IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Blizzard Entertainment today unveiled plans for several official global launch events celebrating the upcoming release of World of Warcraft^®: Mists of Pandaria^™. Beginning on the evening of September 24, key retail partners in the US, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain, Sweden, the UK, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and the region of Taiwan will welcome gamers who will be among the first to purchase and play the highly anticipated fourth expansion for the world's most popular subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game. Members of the World of Warcraft development team will be on hand at many of the official launch events to meet players and sign their copies of the game.

In the US, the launch event will take place in Southern California, near Blizzard headquarters:

Where:						Giant Wheel Court at the Irvine Spectrum Center
						71 Fortune Drive
						Irvine, California 92618
When:						9:00 p.m. PDT on September 24

Attendees will be treated to a stage presentation featuring an evening of activities, special guests, giveaways, and entertainment -- including a "challenge-mode challenge" between Blizzard employees and members of the community -- before the expansion goes on sale at midnight. For further details on each of the global launch events, visit www.blizzard.com/company/events/.

"We can't wait to meet up with players around the world and celebrate with them at the official launch events," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "A lot of hard work and long hours went into making Mists of Pandaria a truly epic expansion, so we're really looking forward to coming together and having some fun with the community before everyone takes off for the new continent."

In addition to the official US launch event, other retail locations around the country will open at midnight local time to support gamers eager to pick up the expansion as soon as it's available. Check with local retailers for further details.

Attendees at the Mists of Pandaria launch events will be able to purchase the standard edition of the expansion (suggested retail price $39.99) as well as the retail exclusive Collector's Edition (suggested retail price $79.99), which contains the following bonus items in addition to the game disc:

• A World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria behind-the-scenes DVD and Blu-ray two-disc set including over an hour of developer interviews and commentary
• The World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria Collector's Edition soundtrack CD
• The Art of Mists of Pandaria, a 208-page hardback tome including never-before-seen artwork from the development process
• World of Warcraft Imperial Quilen flying mount and Lucky Quilen Cub pet, StarCraft^® II Battle.net^® portraits, and Diablo^® III banner sigil and accent
• A special-edition World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria mouse pad featuring Chen Stormstout, the legendary pandaren brewmaster

Players will also be able to purchase an activation code for the Digital Deluxe edition of the expansion (suggested retail price $59.99) at select retailers. The Digital Deluxe edition includes a full digital copy of Mists of Pandaria as well as the digital items from the retail exclusive Collector's Edition.

In World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria, warships of the Alliance and Horde clash off the coast of a long-lost continent, signaling the start of a new era of discovery and conquest in the history of Azeroth. As players storm the shores of this exotic new frontier and begin to explore its mysteries, they'll encounter brave new allies, unearth ancient secrets, and play their part in reigniting the long-brewing conflict between the Horde and Alliance on a strange battlefield far from home.

Mists of Pandaria offers a wide variety of content for new and returning World of Warcraft players. Features include a new playable race (the pandaren) with its own starting zone and quests, a new character class (the monk), and an expansive new continent for players to explore as they adventure to the new level cap of 90. The expansion also includes a host of new gameplay elements designed to give players even more ways to enjoy the game, including scenarios -- a flexible new kind of cooperative PvE trial; challenge modes, which offer high-prestige rewards for mastering Mists of Pandaria's 5-player dungeons; and an all-new pet battle system.

For more information about World of Warcraft and Mists of Pandaria, visit http://www.worldofwarcraft.com. With multiple games in development, Blizzard Entertainment has numerous positions currently open -- visit http://jobs.blizzard.com for more information and to learn how to apply.

For press inquiries, please contact Rob Hilburger in Blizzard Entertainment public relations at rhilburger@blizzard.com or (949) 242-8404.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft^® and the Warcraft^®, StarCraft^®, and Diablo^® franchises, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry's most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment's track record includes fourteen #1-selling games and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company's online-gaming service, Battle.net^®, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.

Blizzard Entertainment
Rob Hilburger, 949-242-8404
rhilburger@blizzard.com

Source: Blizzard Entertainment

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