Trion Worlds announces the promised closed beta testing for ArcheAge is now underway, saying more than one million gamers have registered for the chance to participate in the first closed beta event, which will run until Monday. This producer's letter has a bit to say about what's going on:

Players who are new to ArcheAge will get to experience its uniquely customized Version 1.2 for the first time on our Beta servers in both North America and Europe.

With this version, we bring you updated combat balance, improvements to the economic game of ArcheAge, and a host of great new features. In ArcheAge you can create a farm and breed native animals for unique mounts, build a ship and travel the high seas to trade in your goods for coin, make a name for yourself crafting the best gear in the game, stalk and slaughter your fellow players, or build your own castle on Auroria!

Our first Closed Beta Event, “A Brighter Age,” starts today, and continues on through Monday, July 21st. This is just the first of our Closed Beta Events! We’ll have events during the week as well as overlapping weekends. We’ll have specifics closer to each event, as the results of a given event will affect the schedule.