Yosuke Shiokawa, the creative mind famously associated with Fate/Grand Order, is striking out on his own. The director's new action RPG, Tsurugihime, is officially opening its doors for a closed beta test.

Japanese studio Fahrenheit 213 is accepting applications for the Tsurugihime closed beta until August 23. Shiokawa, whose resume includes work on Fate/Grand Order, Kingdom Hearts, and Dissidia: Final Fantasy, is heading the project with a slogan promising an 'RPG where you forge your own destiny.'

The clock is ticking in Tsurugihime, as the narrative centres on preparing for a final battle exactly 100 days away. How you navigate combat, exploration, and the story is entirely up to you, with multiple endings on the cards. At the heart of the experience is the 'Power of Tsurugi,' a formidable ability that alters the game state—allowing the protagonist to transmute items, erase enemies from existence, or even rewind time. Seven Tsurugi-wielders, including the protagonist, populate this world.

You can wield up to 1,000 different weapons, using a 'Combo Craft' system to weave weapon strikes and standard attacks into your own bespoke chains. Beyond the fighting, the customisation is surprisingly deep; you can tinker with the protagonist, their blade, and their base, while even the protagonist's younger sibling grows with a personality shaped by your interactions.

The closed beta offers a dedicated build focused purely on the action. The goal is simple but brutal: survive for five minutes against endless waves of enemies. Once a session ends, you can check your kill count and tinker with your attack combinations to push for a higher score.

The team behind Tsurugihime is collecting applications via Google Form. The deadline to apply is 23:59 on August 23, with a strictly limited pool of 100 participants. If selected, you will receive an email with the details by 23:59 on August 24. The test itself runs from noon on August 25 until 23:59 on September 6 via Steam. Note that joining the Tsurugihime Discord channel is a prerequisite.