NCSOFT and ArenaNet announce a beta event will take place next weekend for Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns, their MMORPG expansion. They explain they will lead up to this by showing off the add-on next week at Gamescom:

NCSOFT and ArenaNet™, publisher and developer of the acclaimed Guild Wars franchise, today announced that the first publicly accessible beta for Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns will get a preview on the show floor at gamescom then launch worldwide as the first official Beta Weekend Event for players who pre-purchased the game. The studio will debut a demo showcasing a portion of the content that’s playable in the beta test on the show floor starting on gamescom’s opening day on Wednesday, August 5, and running until the show ends on Sunday, August 9. ArenaNet is partnered with Twitch at gamescom and will have demo stations open to all attendees at the Twitch booth (Hall 9, Booth A-060).