The pre-order of Sentinel's Fate, the 6th EverQuest II expansion, was announced yesterday with a couple of surprises.  There are three packages:  a digital download, a retail box, and a collector's edition.  There are goodies in the boxes (depending on which you buy) like a copy of EverCracked, Station Cash and a $10 coupon for Sentinel's Fate to entice your friends to play.  The really big surprise:  players who buy a physical box will have access to the new content 7 days sooner than players who purchase it digitally.

Naturally some brouhaha occured.

The big deal with a 7 day head start is that, for many players, MMOs are competitive games.  There are players and whole guilds who play the game as "race to the level cap."  They want to be the first to hit level 90, the first to conquer a zone, the first to slay a boss mob, and the world-wide discoverer of Smed's Sword of Ungoldly Uberness.

As ZAM reported today, the 6th EverQuest II expansion Sentinel’s Fate™ is now available for pre-order.  This highly anticipated expansion features Odus, the continuation of Erudite and Kerran lore, and a level cap increase.  We are very pleased to bring you brand-new screenshots of the expansion that explore Erudin, The Sundered Frontier, Stonebrunt Highlands, and Vastly Deep. Click the picture at right to see this exciting gallery!

We also got our hands on the official trailer!  Click play after the jump.

EverQuest®II Sentinel’s Fate™ and EverQuest®II Sentinel’s Fate™ Collectors Edition, the sixth expansion for the popular online game EverQuest®II, is now available for pre-order at www.everquest2.com! 

The expansion is scheduled to be available exclusively at retail on February 16, 2010, followed by the digital launch on February 23, 2010.  This pack is the complete game, containing all previously released content as well as Sentinel's Fate.  The retail and digital versions will be $39.99.  Additionally, a Collectors Edition including exclusive items is being offered for $69.99.  According to Christie "Kiara" Renzetti, EQII Community Manager, Fan Faire attendees with accounts in good standing will receive a complimentary digital copy of the retail version, with the early access and items associated with the retail version of the game.

Sentinel's Fate, originally announced at Fan Faire, will take players to Odus. It will have 12 new dungeons, 400 quests, and more than 4000 new equipable items.