The Elder Scrolls Online is out now; here’s our Elder Scrolls Online review.

Update: If you’re getting an invalid code message when attempting to redeem the key, this probably means you already have access from the earlier beta event. Check your account, at the side it should say “Beta Access”, that means you’re good to go. Just give the code to a chum. If you don’t see that, and the code is invalid, you’ll need to contact customer support. Cheers to RodRackStack for bringing this to our attention.

The Elder Scrolls Online is a video game that in some places plays like the Elder Scrolls games did two iterations ago, and in others like the Elder Scrolls has never played before. I quite like it. You may not: but it is like no other MMO you’ve ever hopped through before, and you’ll be contractually required as a PC gamer to have an opinion on it.

Let’s make it an informed one, eh? We’ve got 1,200 beta keys, and one looks like it might have your name in it, if you squint a bit.

The one thing we didn’t get an especially good look at, at the time of our mammoth* Elder Scrolls Online impressions piece, is how it plays with other people. Mad as that sounds, the test servers were somewhat quiet throughout the extended weekend we played, and the group systems shrugged at us whenever we deigned to click at them.

Let’s have a proper run at them this weekend, shall we? Delve into some dungeons, test some reportedly complex AI behaviours? After all, this is the stuff that keeps The Elder Scrolls Online from being Diet Skyrim.

The beta access runs from 5:01am GMT on February 28, this Friday, until 4:59am GMT on Tuesday, March 4 – though you needn’t play at those particular silly hours, of course. There’s no NDA involved, which means you can stream or film bits of questing for your personal collection.

For a chance at a key, you’ll want to create an account on the site, and ensure you’ve provided us with an email address either on sign-up or on your profile page.

Register your interest by posting in the comments here, and our Nick will select 1,200 winners. He’ll then mail the keys out manually.

Oh! And please do follow us on Twitter and Facebook. That’s where we’ll let you know how Nick’s getting on, see.

*There are no actual Skyrim mammoths included in-game, I’m afraid. Or at least, not in the Daggerfall region, where I’ve been.

Check our guide to the Elder Scrolls Online launch.