Might & Magic Heroes VI beta launches June 28

Might & Magic Heroes VI may have been delayed until September 8, but eager gamers won't need to wait that long to get hands-on with the turn-based strategy game.

Ubisoft today announced that the beta testing period for the game will kick off June 28, with all preordering customers receiving entrance keys. The beta for the game will include three single-player maps, as well as one multiplayer map. It will also support hotseat multiplayer action for two players to take turns on the same PC.

Developed by Black Hole Games, creator of Armies of Exigo and Warhammer: Mark of Chaos, Might & Magic Heroes VI is the latest installment in the long-running turn-based fantasy strategy series. Set in the fantasy world of Ashan, which was also the backdrop of the first-person action game Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, the title takes place several hundred years prior to the events of Heroes of Might & Magic V. Its plot will concern the downfall of the Falcon Empire--the predominant nation of human-dwelling "haven" cities (formerly known as the "castle," or "knight" town type)--and the rise of the Griffin Empire, the faction that held sway in Heroes V.

Like previous games in the series, Might & Magic Heroes VI will feature some role-playing elements, such as a basic alignment system. The game will offer players choices when dealing with defeated foes that will let them go down an evil or good path. It will also feature boss battles and a reworked resource and town-conversion system, as well as many all-new units. The story will cover several military campaigns, which can be played in any order.

For more on Might & Magic: Heroes VI, check out GameSpot's latest preview.