If you pre-ordered Rift, then you're going to get a head start in the game on Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. PST before it officially launches on March 1. In preparation, Trion Worlds has made the client available for download so you can be ready to dive into Telara the moment the servers go live in less than 48 hours.

We know many of you participated in the beta events, so we'd like to emphasize that you need to uninstall the beta client before downloading the live client. You can't patch the beta client to play Rift during the head start or at launch.

For more details, visit Trion's Head Start page or check out the FAQ after the jump.

Head Start begins Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011 at 10:00 AM PST (1800 GMT) and runs through launch (North America: Mar. 1 at 10:00 AM PST / Europe: Mar. 4 at 1600 GMT).

How do I get into Head Start?

Pre-order RIFT! All customers who pre-order RIFT from participating retailers will have access to Head Start. The retailer you pre-ordered from will provide a code to apply to your Trion Worlds account that grants access to Head Start. If you purchased the game directly from Trion Worlds, the code is automatically applied to your account.

I’ve pre-ordered RIFT, but I didn’t get a code. What should I do?

If you pre-ordered RIFT through our website, the pre-order code is already associated with your account, and you should only need to download the client and update for Head Start.

If you pre-ordered RIFT through a retailer and did not receive a pre-order code, please email Trion Customer Support with proof of purchase attached to the email and we will grant your account pre-order access.

I’ve pre-ordered RIFT. Where can I download the game?

If you’ve entered your pre-order code in your Trion Worlds account, or pre-ordered from Trion, you can find the link in your Trion Worlds account. You can also download the game here.

Steam™ & Amazon® download customers – If you’ve already downloaded the client from Steam or Amazon, there’s no need to download it again. Just make sure your game is patched!

Can I patch the RIFT beta client instead of downloading?

No. Be sure to uninstall the beta client before attempting to install RIFT.

When will I get my pre-order items?

During Head Start!

When will I get my Collector’s Edition items (backpack, pet, and mount)?

Those items are tied to your purchase of the Collector’s Edition, not a pre-order. They will be added to your account once you apply a Collector’s Edition key.