Feldon 
From Gninja on the EQ2 Forums:
Just thought I would drop a few notes in here before everyone starts asking.
Q: How can I access the new raid zones?
A: The raid content in this update is closed beta. You will not be able to access this content as general population.Q: How can I join the closed beta?
A: Feel free to shoot myself or one of the other developers a private message on what sort of raid content you would like to test and what you can offer in terms of times and players/classes. If we feel you are good fit we will extend the invite. Keep in mind not everyone will be accepted.Q: Are the any X2 zones in this update?
A: Short answer, no. Long answer, There are two contested X2 encounters out in Cobalt Scar but no full X2 zones.
UPDATE from Gninja on why Siren’s Grotto Raid Beta Testing is private, and a count of the number of names within the zone:
There are 7 main bosses and 2 sub bosses. Yes trash drops loot. The zone buff packages are tougher then normal mode stuff in CoE all the way up to hardest in game for the challenge mode (of which there are 3) We are limiting this to invite only because we do not want folks in there just learning the fights. Instead we will be testing the different aspects of the fights with different guilds to make sure everything is working.
Who believes anyone but the top world wide guilds will be invited to the ‘closed beta’? There are only a handful of guilds worldwide clearing all current content if eq-progress is to be believed.
Not that i would qualify to raid any new content, but the whole close thing is just ridiculous.
@Malade, Yes and no. I can see their side of handpicking who will be testing it. Its likely people they know can actually execute maneuvers and script fights (vs just faceroll burning and complaining its too hard) AND know how to provide useful feedback to the team. By limiting the input flow of testing feedback, they dont have to filter the signal from the noise, and have a much shorter turnaround time in the limited testing period they have. As long as they actually take AND use that feedback AND those changes make it live at launch (not months later), this process works.
That said, yeah, it does suck, and SOE’s trackrecord in beta/testing feedback is quite tarnished by suck not seen since geocities.
@Uberfuzzy
Problem is that it can backfire badly. If they do as they did with the x2 zone and take a HM geared raid to test the fight, those will steamroll mobs and it might lead to another viasco such as PoW or DC x4 for hardcores only.
I have np if they are picky to test their HM stuff but the remaining fights (normal mode ones) should be tested by the aimed audience.
I responded to that thread with gninja stating that I see the same issues creep up we had with the dreadcutters and wurmbone end x2 with their “closed beta” and it was promptly removed by a mod…I guess theres 2 class of players we have one is given a pass and a hand at getting advanced strats and help on live (wont go into the details of that headache) and then theres the rest of us…go figure.
I guess its good for there to be content to aspire to, but do we really need even MORE HM stuff only a handful of guilds will ever see? I would have thought some mid to low tier x2s would have a larger audience and thus actually get made.
But then again I expected the WEx2 to be a stepping stone between heroic and raid content, so what do I know.
Between this, the 6.1CB nerf, and the change to the PoW jewelry I was going for on my assassin… this update’s heroic content had better be pretty damn good.
@Taivr
Sorry to break the fun but I’ve done the new heroics along with both x2 contested. No need to say the loot is a big joke, especially in heroics. The only reason you’ll be doing them is for the new crafting components because as they stand, 167ish gear is not what I call a reward.
The expectation for a Hard Mode encounter is that the players attempting it are: experienced, well geared and organized. The hard mode encounters are made for and intended for those players. Players who make it through Easy Mode progression with the expectation that they can clear new Hard mode content are missing the step of clearing the old Hard Mode content and often expect that they are entitled to the experience of clearing the content just because they pay 15 dollars a month.
Most of the players in the top rated guilds meet those requirements and as stated can give accurate feedback from their understanding of game mechanics and past experiences. The problem seems to occur when the devs try to make the encounters difficult based on those players having the best gear available. It’s like taking a Ferrari to a track and testing the tracks parameters and then having the racers run the track in a Dodge Dart.
So there’s solo stuff and raid stuff. Any group content?
Check out the Beta forums. There are Solo, Heroic, and Raid instances.
I’d like to, but the SOE EQ2 forums time out for me every other link :/