Bethesda have announced the finer details of their planned beta process for the upcoming Elder Scrolls Online , with invites due to be sent out at the end of the month. The first few tests will take place through March and April for "smaller groups of focused testers". So don't worry if the month rolls by without a golden ticket to Tamriel; the ancient beast of server stress testing will awaken and grow stronger in the coming months. So sayeth the learned prophets the official site's new FAQ page .

At first, tests are planned as specific weekend events - short periods that will eventually expand into a longer and more rigorous beta, allowing participants to get a feel for level progression. Bethesda also point out that the early tests will focus on specific areas, like PvP or PvE, so acceptance into one scheduled event doesn't guarantee blanket access to them all.

If you've yet to sign up for the beta, you can do so here .

Back when sign-ups were kicked off, Bethesda released this CGI spectacle. It has almost nothing to do with what the MMO will actually be, but it looks neat all the same.