Panzer General Online Beta Opens to U.S. Commanders

Strategy fans in the U.S. may now sign up to take part in the closed beta for Panzer General Online.

The Panzer General Online closed beta actually began back in mid-September, but apparently it was limited to gamers from outside the U.S. It’s kind of a strange restriction – the very nature of a closed beta allows a studio to pick and choose who gets in, so why exclude such a significant portion of your potential audience? – and in fact this is the first I’ve heard of such a thing. Be that as it may, the Panzer General Online HQ tweeted earlier today that Americans can now get in on the action.

“Good news, Generals! Starting today, the Closed Beta of #PGO is also open to players from the USA. Please welcome the new generals,” it wrote.

It seems clear enough, and for what it’s worth it also appears that Canadian gamers can take part as well. For those who missed it, Panzer General Online is the latest iteration of the popular strategy classic Panzer General, originally released by SSI in 1994 and now in the process of being remade as a browser-based, free-to-play game. It offers single and multiplayer action and incorporates collectible and even card-based gameplay, as players can collect and trade virtual miniatures for their own unique army and also build a deck of “command cards” that allow for air strikes and special tactical maneuvers.

In a way, I suppose it makes sense to have excluded the U.S. from the closed beta until now; after all, they were late to the party for the real thing, too. In any event, the Panzer General Online closed beta is underway now and if that’s your cup of tea, you can throw your hat into the ring at panzergeneral.com.