Closed alpha news is a bit of a double-edged axe - one that's often found buried in the skull of a person who really wants to participate in the limited access test. For War of the Vikings, though, Paradox are guaranteeing access to the alpha for anyone who owns Fatshark's previous historical first-person slasher, War of the Roses: Kingmaker. That alpha is due to start in a couple of days time, on August 22nd.

"Anybody who either signed up five friends via the Alpha Signup page, or who owns a copy of War of the Roses: Kingmaker (F2P Demo doesn't count), is eligible to play during this test period," explains War of the Vikings producer Gordon van Dyke . "If you fit in this group, you will receive your Alpha key via email or directly to your steam library at 9:00 CEST August 22nd!"

The test is limited to 4,000 players at any one time, but if you can't log on immediately, you'll have until September 1st, when the alpha invasion draws to a close.

"During the test, we'll be trying out Pitched Arena mode on the Monastery and Gauntlet maps," van Dyke continues. "You'll have your choice of three character classes: The Warrior (an all-around medium class with a sword/shield and throwing axes), The Huscarl (a heavy melee fighter with a big giant axe), and The Hirdman (a light ranged class with a longbow and axe)."

For more on War of the Vikings, pop over to our announcement reveal .