ArenaNet Press Releases

Guild Wars: Eye of the North Goes Live, Expanding Guild Wars World

NCsoft releases the first expansion to award-winning, subscription-free Guild Wars franchise, builds bridge to Guild Wars 2

Bellevue, WA. Aug. 31, 2007—NCsoft® and ArenaNet® have launched Guild Wars: Eye of the North^TM, the first expansion to the Guild Wars® franchise of subscription-free, online roleplaying games. Guild Wars players who purchase the expansion can access Eye of the North content through any of the multi-million-selling Guild Wars campaigns—Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions^TM, or Guild Wars Nightfall^TM. The expansion also includes an innovative feature that allows players to take achievements they have earned over the years with them into the forthcoming Guild Wars 2^TM.

Guild Wars: Eye of the North, continues the subscription-free business model pioneered by ArenaNet. The expansion is now available at the Official Guild Wars In-game Store and at Plaync.com, as well as from retailers in North America and Europe, for an expected suggested retail price of $39.99.

Eye of the North advances the story told in the original Guild Wars campaign, and is set in unexplored areas of the continent of Tyria. One of the highlights of the expansion is the Hall of Monuments, which allows players to preserve armor sets, pets, Heroes, and titles earned while playing Guild Wars, Factions, Nightfall, and Eye of the North, and take those accomplishments with them into Guild Wars 2.

The expansion also contains a host of new features that will appeal directly to veteran Guild Wars players, including 18 multi-level dungeons, 150 new skills across all 10 Guild Wars professions, 10 new Heroes to aid them in their adventures, 40 new armor sets, and more items, weapons, and titles.

"We think fans will find a lot to love in Guild Wars: Eye of the North," said Mike O'Brien, co-founder of ArenaNet. "Not only do we go back to the original Guild Wars lands and stories to wrap up plots and themes fans have clamored to learn more about, but we've also built a bridge to the future through the Hall of Monuments. This will give loyal players a way to preserve what they've accomplished in Guild Wars over the past two years, and reclaim the legacy of their favorite characters in Guild Wars 2."

The Guild Wars franchise recently surpassed four million units sold and is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed online roleplaying game series of all time. Guild Wars 2 is expected to go into public beta in the second half of 2008.

For more information, visit the Guild Wars website at www.guildwars.com. The award-winning Guild Wars series of games, including Guild Wars: Eye of the North, can be purchased from retailers or downloaded from the PlayNC store at https://secure.plaync.com/cgi-bin/Store.pl.

About ArenaNet
ArenaNet, located in Bellevue, Washington, is a wholly owned subsidiary of NCsoft® Corporation. ArenaNet has built a state-of-the-art, interactive game network and develops premier multiplayer online games for dedicated game players. ArenaNet's first title, Guild Wars, is a global online roleplaying game that allows gamers to play with anyone, anytime and anywhere in the world. The novel business model, which requires no subscription fees and emphasizes instant action rather than time spent playing, has undoubtedly contributed to the huge commercial success of Guild Wars. More information about ArenaNet can be found at www.arena.net.

About NCsoft Corporation
Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, NCsoft Corporation is the world's leading developer and publisher of online games. Founded in 1997, NCsoft is home to Lineage®, the world's most successful online role playing game. NCsoft has joint venture offices located in Japan, Taiwan, and China, as well as branches in North America and the United Kingdom. In fiscal year 2004, NCsoft posted revenues of KRW (Korean Won) 246 billion or approximately US$246 million. More information about NCsoft can be found at http://www.ncsoft.net

NCsoft’s Guild Wars Breaks Four Million

Subscription-free business model sets new standard for online multiplayer games

Bellevue, WA. Aug. 21, 2007—The Guild Wars® franchise of online roleplaying games has broken the four million units sold mark in just over two years. Published by NCsoft® and developed by ArenaNet®, the Guild Wars series (consisting of Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions^TM, and Guild Wars Nightfall^TM) has set the standard for online co-operative and competitive play with award-winning content and a subscription-free business model. Since the first campaign launched in 2005, Guild Wars has developed legions of loyal fans who are hotly anticipating the August 31 release of the game's first true expansion, Guild Wars: Eye of the North^TM.

