Trion Worlds’ Nathan Richardsson stated that, “We’re incredibly proud that after five years of development, we are bringing this ambitious project to life. The game launch is just the beginning of a truly unique entertainment experience.” This experience has since been described as “transmedia”.

The developer has also released a range of stats detailing the activity of its players: So far, 500 million hellbugs have been killed, with 1 million Arkfalls – chunks of alien ships – battled across and a total of 50 million miles have been driven across.

Defiance ties in with SyFy’s TV series of the same name. It is an off-shoot that is meant to run parallel to the show. Releasing on April 2nd for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, it debuted strongly on Steam with multiple pre-orders before its release.

Titled “Sharks in Winter Solstice” – which we guess refers to the aquatic predators swimming on the coldest day in Winter? – the patch includes bug fixes, improved client stability and balancing changes.

Defiance is a massively multiplayer online shooter set in the futuristic Bay Area and focusing on Ark Hunters, who work partly as mercenaries and partly as artifact hunters. Alien technology is around to discovered and wars are available to be fought with large quests and PVP combat available. The game is meant to tie in with the SyFy TV show of the same name that recently aired.

Taking place in a futuristic version of San Francisco, Defiance follows the journeys and travels of Ark Hunters as they act as both mercenaries and treasure hunters looking for valuable alien technology.

Nathan Richardsson, VP of Development for Trion and Executive Producer of Defiance stated, “We’re incredibly proud that after five years of development, we are bringing this ambitious project to life.

“The game launch is just the beginning of a truly unique entertainment experience and, in a couple weeks’ time, you’ll be able to tune into SyFy to see the story unfold, the characters develop, and realize transmedia entertainment unlike ever before.”

The TV series will premiere on SyFy on April 15th and will run parallel to the game’s universe.

Named “Advanced Mission Beta 3”, you’ll once again play the role of an Ark Hunter, searching for treasure and smacking around any one dumb enough to stop you. You’ll have the benefit of both genetic abilities and aliens weaponry alongside general human tools that can be upgraded and used for both mercenary and treasure hunting purposes.

The final beta will feature the Mt. Tam and Madera regions; co-op battles will take place on Angel Island and the Cronkhite Bunker. There will also be a chance for competitive multiplayer in the Freight Yard and Observatory in case you and a team member have a disagreement.

Like the first Mission Beta, players will take up the role of Ark Hunters in a futuristic San Francisco bay area, the same crux of treasure hunting meets mercenary work still applies, and you’ll still be on the prowl for alien technology besides taking apart the competition with augmented skills and weapons.

Those interested in taking part in the second Advanced Mission Beta on PC can head here for more details.

Trion has also announced the Ark Hunter Rewards Program for gamers with six digit alphanumeric codes hidden in different game assets released to the people which can be redeemed for 15 different levels of rewards, including early vehicle access and increased skills which will be available at game launch this April. Head here for more details.

But forget about that: In a new twist, developer Trion Worlds has signed a new agreement with publisher Namco Bandai for the European distribution of the MMO action shooter tie-in that is the game.

Similar to what happened with Konami and Nintendo for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate, Namco Bandai will be distributing Defiance in Europe, the Middle-East, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 when it finally releases in April 2013.

This is significant, given how Trion Worlds will be publishing the game in North America for all three platforms. Will it rise above its typical post-apocalyptic sci-fi trappings? Time – and a merciful audience – will tell.

Dubbed the “Advanced Mission Beta 1”, players will be able to assume the roles of Ark Hunters in a futuristic San Francisco as they struggle to uncover and recover lost alien technology. Of course, the mercenary tag of their JD indicates that there will be plenty of other missions to be taken up as well.

In Advanced Mission Beta 1, players can access the tutorial, the large area of Mt. Tam, the Waterfront competitive multiplayer map, the Shadow War open world competitive multiplayer and Arkfall co-op boss battles. Quite a load of content for the first beta, but given that the game is set to release for multiple platforms in April 2013, it wouldn’t hurt to get some feedback early.

The beta starts at 8:00 AM PST on the 18th and ends at 9:00 PM PST on the 20th. Currently, it will only be available in English, with other languages to be supported in the future.

Those interested can sign up here and enlist in the upcoming MMO.

According to Trion, the gameplay will be focussed on story-driven missions which can be tackled solo or with another player. Defiance also boasts a large persistent open world which will reportedly support tens of thousands of live players simultaneously. Character creation details reveal that players will be able to play as either a human or alien, and customize their appearance, along with weapons, class and much more.

Speaking of weapons, Defiance will feature tons of weapons, equipment, upgrades and loot for the quest-heavy gamers. There’s also the “unending gameplay”, with Trion implying that there’s no end to the amount of missions you can take up. Even if they can’t craft unique missions to last years as they claim, Defiance is becoming a title to look out for.

As Richardsson states, “Trion is an incredibly dynamic company and is already leading a revolution in the online gaming space. Defiance is the future of entertainment, and the collaboration between Trion and Syfy means you have two powerhouses blazing a trail that will fundamentally change the way both gamers and viewers consume entertainment. It’s amazingly ambitious and exactly the kind of immense challenge that I’ve been looking for.”

His responsibilities entail collaborating between the Trion development team and SyFy, guiding the overall creative direction of the game through launch. With more than a decade of experience, he’ll be sure to lead Defiance on the right path.

Known very well for Rift, Trion Worlds’ “The Making of Defiance” video provides details on the thought process behind the sets and environments governing the series. Check it out above.