ArenaNet confirms Guild Wars 2 closed alpha and beta for 2011

Members of the Guild Wars nation are no doubt kicking up their heels tonight, as ArenaNet has let slip the barest whisper of information on a possible release window for its forthcoming Tyrian sequel. Guild Wars 2's closed alpha and beta testing will be happening in 2011, and "the feedback from these tests will determine when we will do public beta tests and ship the game," according to an update of the official Guild Wars 2 FAQ earlier this evening.

Guild Wars 2 Guru points out that ArenaNet representatives quickly quelled any notions of a definitive time frame, but this small beta nugget is nonetheless the closest thing to an actual date of any kind thus far in the game's long development process. "The existence of friends and family closed alpha and closed beta this year has changed nothing about the release date. The release date continues to be: when the game is ready," said ArenaNet's Regina Buenaobra.