"ArenaNet's fantastic work on Guild Wars has helped make NCsoft the leading online gaming publisher in the world," said Robert Garriott, CEO of NCsoft North America. "Guild Wars players continue to join in droves and stay loyal to the franchise thanks to a business model that makes for a very accessible product. We are all excited about the future of Guild Wars with the expansion ready to be released and Guild Wars 2^TM on the horizon."

In advance of the release of Guild Wars: Eye of the North, ArenaNet is hosting the Sneak Peek Weekend from August 24 to August 26, during which players can explore the frigid climes and encounter the wild beasts of the Far Shiverpeaks region. To participate in the preview weekend, players must purchase the Guild Wars: Eye of the North Prerelease Bonus Pack, on sale at retailers in North America and Europe, in the Guild Wars in-game store, and at PlayNC.com.

Any loot, items, XP, and Heroes earned by players during the Sneak Peek Weekend will be available when Guild Wars: Eye of the North goes live on August 31. Additional information about the Guild Wars: Eye of the North Sneak Peek Weekend can be found at www.guildwars.com/events/ingame/gwen-sneakpeek.

Guild Wars: Eye of the North is the first expansion to the subscription-free Guild Wars franchise of fantasy online roleplaying games. It features new characters, Heroes, items, and story content accessible to players who own any existing Guild Wars campaign.

For more information on the Guild Wars franchise, visit the Guild Wars website at www.guildwars.com. The award-winning Guild Wars series of games, as well as the Guild Wars: Eye of the North Prerelease Bonus Pack, can be purchased from retailers or downloaded from the PlayNC store at secure.plaync.com/cgi-bin/Store.pl.

Guild Wars: Eye of the North Prerelease Bonus Pack to Hit Shelves July 20

Bellevue, WA., July 17, 2007—NCsoft® and ArenaNet® announced today that the prerelease bonus pack for Guild Wars: Eye of the North^TM is set to arrive on retailer's shelves on July 20 and will include a host of compelling features, including exclusive in-game items and access to the Guild Wars: Eye of the North Sneak Peek Weekend set for later this summer.

The Guild Wars: Eye of the North prerelease bonus pack will be available from retailers in North America and Europe as well as at the NCsoft store at PlayNC.com and via the Official Guild Wars online store.

Guild Wars: Eye of the North is the first ever expansion to the subscription-free Guild Wars franchise of fantasy online roleplaying games, which will be released to the public on August 31, 2007. This expansion will provide new content accessible to players who have any of the previously released Guild Wars campaigns (Guild Wars, Guild Wars: Factions^TM, or Guild Wars: Nightfall^TM).

Players who pre-order Guild Wars: Eye of the North will gain access to the Sneak Peek Weekend, August 24—26, 2007, where they will be able to log into the game for a first look at Eye of the North. Players will be able to explore the Far Shiverpeaks region of the world, home of the barbaric Norn. Everything players obtain during the Sneak Peek Weekend, including items, XP, Heroes, and loot, will be permanent and available when the expansion goes live.

The Guild Wars: Eye of the North prerelease bonus pack also comes with exclusive weapons, including the Glacial Blade, the Hourglass Staff, and the Darksteel Longbow. These new weapons are based on the winning designs from the Guild Wars Design-a-Weapon Contest held earlier this year. In addition, the prerelease bonus pack includes a Guild Wars Trilogy Trial DVD that provides access to all three of the Guild Wars campaigns for a special trial promotion lasting 10 hours or 14 days, whichever comes first.

"We believe this feature-packed prerelease delivers real value to our players," said Mike O'Brien, co-founder of ArenaNet. "From past experience, we expect the Sneak Peek Weekend alone to be hugely popular, and players won't want to miss this chance to get a leg-up before the game goes live."

For more information on the Guild Wars franchise, visit the Guild Wars website at http://www.guildwars.com. The award-winning Guild Wars series of games can be purchased from retailers or downloaded from the PlayNC store at https://secure.plaync.com/cgi-bin/Store.pl.

