Hellgate free-to-play closed beta keys being distributed

Last week, HanbitSoft announced it would revive the Hellgate franchise in North America and turn the game into a free-to-play MMO. Today, developer T3 Entertainment has announced that keys for the upcoming closed beta are now available.

Keys are scarce; however, those interested in testing the reborn title can obtain it on Hellgate's official site. There are also a multitude of giveaways on a few select participating sites.

Hellgate was originally released as Hellgate: London [pictured above] for the PC in late 2007 from developer Flagship Studios. At launch, the game's online play was available for free and for a subscription, with the paid version featuring additional modes and abilities.

In 2008, Flagship shuttered and publisher Namco Bandai kept servers for the game online until early 2009. In January 2010, HanbitSoft acquired the intellectual property from Namco Bandai.

A free-to-play version of Hellgate is already available in South Korea.