Today, Namco Bandai Games in Europe announced that there will be a closed beta for Dark Souls II available on the PlayStation Network (on the PS3).

The beta, which as of right now has no registration page, is set to begin on October 5th for players in North America and Europe.

As mentioned in the press release, Namco Bandai states that, "The depth of the DARK SOULS II Closed-Beta experience will truly test players’ skill, intestinal fortitude, and their sheer will to survive. The DARK SOULS II Closed-Beta will delve into one of the most treacherous areas of the DARK SOULS II world; players will not only get an opportunity to explore an entirely new area of the game, but also experience overwhelming enemy encounters, diabolical challenges, and the unrelenting difficultly that only the developers at FromSoftware can deliver (sic)."

It seems as though the beta will have a lot to offer, and while it may seem like the beta is a while away, Namco Bandai says to "Pay close attention to the Dark Souls Facebook page beginning September 5th for continual Dark Souls II news and updates regarding the registration process" as well as details about the beta itself.

As of right now, Dark Souls II is set to release in March 2014 in Europe, Australia, and North America on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.

Links:
Facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/darksouls
Source- http://www.gamespress.com/release.asp?c=6733ca--103630
Dark Souls II website- http://www.darksoulsii.com/us/