Neverwinter has set a launch date of June 20, Perfect World announced today. The free-to-play MMO will also launch with a new chunk of end-game PvP and PvE content, so those who plow to level 60 quickly (or have already played lots of the beta) will still have something to do.

Read more: End-game treasures and first expansion detailed »

A currency exploit in the Neverwinter beta forced Perfect World Entertainment to go back in (virtual) time, erasing seven hours of player data. The exploit had allowed some unscrupulous folks to gain billions in Astral Diamonds.

Read more: Gifts planned as a thank you »

As summer nears, the name Neverwinter conjures up images of lazy afternoons in parks, drinking iced lemonade and playing cricket. Never winter! Not ever! Then you're so distracted thinking about reading in the shade of an old oak that you forget what the press release actually said: that Neverwinter is in fact a free-to-play MMORPG, and that the open beta launched yesterday. Well, it is, and it did.

Watch: The cinematic opening to celebrate the launch »

Neverwinter has been in development for quite a while, and the free-to-play MMO is finally getting ready to repay fans for their patience. Perfect World and Cryptic Studios announced today that the game will enter open beta on April 30.

Read more: Founders Packs still available, extended beta weekend coming »

Good morning, Shack. We'll kick the morning off right with an "I was wrong." I had speculated in yesterday's column that the new Obsidian game teased on their site was Dungeon Siege 4 based on the icon of a dragon eating its tail surrounding the number four. But it was indeed a countdown timer Obsidian is using to prepare for an announcement sometime on Friday. Speculation now revolves around a new IP, based on some Xs and dots embedded in the source of the page. No more guessing for me, but if I do turn out to be right, I will gloat later.

Read more: A better action-RPG and MMO mod tools »

MMORPGs have a problem. No matter how much content they produce, eager fans chew through it almost immediately. For a genre that relies on a steady user base to remain profitable, this trend could be -- and has been -- the death knell for some games. Neverwinter intends to change that by providing users the tools to create an endless stream of content. After seeing a demonstration of its creation tools in action, I think it may just pull it off.

Read more: Ease of use, discovery »

It's no surprise to learn that Neverwinter has been delayed again, considering we've heard little from it since it was last delayed. City of Heroes developer Cryptic's free-to-play Forgotten Realms MMORPG is now slated to launch in "early 2013," publisher Perfect World announced at Gamescom.

Watch: The flashy Gamescom trailer »

Neverwinter, the upcoming free-to-play MMO set after the popular PC series, was shown off at E3. But what if you didn't attend the annual expo? A month later, Cryptic Studios has finally released some footage.

The trailer emphasizes the combat of the game, showing a small band of heroes taking on an ogre. The "pre-alpha" moniker implies it's far from finished, and Cryptic hasn't outlined a release window yet. It was previously delayed into late 2012 when it switched to a full-on MMO, so until we hear otherwise we'll have to assume that's still the case.

Watch: Combat in the realm of Neverwinter »

Neverwinter, the recently delayed title from developer Cryptic Studios, is shifting its focus from role-playing game with multiplayer elements to "full-fledged free-to-play MMO."

The reorientation of game design runs parallel to the catalog of games already available from publisher Perfect World Entertainment, which acquired Cryptic Studios in May of this year.

Read more: 'Shifting towards the action end of the MMO spectrum' »

Hasbro and Atari today announced a settlement to a legal dispute launched in December of 2009 over the rights to use the Dungeons & Dragons license for the upcoming multiplayer RPG, Dungeons & Dragons: Neverwinter. The settlement notes that Hasbro will keep the digital licensing rights to the Dungeons & Dragons franchise, though Atari will also be able to develop and sell a "selection of games" under the license. The Facebook game Heroes of Neverwinter and downloadable Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale are two such examples. Sadly, that resolution hasn't kept Neverwinter from being delayed.

Read more: Neverwinter delay a legal issue »

A new co-op-oriented Dungeons & Dragons game named simply Neverwinter was announced by Atari back in August 2010, but the publisher had very little to say about it after that. Now, fresh out of E3, Atari's released screenshots, a trailer, a website, and new details for Cryptic's RPG.

Read more »

Atari is divesting its interest in Cryptic Studios, developer of Champions Online and Star Trek Online, looking to sell it, Gamasutra reports. The publisher only acquired Cryptic in December 2008.

"In line with the previously stated strategy of fewer but more profitable releases and further expansion into casual online and mobile games, the Company has determined that external development creates more flexibility in the changing marketplace," Atari explained in an earnings report. Read more »

[Update: 10:30am] According to a GameSpot interview (as spotted by Shack user valcan_s), Neverwinter will "focus on cooperative play, requiring players to log into a server to start a session" encouraging play with others. Players will be able to play the game solo if they prefer but it will be "a much harder way to play." Read more »