SWTOR early access kicks off December 13, pre-load now

Pre-orders for Star Wars: The Old Republic will give players a week long headstart on the rest of us.

EA and BioWare have announced the MMORPG's early access scheme will begin on December 13 at 6:00AM CST. That's 4:00 AM on the West Coast, 7:00 AM on the East Coast, midday in London and 11:00PM in Sydney.

You can still get in on the action; EA advises that most retailers have pre-orders available, and there's always Origin. Once you've ordered, you'll have to redeem a code on the game's website.

If you're a bit short on cash at the moment, you can still opt-in by pre-ordering at any time before launch on December 20, including during the early access period itself, although pre-order slots are apparently limited.

If you've already handed over your details, you can begin pre-loading the game's client now.