Namco Bandai Games, the publisher of Dark Souls in the west, today announced that it will be holding a closed beta test for the upcoming Dark Souls II. The test will begin on October 5 in Europe and North America, and is only for the PlayStation 3 version of the game.

Dark Souls fans can get into the beta through the Dark Souls Facebook page, which will provide details on signing up for the beta starting September 5. The beta will encompass what Namco Bandai called “one of the most treacherous areas of the Dark Souls II world.” From the publisher’s announcement:

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.

Dark Souls II is still set for a March 2013 release for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. The latest Dark Souls II teaser was released just last week, and shows what appears to be some live-action Dark Souls cosplay: