One of China’s biggest MMOs is coming to the West later this year

One of China's most popular MMOs, Gu Jian Qi Tan Online, is coming to the West later this year. Entitled Swords of Legends Online, the "fully remastered and improved" version of the game will explore the timeless war between the forces of light and darkness, fought by those few chosen by the legendary (and hopefully metaphorical) sword buried deep within themselves.

Swords of Legends Online will offer six playable classes—Reaper, Summoner, Bard, Spellsword, Berserker, and Spearmaster—each with its own unique arsenal, story, and style of play. As the game progresses, two specializations per class will become available, opening the door to even more powerful skills and abilities. The action will unfold across solo quests and multiplayer dungeons, 20-player raids, and numerous PvP modes, all of it built out of ancient Chinese legends and mythology. Downtime can be enjoyed from player housing located on islands that float high in the sky.

"The overwhelmingly positive reception the game has received in China has filled us with excitement; it is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the development team," said Jason Xue, vice president of co-developer Wangyuan Shengtang. "We are happy to have finally found a partner who specializes in bringing MMORPGs to Western audiences, and we are eager to welcome those audiences into the world of Swords of Legends Online."

That partner is Gameforge, which publishes other MMOs including Tera, Metin 2, and Aion. "When I first encountered Swords of Legends Online, I couldn’t help but fall in love with the dazzling and unique visuals, captivating story, and compelling gameplay,” Gamerforge chief product officer Tomislav Perkovic said. "I knew that we had to immediately bring this enthralling title to a broader community of players in other regions."

Swords of Legends Online will be available in three separate editions ranging from $40/€40 to $100/€100 on Steam, Epic, and directly from Gameforge. Pre-purchasing will grant you bonus in-game cosmetics, access to closed beta tests, and a chance to reserve your character name ahead of launch. For more information, hit up gameforge.com.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.