Guild Wars: Eye of the North Readies For August 31 Release

NCsoft and ArenaNet set $39.99 price for first ever expansion of Guild Wars franchise

Bellevue, WA., July 2, 2007—NCsoft® and ArenaNet® announced that Guild Wars: Eye of the North^TM, the first ever expansion to the subscription-free Guild Wars® franchise of fantasy online role-playing games, will be released to the public on August 31, 2007. The Guild Wars: Eye of the North expansion will be available for an expected price of $39.99 in North America and €34.99 in Europe, as well as through the NCsoft store at PlayNC.com and in the Guild Wars in-game store.

Guild Wars: Eye of the North will continue the no subscription fee model pioneered by ArenaNet, and will provide new content accessible to players who own both the expansion and any one of the three previously released Guild Wars campaigns (Guild Wars, Factions^TM, or Nightfall^TM).

The Guild Wars franchise has sold more than 3.5 million units since the release of the original Guild Wars campaign, in 2005, making it one of the most popular online role-playing games of all time.

Guild Wars: Eye of the North follows up on events told in the original Guild Wars campaign, and is set in previously unexplored areas of the continent of Tyria. The expansion contains a host of new features that will appeal directly to veteran Guild Wars players, including 18 large, multi-level dungeons, 150 new skills across all ten Guild Wars professions, ten new Heroes, 40 new armor sets, and more items, weapons, and titles. Additionally, through the innovative Hall of Monuments, Guild Wars: Eye of the North creates a path for players to carry the legacy of their characters into the upcoming Guild Wars 2. The Hall of Monuments will allow players to preserve their accomplishments and titles from Guild Wars, Factions, and Nightfall, which can then be claimed in Guild Wars 2.

"Guild Wars has one of the most committed and loyal player bases I've ever seen, and Guild Wars: Eye of the North is our way of delivering prized content to veteran players and creating a link to the future of Guild Wars," said Jeff Strain, co-founder of ArenaNet.

For more information on the Guild Wars franchise, go to: www.GuildWars.com. The award-winning Guild Wars campaigns can be purchased from retailers or downloaded from the PlayNC store at https://secure.plaync.com/cgi-bin/Store.pl.

Guild Wars Now Available In Russian

Guild Wars franchise expands further into Eastern Europe

Brighton, England (April 3rd, 2007) — NCsoft® Europe and ArenaNet® are delighted to announce that following the recent Polish localisation launch, the award winning Guild Wars® franchise will now also be available for Russian players in their native language from 19th April 2007.

The epic saga of Guild Wars®, Guild Wars Factions^TM and Guild Wars Nightfall^TM has proved to be very successful with Russian players, currently available at stores with localised Russian box and instructions. New and existing Russian players will shortly experience an even greater immersion into these epic adventures, as Russian becomes the latest in-game language to be included, continuing Guild Wars expansion into new markets around the world. Unlike other online role-playing games, Guild Wars does not divide users of different languages onto different servers, but instead allows players from around the world to play together.

"We are delighted by the overwhelming enthusiasm of Russian players for Guild Wars", said Max Brown, NCsoft Europe Sales and Operations Director. "With fully localised versions of all three Guild Wars titles, there will be no obstacles to prevent all Russian players, new and old from fully experiencing the wonders of the Guild Wars campaigns."

Guild Wars exclusive Russian distributor, Buka Entertainment have high hopes that the complete localisation of the Guild Wars campaigns will encourage even more players to experience the world of Guild Wars and that Russian Guilds will take their true place in the PvP hall of fame.

"For the first time, Russian players will no longer be restricted by Russian language only servers. Now they will be able to join players from all over the globe", stated Alexander Mikhailov, Buka Entertainment C.E.O. "With full localisation and the unique international districts, the language barrier will no longer prohibit a players immersion and we'll soon see Russian Guilds realising their full potential within the international gaming arena."

Guild Wars, an instant worldwide bestseller upon its release in April 2005, and Guild Wars Factions, the number one game in both Europe and North America in April 2006, are global online role-playing games. Launched in October 2006, Guild Wars Nightfall continues the tradition of inviting players to immerse themselves in an epic storyline set within a vibrant fantasy world. The game has met with global acclaim, achieving numerous awards and accolades from the specialist press, whilst also maintaining a high chart position at retail since launch.

Published by NCsoft Europe and distributed exclusively by Buka Entertainment in Russia, Guild Wars Prophecies Russian in-game language will be available from 19th April 2007, with Guild Wars Factions and Guild Wars Nightfall releasing in May 2007.

