especially as any cards will be fully spoiled by release day.

There really hasn't been any cards that weren't spoiled long before release day. If it were the case that cards weren't spoiled and we didn't know what they were until release then you could make an argument that playtesters had some advantage.

When it comes to playtesters in a competitive environment I would want them to say out anything resembling a "new wave release tournament" but after a product has been on the market for a time (a month maybe) any potential stigma should be completely gone. I know the various spoilers that may come out many months before the product ever hits stores gives some people plenty of opportunity to "break" anything coming out before it is even available which would defeat the idea of keeping official playtesters away but that may speak more to my dislike for so many spoilers so far in advance.

When I'm thinking about playtesters really upsetting things is from back in WotC's skirmish game days and also with MtG. Maybe there were a few official spoilers before pre-release/release tournament but someone showing up who knows what's coming and has a lot of time to prepare definitely should have had an advantage. Maybe you could have found a set spoiler a few weeks before a release but that isn't nearly the time to become familar with a set that a playtester should have had.

Looking at WotC's random product sets certainly gives me a very negative bais for playtesters playing in any early competitions after a new release. FFG and their six months of spoilers such that there isn't even any excitement when a new wave actually lands should alter that preception but old ideas die hard.

However the playtesters are checking stuff months beforehand, which might not even bear any resemblance to the final cards. They don't really have any advantage, especially as any cards will be fully spoiled by release day.

Maybe you should read my entire post instead of just seeing my base hostility toward playtester playing in early tournaments following the release of a product that they tested.

In X-Wing where it seems sets are completely spoiled MONTHS before the product finally hits shelves the issues with playtesters playing in tournaments at release time are minimal at best. THIS IS NOT THE CASE WITH ALL GAMES! Maybe you've never played MtG or WotC skirmish games with random boosters but I know that for those I certainly believe that having a working familiarity with what is coming would be a huge advantage even if a few changes are made.