Microsoft and Blueside have announced that Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom has gone gold and is set for release on January 8, 2008. Departing from the series’ original real-time strategy formula, CoD is an action-RPG that has players exploring vast and randomly generated maps while battling monsters attacking from all directions.

There will be six heroes, who will get various powers and weapons as they progress through the six acts. There will also be multiplayer modes, including four-player co-op via Xbox Live.

The game’s website currently offers some new media on the game, as well as a fan-site kit that lets players build their own fan communities and the like.