Guild Wars 2, Guild Wars Expansion Announced

NCsoft, ArenaNet reveal future plans for high-flying online roleplaying franchise; Guild Wars: Eye of the North scheduled for holiday 2007 release

Bellevue, WA., March 27, 2007—NCsoft® and ArenaNet® today revealed their exciting plans for the future of the hugely successful Guild Wars® franchise. The companies announced that development already is underway on a full sequel to the original Guild Wars games. Guild Wars 2^TM will draw from the game mechanics that made the original Guild Wars one of the most popular online games ever and will add a fully persistent world. It was also revealed that, like its predecessors, Guild Wars 2 will not have a subscription fee. No launch date was announced, but the ArenaNet team anticipates that Guild Wars 2 will go into beta sometime in the second half of 2008.

In addition, ArenaNet developers are working on the first true expansion for the Guild Wars franchise, Guild Wars: Eye of the North^TM. Due to hit store shelves during the 2007 holiday season, Guild Wars: Eye of the North^TM will require at least one of the previous Guild Wars campaigns (Prophecies^TM, Factions^TM, or Nightfall^TM) in order to play. It's a game that will benefit long-time players of the Guild Wars games, with all of the content targeting existing Guild Wars characters.

"We felt it was extremely important to reward those people who have been playing Guild Wars since the game first launched in 2005," said Jeff Strain, co-founder of ArenaNet. "Those players have seen three very large campaigns created in a little under two years and so we think it's time to begin filling in the details of the existing world and to provide more content for current characters. We are thrilled to focus our time on something that our players have been asking for."

Set largely in the dungeons and caverns of the lands of Tyria that players first explored in Guild Wars Prophecies, Guild Wars: Eye of the North will have 18 large, multi-level dungeons, 150 new skills across all 10 Guild Wars professions, 10 new Heroes, 40 new armor sets, and even more items, weapons and titles.

And for those looking even further down the road at Guild Wars 2, Guild Wars: Eye of the North will provide a Hall of Monuments where players' accomplishments are memorialized and eventually inherited by their Guild Wars 2 characters, unlocking exclusive items and bonuses in Guild Wars 2.

"It's the payoff we hope players will appreciate as we continue to build on the Guild Wars franchise," said Strain. "We're excited to announce these two new products and we want players to know that Guild Wars has an extremely exciting future in the months and years ahead."

An exclusive full preview of Guild Wars 2 and Guild Wars: Eye of the North can be found in the May issue of PC Gamer which will be on newsstands by April 3. More information on the Guild Wars franchise can be found at http://www.guildwars.com.

Players Flock to Guild Wars in Record-Breaking Numbers

Extended Wintersday Festival a Smash Success!

January 8, 2007 (BELLEVUE, WA) — The annual Guild Wars® Wintersday Festival kicked off on December 20, 2006, drawing new and existing players into the game in record-breaking numbers. Players racked up more than 20 million hours of gameplay during the Wintersday Festival alone as they participated in holiday-themed quests, festive events, competitive snowball fights and received unique Wintersday gifts. This year's Wintersday Festival was the fifth major holiday festival to be celebrated in Guild Wars, the hugely popular online roleplaying game developed by ArenaNet® and published by NCsoft® Corporation, the world's leading developer and publisher of online computer games.

In keeping with that spirit of giving, the festival has been extended for a week, now ending at noon PST (8 p.m. GMT) on January 11, 2007. This extension allows Taiwanese players affected by last week's earthquake and countrywide Internet outage a chance to revel in the festivities. In an additional show of holiday spirit and goodwill, Guild Wars players have offered to share their Wintersday gifts with those affected. Plans are currently underway for a massive in-game gift donation.

Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions^TM, and Guild Wars Nightfall^TM are online roleplaying games in which millions of players from around the globe explore a rich fantasy world, acquire skills, build personalized characters, and compete in fierce player-versus-player battles. The Guild Wars games have garnered numerous awards, including Billboard Magazine's DEMMX Award for 2006 Multiplayer Game of the Year, GameSpy's Best PC MMORPG of 2006, Play Magazine's 2005 PC Game of the Year, 1Up's 2006 Best Roleplaying Game, and IGN's 2005 Best PC Game, among others.

