The closed beta for Tribes: Ascend begins today and you can register to get into this prestigious event by visiting the official site to sign up. Keep in mind that just because you sign up for the beta, doesn't mean you're going to get in -- although the odds are pretty good if you're to believe the official FAQ. If you want to guarantee a spot in the closed beta, well, you're going to have to shell out some coin by pre-ordering the game.

So what's currently in the beta? A small quote from the official press release has the information you're looking for:

"The Closed Beta build of Tribes: Ascend includes two initial class options - the Soldier and the Ranger, 10 additional classes available to be permanently unlocked, 3 drivable vehicles, 2 game-modes, and servers located across North America, Europe and Australia."

Hi-Rez Studios has finally set a launch date for the closed beta of its new free-to-play FPS, Tribes: Ascend. Those with beta keys will be able to strap on their jetpacks and start bouncing around on Friday, November 4th.

The announcement was made by Hi-Rez's Todd Harris during a lengthy 35-minute audio interview. He says gamers should not panic if they haven't received a beta confirmation email yet, as the selection process is still taking place.

"We have a date, you heard it here first. The team is working hard for closed beta to start on Friday, November 4th, so, a few weeks away. We plan on announcing that more broadly next week, and as you may have known if you've been following us, we wanted to start in September originally, that was kind of our original plan, but there were a few adjustments that we wanted to make before beta."

"Specifically, some things we've been working on are character progression elements, those were things that weren't in alpha, but will be in beta... and secondly, with the changes or improvements based on feedback from the alpha testing group... Disc jump strength was one, some challenge that people had in chasing down flag cappers which is a big part of the game, basically ability to quickly gain momentum from a standstill, and even overall speed of the game."

You can still apply for the Tribes: Ascend beta at the official website, although acceptance is not guaranteed. Todd says you can also get beta access via competitions or by pre-ordering a special "VIP starter pack" for the game. More information about this will be coming next week.