Human Head's Viking action-RPG Rune 2 gets a release date

After a bit of a rough ride that included two renamings, a move to the Epic Games Store, and a delay, Human Head Studios has announced that its Viking action-RPG Rune 2 will be out on November 12.

Rune 2 begins with players declaring allegiance to one of three Norse gods—Odin, Thor, or Hel, and why you wouldn't choose Odin every time is a mystery, but you do you—each of whom will confer different and unique powers: a lightning hammer, ice spikes, or overly aggressive ravens. 

With that decision made, you'll set out on a quest to prevent Loki from destroying Midgard, mainly by beating the hell out of everything you see. You'll also collect resources, discover artifacts that can weaken the Real Gate, and craft new and more powerful weapons that enable new and more powerful beatdowns in solo or online co-op play.

Rune 2 is available for pre-purchase on the Epic Games Store in three different flavors ranging from $30-$60, with various bonuses—a weapon, armor, the soundtrack, that sort of thing—as you go up in price. An open beta test of the deathmatch and team deathmatch modes will run from September 20-22; Human Head also said that a multiplayer demo will be offered through the EGS, but it's not available just yet.

Andy Chalk

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.