Guild Wars Exceeds Three Million Sold

Breakthrough Game Series Hits Major Milestone as ArenaNet Announces Wintersday Festival and Exciting New Game Features

December 13, 2006 (BELLEVUE, WA) — Fueled by sales of the hit game Guild Wars Nightfall^TM, the latest release in the award-winning Guild Wars® franchise, sales for one of the world's leading subscription-free online roleplaying games have surpassed three million units worldwide in a little more than a year and a half. This milestone event was announced today by ArenaNet®, developer of Guild Wars®, Guild Wars Factions^TM, and Guild Wars Nightfall^TM, and NCsoft® Corporation, the world's leading developer and publisher of online computer games.

"Reaching three million units sold in such a short amount of time is absolutely incredible," says Robert Garriott, CEO, NCsoft North America. "Coupled with the recent news of Guild Wars Factions winning Billboard's Multiplayer Game of the Year, we couldn't be prouder of what the team at ArenaNet has accomplished with the Guild Wars games."

In further news, ArenaNet announced today the details of the in-game Wintersday Festival, as well as some exciting new features to be implemented in the game over the holiday season.

Wintersday 2006 — Special in-game events have become fan favorites the world over, and during this holiday season Guild Wars players will be in for another Wintersday Festival! During this event, players will find favorite outposts dressed to the nines with holiday décor, as they are invited to complete holiday-themed quests, participate in PvP snowball fights, and receive unique holiday rewards such as Winter Gifts, a Snowman Summoner, Eggnog, and Candy Canes. Wintersday 2006 will take place in-game December 20, 2006 through January 1, 2007. Visit www.guildwars.com for more event details.

Party Search — A brand new Party Search panel will be added to Guild Wars this December, which will allow players to more easily form groups. Casual and hard-core gamers alike will benefit from this new system, as it will make it easier for players to form parties for some of the tougher quests and missions in the game, find the last cog needed for a fearsome group that can tear through the PvP arenas, or just connect with old friends online to go explore the diverse Guild Wars world.

Reconnect After Disconnect — One of the most player-requested features comes to Guild Wars! If a player gets dropped from the game due to a connection problem, and that player can reconnect within ten minutes, the player's character will be relocated to the spot of disconnection. If the character was performing an action, such as casting a spell or auto-attacking a target, that character will complete the action as if still connected. If a player is in a group when disconnected, the other members of the party will be notified about the player's connection problems.

Guild Wars Factions Wins Billboard's DEMMX Award for Multiplayer Game of the Year

Kudos Continue to Roll in for Critically Acclaimed Guild Wars® Series

December 4, 2006 (BELLEVUE, WA) — Guild Wars Factions^TM, one of the year's most-popular online games, took home the award for Multiplayer Game of the Year Wednesday at Billboard Magazine's prestigious Digital Entertainment Marketing and Media Excellence (DEMMX) awards gala. Guild Wars Factions was honored as the best game played online by more than one player.

Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions, and Guild Wars Nightfall^TM are online roleplaying games where players explore a rich fantasy world, acquire skills, build personalized characters, and compete in head-to-head battles with players from around the world. In addition to the compelling game design and innovative technology that make playing Guild Wars a unique experience, the success of Guild Wars is due in part to a revolutionary business model in which no monthly subscription fee is charged to its users.

First released in April 2005, Guild Wars topped the sales charts around the globe and launched what has become one of the most critically acclaimed franchises in the genre. The hotly anticipated follow-up, Guild Wars Factions, was released in April 2006, and again the game was #1 in North America and Europe. The latest adventure, Guild Wars Nightfall, was released in October 2006. With rave reviews and millions of players worldwide, Guild Wars continues to set the bar in online gaming.

Guild Wars Nightfall Ships Worldwide

The Most-Anticipated PC Game of the Season Releases Just in Time for the Holidays

October 26, 2006 (BELLEVUE, WA) — Guild Wars Nightfall^TM, one of the most anticipated PC game releases of the holiday season is on its way to retailers and will be available on store shelves in North America and Europe on October 27, 2006. Nightfall^TM is the latest campaign release in the award-winning Guild Wars® franchise played by millions worldwide, created by ArenaNet® and published by NCsoft®, the world's leading developer and publisher of online computer games.

