[Update #2]: I have some bad news to deliver - The Settlers reboot has now been postponed due to negative beta feedback.

[Update]: The Closed Beta has now begun and will be active until January 24th.

Ubisoft's big reboot of The Settlers was originally supposed to release back in 2019, but unfortunately it ran into some development issues and was thus delayed time and time again. The long wait is now finally over, however, as Ubisoft has finally given us a proper launch date - March 17, 2022!

Best of all, not only will The Settlers be launching in a mere two months, but there is also a closed beta coming next week! The beta will feature two skirmish maps and two factions with which you will be able to either battle the AI or your fellow players in 1v1 and 2v2 game modes.

So if you would like to give The Settlers a try and offer Ubisoft some much-needed feedback on the new mechanics, you can sign up for the closed beta over at the Ubisoft website. While entry is sadly not guaranteed, I'd say it's still worth signing up for the beta as it's unlikely Ubisoft will run a small test this close to release.

As for what exactly this new take on The Settlers formula will even bring to the table, that you can find out through the freshly posted trailer. Have a gander, it's fairly informative:

Once the beta goes live I'll make sure to let you know. So good luck with the beta key, and make sure to check out the official FAQ for all of the details.