With an expected release date of 18th November, the peeps over at Sony have announced the opening of the beta registration for the latest expansion due to hit EverQuest 2: The Shadow Odyssey.

Players wishing to opt in for the Beta must agree to the NDA (non-disclosure agreement) which limits discussion to the private beta section of the official EverQuest II forums.  Obviously, other terms of use need to be met, but it is important to note that if you are intending to apply for beta access you must have a currently live account with a character over level 50.

To apply for access you can find the registration pages HERE.

So what will be released with this 5th expansion?  Some of the main features are as follows:

• More than 20 new zones are being introduced for exploration.
• Nostalgic dungeon themes (such as Mistmoore, The Sebilisian empire and Najena) and more than 18 goal-based dungeons.
• New achievements for class-specific achievement lines, resulting a level cap increase to 200.
• New mission system (Dungeon Delving).
• 5 new Heritage Quests.
• Introduction of two new deities (Rodcet Nife and Anashti Sul.

For further information on the game, or the expansion, please visit the Official EverQuest2 website.