When publisher Paradox Interactive and the developers at Fatshark announced that they would be creating a franchise of sorts from the beautifully realistic War of the Roses, we weren't sure what to expect, and no way did we see the announcement of the next game in the series coming; War of the Vikings.

War of the Vikings is an all-new multiplayer game built on the technology that drives their mediaeval combat game War of the Roses, don't worry though, this isn't just an add-on, War of the Vikings is a standalone entry into the series that will ask players to design their own personalised warrior and pillage England for all its worth as a Norseman, or defend your country as a brave Saxon.

Featuring the same intense close-quarters combat, War of the Vikings will feature authentically inspired settings and weaponry for all you history buffs out there, on large scale 64-player battles that will ensure an unforgettable experience, we only hope that the Norsemen will be seen arriving in landing parties to capture their truly terrifying nature on the shores of England.

Paradox Interactive have released a teaser trailer for the new game, unfortunately they don't let on too much in it.

“War of the Roses was a fantastic experience for us to launch, and as it’s evolved over time, eventually growing into its current Kingmaker edition, we’ve been inspired many times over by the possibilities of the close-combat genre,” said Gordon Van Dyke, Executive Producer for the War of the Roses franchise. “It’s clear to us that that there are many more experiences we can share with our players, and War of the Vikings is our next step in establishing Paradox and Fatshark as leaders in the art of online war.”

With a deep combat system and skill-driven gameplay, War of the Vikings will band players together on the battlefields of 9th and 10th Century England to conquer or defend Britannia, and if you just can't wait to defend your country against the bloodthirsty droves, you can apply to join the Alpha for War of the Vikings
now.

War of the Vikings is scheduled for a release during the first quarter of 2014, here's hoping we are treated to some gameplay footage at Gamescom at the end of the month!