Star Trek Online open beta warps to January

Champions Online may be only a few months on the market, but Cryptic isn't wasting any time before deploying its next massively multiplayer online role-playing game. Earlier this month, the Atari-owned studio locked in a February 2 release date for Star Trek Online, having picked up the rights to make the game in July 2008. Now, Cryptic has taken one more step toward getting Star Trek Online out the door, announcing that the game's open beta test will run January 12-26.

Star Trek Online entered a closed beta-testing phase in late October, and Cryptic Studios is still accepting applicants through its official Web site. Open beta keys will be doled out on a first-come, first-served basis, the company said, and they will also be offered through Cryptic's site. The studio did not indicate how many open-beta keys would be made available, nor when gamers would be notified of their acceptance into the testing period.

Star Trek Online operates independently from any of the events established in the film or television series. Players assume the role of a starship captain operating under the banner of either the United Federation of Planets (better known simply as "the Federation") or the Klingon, who are locked in an intergalactic struggle. The hive-minded cyborg race the Borg will also play a role in the massively multiplayer online game.

For more information, check out GameSpot's previous coverage of Star Trek Online.