Atari and Cryptic Studios have announced that their upcoming comic book inspired MMORPG Champions Online has now entered open beta. You can n ow grab one of 50,000 keys by visiting fileplanet.com and by pre-ordering via direct2drive or champions-online.com/retail, the beta is now live and runs until next Thursday, the game is expected to launch in early September.

"The launch of the open beta is an exciting milestone in the development of Champions Online," said Bill Roper, executive producer on Champions Online. "We look forward to welcoming players, both new and old for what will become a truly great gaming experience."

Champions Online, a massively multiplayer online game based on the popular pen-and-paper Champions RPG, will give players the power of total customization of their hero while they explore a vast comic book universe of richly detailed 3D environments. Gamers create their hero’s name, back story, costume, powers and abilities as well as design their own personal nemesis and his or her back story, guaranteeing a truly unique experience.

After the supervillain Dr. Destroyer single-handedly destroyed the city of Detroit, many thought he had perished in the colossal explosion. But now, the diabolical genius has returned and he is set to wreak havoc on the unsuspecting world. Join up with Defender and the rest of the legendary Champions to stop Dr. Destroyer and his minions in the ultimate showdown of good versus evil!