Chivalry: Deadliest Warrior has Pirates, Ninjas, and Vikings! Oh my

Who is the deadliest?

Take a multiplayer first-person shooter, swap the guns for swords, then replace the bulletproof vests with Medieval armor, and you get Chivalry. In it, teams clash in Medieval combat, as players time each of their blocks and attacks in the attempt to come out of the skirmish with their head still attached to their body. Now, Chivalry is branching out from the knights in shining armor with the upcoming Deadliest Warrior expansion. Samurai, Vikings, Spartans, Ninjas, and Pirates are being added to the 64-player battles.

Themed after the Deadliest Warrior TV show, players will be able to determine first-hand which ancient warrior reigns supreme. Every combatant comes with a variety of unique close, mid-range, and long distance weapons--like swords, bows, and spears--which translates to a surprising degree of strategy involved in each duel. But the complexity doesn't end there: Those who stick to the traditional battle tactics of their chosen warrior will benefit in battle. The Spartan's impenetrable shield and spear allow him to easily counter overzealous attackers. The precision of the Samurai provides quick, powerful blows and the handy ability to automatically strike as he unsheathes his katana. With warriors like the berserker Viking, sneaky Ninja, and pistol-wielding Pirate, competitive matches are sure to create some interesting group dynamics. Spartan shield walls, anyone?

Along with the new characters, additional maps will be included corresponding to each warrior. One map we saw was set in the city of Sparta, complete with the bottomless pit from the movie 300. Another area had us fighting our opponents amidst Japanese pagodas. The developers seem to be having a ton of fun with the Deadliest Warrior license, and we can't wait to take part in the massive faction battles to find out which fighter stands above the rest.

Check out the following slides for more information and images

The Viking's shield offers little protection compared to the Knight's plate armor.

Samurai don't have shields to protect them, but their precision strikes are deadly in the hands of a skilled player.

The muli-team deathmatch mode allows for up to 6 teams of 10 players.

Warrior Duel mode lets players determine who is the best in one-on-one battles.

There goes that family lineage.

A duel to the death.

This--is--Sparta!

This--is--Japan!