Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn beta begins!

At the beginning of the week we started to invite a select number of lucky testers into our Final Fantasy XIV: A Ream Reborn beta. After almost two years of development it's really exciting to be able to let members of the public into the servers to try the game out for the first time.

Beta Test Phase 1 allows players to create characters in all races and genders, capped at a maximum level of 35. You'll be able to progress along some of the main scenario, take part in side-quests and class-quests, as well as try the FATE system (Full Active Time Events). And yes, this does mean there will be dungeons to explore and a new 'behest' to champion.

A word of warning however, for those of you who did get into the beta; don't get too attached to your characters as they'll be deleted for Phase 2 of the beta. It’s pretty normal for that to happen early on in a beta, and while it means starting again later into the testing phase, it does give you the opportunity to experiment to your heart's content and help us identify and fix those niggling issues.

Currently the number of people who can join the beta is limited, but those with legacy accounts are guaranteed entry. If you haven't got a beta key yet and are eager to jump in, we'll be sending out waves of invites during the next few phases of the beta, so make sure you register your interest here. Initially the beta is just for PC players, but you can expect to see the PlayStation 3 testing to start during Phase 3 of the beta.

There's a beta test scheduled for this weekend, so make sure to join in if you can. Head to the forums for full details, and remember, while we know those of you who made it into the beta are very excited, there is a strict NDA in place. Take the time to read it and be careful - we don't want to have to revoke anyone's account! If you're looking for someone to play with just say so in the forums or keep your eye out for "radMonkey" - that'll be me.

We'll also be giving away some beta keys to some lucky readers of the Square Enix blog and our followers on Twitter, so check back for opportunities coming soon!