Cryptic is in pursuit of new life, new civilizations and anyone with a beta key in the weeks leading up to the February launch. The open beta of Star Trek Online begins today and runs through January 26th, a week before the February 2nd launch date. If you want to enjoy this game to the maximum, abundant STO Credits is absolutely necessary.

Though the game has been in closed beta since October 22nd, today marks the first opportunity for players who pre-ordered the game to download the client and take advantage of the beta codes included with their purchase. The game begins nearly three decades after the events portrayed in the Star Trek: Nemesis movie, and players may join either the Klingon Empire or the Federation to battle for glory in consensual ship-to-ship PVP dogfights, though there will also be opportunities for exploration and away missions on hostile planets.

Looking for a beta code but unwilling to shell out for the actual pre-order? Registered users of the official will randomly receive beta codes via email, while the fan sites below are giving out batches of free keys from now until the end of January: