Today, Ubisoft announced that a For Honor closed beta is scheduled to come sometime in January 2017 that will allow players to step onto the war-torn lands Ashfeld, Valkenheim and Myre with brand new multiplayer experiences that showcase the age old war between Vikings, Samurai and Knights.

Coinciding with the closed beta, Ubisoft also announced it will launch War of the Factions, a pre-launch limited time event that will track all multiplayer activity across all platforms during the closed beta and determine who among the Knights, Vikings, and Samurai reigns supreme on the battlefield. How this will be determined, wasn't revealed, however, it probably has something to do with which faction performs the best.

Rewards will be dished out for all who participate in the beta, as well as to the winning faction. What kind of rewards? Ubisoft did not say.

In For Honor -- and the beta -- players can play as 12 unique heroes across three factions. Via three new trailers, Ubisoft showcased two new heavy heroes: Samurai Shugoki and the Viking Warlord, as well as a new Assassin hero, the Knight Peacekeeper. It also released a new story/gameplay trailer the provides the chance to learn more about the single-player or co-op experience in the story campaign.

The following three descriptions of the new heroes was provided:

  • Samurai Shugoki - Once the guardians of the Samurai, they have become as family. Massive and fierce, their weapon of choice is the kanabo, a huge stick that only they can wield efficiently. The Shugoki might not have the same agility as the other Samurai, but their rock-like resistance and demon-like strength make them an unavoidable force on the battlefield.
  • Viking Warlord - Warlord is a name from an ancient Viking tradition, a name that is earned by only the true leaders in combat, those who are ready to spend their whole life servicing all who need it. Warlords’ shields are as versatile as they are strong and their sword, while simple in design, is sharp and deadly.
  • Knight Peacekeeper - Selected from the desperate, the humbled or the devoted, they are sworn to secrecy by unbreakable oaths. Quick and lethal, they fight with a short sword in one hand and a dagger in the other. Peacekeepers are the deadliest duelists of all Assassins, capable of winning a fight before their enemy even knows they are here.

For Honor is slated to release for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on February 14th, 2017. In other news, we recently sat down with creative director Jason VandenBerghe for an interview, as well published our hands-on preview of the game.

Below, you can check out the four new trailers: