, from Star Trek Online to DC Universe, that have attempted what I consider to be the holy grail of online gaming; a successful fusion of RPG and FPS that highlights the great aspects of both genres into one beautiful bundle. I decided to dive head first into their closed beta to find out if they had managed to overcome many of the problems that have plagued its predecessors.

If you’ve ever tried to woo a friend into joining a competitive gaming scene, you’ll know how high the entry barriers can seem. The team of ex-Blizzard developers at Red 5 is well aware of how confusing high-level play is to those just dabbling their toes in the scene, and have answered the call by putting together an impressive suite of broadcasting and spectating tools. With options like top-down view, free camera and action camera, Red 5 envisions the tools making it easier for newbs to follow along – and for talented broadcasters to build a reputation for making the action accessible. The video below shows off some of the new features, but be sure to click through the source link for an extensive interview on how the developer hopes to implement its eSports dreams.

Source: PC Gamer

The team of ex-Blizzard devs at Red 5 have partnered with the Electronic Sports League to dliver Firefall’s first major tournament at gamescom 2012. Qualifying matches will be held at the ESL’s Arena on the showfloor on August 16 and 17, with the grand final to be held on August 18 and a cool €10,000 (about $11,700) on the table. Of course, not many of us are in a position to fly to Cologne next week, but that’s why we were given livestreaming; the whole thing will be broadcast through ESL.

Firefall, for those under rocks, is a free-to-play MMO FPS with a distinctly Tribes-feel, an extensive and convoluted sci-fi backstory, and a gorgeous cartton aesthetic. It’s currently in closed beta; visit the game’s website for more information and to sign up.

Source: Firefall

The summer milestone update for Firefall looks to be making some significant changes to the games classes. The medic will no longer be called the medic, but will now be the ‘biotech’, and have changes to his current abilities as well as all new ones, while the Engineer will get a sweet new lightning cannon that’ll do more damage the longer it’s trained on a bad dude. Check out these two classes in the trailers below.

Source: PC Gamer