Days after the great EVE Online and DUST 514 server merge, CCP Games is ready to take the next big step. DUST 514 will be going from closed  to open beta starting on January 22, free to download and play for all PlayStation 3 owners. Closed beta players will also be pleased to hear that no further character resets are planned, so they have a week of early access to prepare for the incoming horde of new players. They'll never know what hit them.

CCP CEO Hilmar Veigar Pétursson commemorated the announcement with the following statement:

"The launch of the DUST 514 Open Beta is another step towards our long-term vision for CCP and EVE. But this is just the beginning.  As we have done with EVE Online, in the coming weeks, and for years to come, we will continually improve upon and add to the DUST 514 experience, as well as add deeper integration between the two games and their communities."

Admittedly, I have a short attention span when it comes to competitive FPS games, whether they be Halo, Call of Duty, Counter Strike or... I don' t know, MAG. Yet there's something about DUST 541, something about the connection to Eve Online that lends gameplay a deeper meaning. Or maybe it's just the imagery of dying on some God-forsaken planet, looking to the skies and seeing huge ships overhead and knowing there's some jerk looking back at me.

DUST 514 is a free-to-play game exclusive to the PlayStation network, but for a limited time players can purchase the "Mercenary Pack" for $19.99 which gives closed beta access, as well as a quantity of in-game goodies. For more details on the admittedly complicated EVE/DUST crossover check out the CCP Games community.