Dust 514 beta will integrate with Eve Online on Aug. 21

"Dust 514" beta will integrate with "Eve Online" on August 21st.

The beta for Dust 514 will be moved to the Eve Online test server on August 21st, CCP Games announced today on the PlayStation Blog.

The update, called the "Precursor" build, will move Dust 514 off its standalone server to run alongside Eve, where players in both games will be able to send messages and chat in real-time.

"Linking the intense front-line combat of DUST 514 with the galactic ship warfare of EVE Online has always been our keystone to building a vibrant community, and now that keystone is coming into place," says executive producer Brandon Laurino in the blog post. "This means DUST 514 on PlayStation 3 and EVE Online on PC/Mac will be officially running on the same server."

Both games take place in the same universe, with Eve Online's PC players governing ships and Dust 514 players on PlayStation 3 engaging in first person shooter combat on the ground. Once the two are integrated, players in Dust can be hired as mercenaries by player corporations in Eve.

"Precursor" includes the framework for Orbital Strike space battles, which will allow squad leaders to call in War Barges for overhead attacks under certain battle conditions. CCP Games plans to grant players on the ground the ability to call in overhead raids in the future.

Further, the build will introduce a new matchmaking system that will more quickly place individual players and squads together based on their skill levels, as well as the ability to play the game with a keyboard and mouse rather than with the DualShock controller or PlayStation Move.

Dust 514 entered its beta in May and will see a full release on PlayStation 3 later this year.