A follow-up announcement today, accompanied by a new trailer called "Enter Rome" and some gameplay details confirmed our suspicions that the North American beta will now coincide with the European beta release on October 4. In order to access the beta, you'll need to pre-order a PS3 copy of the game before September 25.

In the Brotherhood beta, players will be able to choose one of nine playable characters and "try their unique deadly weapons and discover their signature moves." The doctor, the priest, the executioner, and the courtesan are just a handful of examples. Matches in the beta can accommodate up to eight players, across two gameplay modes: 'Wanted' and 'Alliance.' Rome and Castel Gandolfo are the two primary maps featured in the beta, "with a third map to be unlocked by the community (Siena)."

The details for each of the gameplay types are as follows:

Wanted - Adversarial mode: From six to eight players
• Objective: Obtain the highest possible score by killing assigned targets.
• Game session: 1 round of 10 minutes

In this game mode, players have 10 minutes to reach the higher score by assassinating other players. A target is assigned by the system and players can only kill that specific target. Interaction with the other players is not permitted unless they are either a target or a pursuer. If players kill innocents they will trigger an "open conflict." The position of the player will be revealed to their target and then will have the ability to escape or to cancel the contract. If the target has identified one of his pursuers, he can stun him to cancel the contract and score points.

Alliance* - Cooperative mode: Three teams of two players
• Objective: Obtain the highest possible score with your teammate by killing the assigned team. The teammates share the same character.
• Game session: 2 rounds of 4 minutes

At the beginning of the round, a target team is assigned to each of the three teams. Those targets will not change for the entire round. During the round, players can switch between their two targets at anytime. Players will score by killing targets or escaping or stunning pursuers, but in addition, are rewarded by helping their teammate or performing cooperative actions like multiple kills in a row. At the end of the first round, all players will respawn and a new target is assigned to each team. The game session ends at the end of the second round.