Arguably one of the most highly anticipated MMORPG releases of recent years, Star Wars: The Old Republic is set to create a whole new dimension in the MMO P2P market.

Earlier today Bioware made the announcement that The Old Republic is now available to pre-order granting early access and a bonus item in the form of a weapon improvement sphere. Early access won’t be granted to all players at the same time, in the announcement details emerged that the early access will be available to the first players that pre-order the title. No exact figures have been released but if you want to make sure you’re considered for early access, make sure to grab yours as soon as you can.

Also included in the announcement are details of “Beta Testing Weekends” scheduled for September of this year. Opinions have been mixed as many think a poor beta release could put off a large number of players that will wait to test the game before grabbing their pre-order, the beta will grant access to far more players than are currently testing the game and fans are hoping it will allow for a far smoother launch.

The Old Republic breaks many of the typical restraints of an MMO, offering fully voiced over quests and dialogue as well as a unique cover system and the eagerly anticipated light side/dark side debate. Although pre-release reviews have been mixed, fans are convinced the game is going to be the best to date for one of Bioware’s top game franchises.