Industrial Revolution city-builder Anno 1800 sets its open beta for April Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Industrial Revolution city-builder Anno 1800 sets its open beta for April Just ahead of launch on PC. News by Matt Wales Reporter Updated on 5 Feb 2019 7 comments Ubisoft has announced that Anno 1800, the latest entry in developer Blue Byte's long-running historical city-builder series, will be holding its open beta this April on PC. More specifically, Anno's open beta will run from April 12th to April 14th - and while there's scant information on what exactly participants will be able to experience during the event (other than, obviously, ye olde city building), developer Blue Byte has teased that it will include "new content", not seen in the game's recent closed beta. No sign-ups will be required to access the open beta, and interested parties will merely need to download the beta-specific client in order to fulfil all their pre-release city-building whims. Full details will presumably be shared on the usual social media channels in the run-up to April 12th. For those unfamiliar with Anno 1800, and I admire your dedication in getting this far into the story if that's you, it marks the first time that the series has featured a historical setting since 2009's Anno 1404. Blue Byte's two most recent entries - Anno 2070 and 2205 - catapulted the familiar city-building and real-time strategy formula into the far flung future. This time around, however, we're heading to the 19th century, and the Industrial Revolution - a period which promises to influence everything from key city-expansion systems, including pollution, tourism, and worker strikes, to transportation and combat technology. Anno 1800 will include campaign, sandbox, and multiplayer modes, and there's a handy overview of the game, which Ubisoft calls "an evolution and a return to form for the series", in the trailer above. Anno 1800 was originally scheduled to launch at the end of this month, on February 26th. However, Blue Byte recently announced that it would be delaying the game's launch until April 16th, for "a little additional polish and tuning". Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 61 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 5 Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 11 Latest Articles Digital Foundry Sennheiser's legendary HD 599 open-back headphones are just £70 at Amazon in the Prime Early Access Sale Comfortable with neutral sound and a wide sound stage. Preview Football Manager's new Console edition is the best you'll get without a PC Getting Touch-right. 1 Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 61 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store