Hellgate: London reopening later this year

It's been well over two years since reports emerged that Korean game company HanbitSoft had taken over work on Flagship Studios' defunct online shooter role-playing game Hellgate: London. Today, HanbitSoft, along with partners T3 Entertainment and Redbana, confirmed that the full conversion of Hellgate: London to a free-to-play, microtransaction-supported massively multiplayer online game is approaching completion.

HanbitSoft and company expect to open up the retooled Hellgate: London for a brief closed-beta window between June 3 and 5. The team expects to release more information on how to gain access to the beta test through the game's official website. A full launch for the PC is expected to follow later this year.

Often likened to a postapocalyptic Diablo, Hellgate: London melded fast-paced shooter action with role-playing game item collection and character development. The title was created by Flagship Studios, which was cofounded by one-time Blizzard North executive Bill Roper.

For more information on Hellgate: London, including a post-shutdown postmortem, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.