New expansion achieves day-one sell-through of more than 3.3 million
copies
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
On November 13, millions of Azeroth's champions enlisted for the war
against the Iron Horde with the launch of World of Warcraft®:
Warlords of Draenor™, the fifth expansion to
the world's #1 subscription-based massively multiplayer online
role-playing game.* Blizzard Entertainment today announced
that as of the first 24 hours of the expansion's availability, more than
3.3 million copies had sold-through† and the game's global
subscriber base had passed 10 million, with growth across all major
regions.
The release last week in North America, Latin America, Europe,
Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia brought some technical and
demand-related issues that made the first few days especially
challenging for many players. To address the issues, Blizzard worked
around the clock to roll out a series of updates and increase realm
capacity across the board, and performance has remained solid since
then. The expansion launched today (November 20 local time) in South
Korea, mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.
"We're thrilled that so many players jumped in to play Warlords of
Draenor on day one and are having a great time with the new
content," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard
Entertainment. "We poured a lot of hard work and passion into this
expansion, and we appreciate all the kind words from players and the
overwhelming support they continue to show for World of Warcraft."
In Warlords of Draenor, Garrosh Hellscream has escaped through
the Dark Portal to help forge the orc clans of old into the terrifying
war machine that is the Iron Horde, intent on the destruction of
Azeroth. Players must mount a desperate charge into the orc homeworld of
Draenor and fight alongside and against legendary characters from Warcraft®'s
history to bring down the warlords before all is lost beneath the
tides of iron.
As Azeroth's heroes explore the savage world of Draenor, they'll build
and manage a mighty Garrison, a customizable stronghold that grows with
them on their journey; reach new heights of power and unlock bonuses on
their way to the new level cap of 100; fight the opposing faction for
control of Ashran, a huge and dynamic PvP zone; and take on a wide array
of Dungeons, Raids, Battlegrounds, Challenge Modes, and more.
Warlords of Draenor is available now in a digital and physical
Standard Edition (SRP: $49.99 USD) as well as a Digital Deluxe Edition
(SRP: $69.99), which includes in-game bonus items for World of
Warcraft and other Blizzard games. The expansion is also available
in a retail-exclusive Collector's Edition (SRP: $89.99), which comes
equipped with the digital bonus items from the Digital Deluxe Edition as
well as a full-color hardcover art book, a behind-the-scenes two-disc
Blu-ray/DVD set, a CD soundtrack, and a Warlords of Draenor mouse
pad. Players should check their local retailer for details and
availability.
All versions of the expansion come with one level-90 character boost,
making it easier than ever for new and returning players to experience Warlords
of Draenor's content alongside their friends and family.††
For more information, visit www.warlords.com.
Warlords of Draenor has received a Teen rating from the ESRB. In
addition to the English version, the expansion is available fully
localized into Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French,
German, European Spanish, Italian, Russian, Korean, traditional Chinese,
and simplified Chinese.
With multiple games in development, Blizzard Entertainment has numerous
positions currently available—visit http://jobs.blizzard.com
for more information and to learn how to apply.
World of Warcraft's Subscriber Definition
World of Warcraft subscribers include individuals who have paid a
subscription fee or have an active prepaid card to play World of
Warcraft, as well as those who have purchased the game and are
within their free month of access. Internet game room players who have
accessed the game over the last thirty days are also counted as
subscribers. The above definition excludes all players under free
promotional subscriptions, expired or cancelled subscriptions, and
expired prepaid cards. Subscribers in licensees' territories are defined
along the same rules.
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 nineteen #1 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.
*More than 10 million subscribers as of November 13, 2014.
†Sales and/or downloads, based on internal company
records and reports from key distribution partners.
††Players upgrading to Warlords of Draenor from
World of Warcraft Starter Edition must wait until trial restrictions are
removed before character boost becomes available (may take up to 72
hours).
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking
Statements: Information in this press release that involves
Blizzard Entertainment's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies
regarding the future, including statements about scheduled release dates,
are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number
of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Blizzard
Entertainment's actual future results to differ materially from those
expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release
include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the
risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard's most recent annual report
on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The
forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information
available to Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the
date of this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision
Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may
ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of
the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or Activision Blizzard
and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which
are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially
from current expectations.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20141119006590/en/
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Rob Hilburger
VP, Global
Communications
949.242.8404
rhilburger@blizzard.com
or
Emil
Rodriguez
Director, Global PR
949.955.1380 x12064
elrodriguez@blizzard.com
or
Blake
Shuster
PR Manager
949.955.1380 x15271
bshuster@blizzard.com
Source: Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
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