The details surrounding Star Wars: The Old Republic's pre-order availability is the big news of the day, but BioWare also managed to sneak another important announcement into its press release. The team will be hosting special "Beta Test Weekends" starting this September that will allow selected players worldwide to get a sneak preview of the game.

So how do you get into the test weekends? Sign up for the opportunity to become a game tester and hope for the best. BioWare said to stay tuned throughout the summer for more details as they become available.

If you're still wondering about a launch date, BioWare's Dr. Ray Muzyka said in the press release that they're "targeting Star Wars: The Old Republic to be one of the biggest launches of holiday 2011."