It isn't released. That said, from people I know, it seems like you can just ask nicely and show some interest and he'll let you try it out.
That only applies if you are a known name (probably being known among his fans works too), or have somebody in his circle vouch for you.
Regular people don't get in.
this is untrue. (source: firsthand)
Curious. Did that change more recently? When did you enter?
over a year ago. I explained that I worked on game engines in college and they were terrible and overengineered and wildly inefficient and I wanted to do things better going forward.