WildStar, Carbine Studios' upcoming massively multiplayer online role-playing game, began its first closed beta today, according to an email from publisher NCSoft.

The beta will last for "several weeks," during which time players will be able to check out WildStar's factions, races and classes. The developer hopes to add "thousands of players" during the closed beta, and those interested in checking out the science fiction-inspired MMO can sign up at the game's official website.

WildStar is slated to be released later this year for Windows PC. For more on the game, you can watch a pair of videos released earlier this year that introduce the Dominion faction and the Stalker class as well as a gallery of screenshots released alongside three more introductory videos.