Fans of Perfect World Entertainment's side-scrolling beat-'em-up Rusty Hearts are in for a treat. After a leisurely Labor Day weekend, PWE announced in a press release today that the title will launch into open beta on September 13th. Closed beta players will have their last hoorah on September 8 at 5:00 p.m. EST, at which point the game will shut down until it enters open beta on the 13th.

The open beta isn't the same old cow as the closed beta, however. With its open beta launch, Rusty Hearts is also bringing a number of new updates, such as the removal of the universally panned Stamina system and customizable gamepad settings for Rusty Hearts' more console-inclined players. The level cap will also be raised, allowing players to explore a brand new hub world and a number of new dungeons and quests. So sit tight, Rusty Hearts fans. You'll be pounding monsters into a fine paste before you know it.

[Source: Perfect World Entertainment Press Release]

Perfect World Entertainment is treating Rusty Hearts fans to a bevy of new information today, with the release of a new dev diary and some new information about Rusty Hearts character Frantz. Poor, poor Mr. Frantz. As if getting bitten by a vampire wasn't enough, his fiancée ended up in a tragic accident, forcing Frantz to turn her into a vampire as well in order to save her life. Unlike Frantz, who apparently had the willpower to only go half-vampire (you never go full-vampire), his fiancée seems not to have taken it quite so well and has disappeared, leaving Frantz desperately searching for her.

Next up is the new developer diary, which is short but sweet. In the video, Product Manager Mark Hill talks a bit about Rusty Hearts and what players can expect from it. None of the information revealed is terribly new, but there is some flashy gameplay footage, as well as some talk about the two of the game's characters who aren't half-vampires.

For some new pictures of Frantz, check out the gallery below, and then jump on past the cut for the full dev diary video. And remember, Rusty Hearts' closed beta gears up later this month, so head on over to the official site to sign up.

Not every character in DC Universe Online is granted metahuman powers or magical abilities. Thankfully, for those who started out as average joes that simply want to do good (or evil), there's the technology powerset, which offers a plethora of control options. Currently, there are two technology mentors in DC Universe Online that can help put players' feet on the right path: Batman and The Joker.

While we've seen Batman and The Joker revealed long before the game launched, this newest video from SOE features Creative Director Jens Andersen giving us a bit more information about the two origin storylines that players have a chance to experience if they pick one of these two iconic characters as a mentor. So, if you've ever wondered what it might be like to right wrongs or create chaos on the darkened streets of Gotham, check out the shiny new DC Universe Online tech mentor video behind the break.