Set in the land of Elona where an evil ruler is attempting to summon her outcast god, Nightfall will ask the stout of heart to answer the rallying cry of the Sunspears — the protectors of the realm — to fight back the looming darkness descending upon the land. As you explore opulent cities, brave savage coasts, delve deep into ancient monuments, and discover the secrets of poisonous deserts, you will determine the fate of the entire realm of Elona.

To aid you in your duty, Nightfall introduces exciting new features such as:

Heroes — customizable companions that level up with you, use weapons and skills of your choosing, and go forth with you into battle.
Hero Battles, the ultimate one-on-one challenge, that allow two players, and their Heroes, to compete against one another in new PVP gameplay.
Templates that let players save, store, and exchange Hero builds, providing countless combinations to create the ultimate team of Heroes.

Along with the new features Nightfall provides twenty new missions, hundreds of new skills, new armor, two fierce new professions, and endless replayability.

"Guild Wars Nightfall is already being heralded as the best of the Guild Wars series by the record-breaking number of fans who participated in preview events," says Robert Garriott, CEO, NCsoft North America. "Nightfall brings innovative new features to the game that revolutionized the online gaming genre and NCsoft is thrilled to launch this flagship game in time for the holidays."

Guild Wars Nightfall will be available in both Standard and Collector's Editions. The Collector's Edition includes the Guild Wars Nightfall game as well as a Making of Guild Wars Nightfall behind-the-scenes DVD produced by Gameplay HD, a collector's art book, collectible skill pins, a character mini-standee, a poster-sized map of Elona, and the Guild Wars Nightfall soundtrack CD. Guild Wars Nightfall is also premiering the PlaySmart^TM tips card that will be included in both retail editions.

"The Guild Wars Nightfall launch is one of the most anticipated of the holiday season," said Bob McKenzie, Senior VP of Merchandising, GameStop, Inc. "From its beginnings just a year and a half ago, the Guild Wars franchise has grown into an unquestioned success story. The new play experiences and features in Nightfall clearly show the ArenaNet developers have hit yet another home run."

Guild Wars, an instant bestseller in North America and Europe upon its release in April 2005, and Guild Wars Factions^TM, the number one game in both North America and Europe earlier this year, are global online roleplaying games. With an expected retail price of $49.99 and still no subscription fee, Guild Wars Nightfall is set to become an instant hit when it becomes available worldwide. Servers supporting the new release will "go live" at 12:01 AM PDT /7:01 AM GMT on October 27, 2006.

For more information please visit www.guildwars.com.

Guild Wars Nightfall Debuts to Mass Acclaim and Record-Breaking Numbers in Weekend Global Event

Nearly 500,000 Fans Played more than Four Million Hours in Landmark Gaming Event!

October 5, 2006 (BELLEVUE, WA) — With the October 27, 2006 release of Guild Wars® Nightfall^TM drawing close, nearly half a million players around the world got their first taste of one of the year's most-anticipated games in last weekend's World Preview Event. Players spent an average of 8.5 hours each over the course of the weekend, announced ArenaNet®, developer of the award-winning Guild Wars franchise, amassing more than four million total hours of game play. This weekend's numbers shattered the previous attendance record of three million hours set during the Guild Wars Factions^TM preview event earlier this year, as fans immersed themselves in the new Guild Wars Nightfall continent of Elona, sampling the game's new features, mechanics, and missions.

"We knew we had struck a chord with our players as soon as the Nightfall World Preview Event got underway," said Mike O'Brien, co-founder of ArenaNet. "Their response has been amazingly positive to everything in the game; especially the Heroes." Heroes are a new feature of Guild Wars Nightfall. They are non-player characters integral to the storyline that players can customize and control throughout the game. "Heroes gain experience, follow player direction in battle, and can be equipped with skills, weapons, and even secondary professions of the player's choice, said O'Brien. "They are a wildly popular component to this game that we've spent significant time developing, and we're thrilled our fans have responded to it the way they have."

Guild Wars, an instant bestseller in North America and Europe upon its release in April 2005, and Guild Wars Factions, the number one game in both North America and Europe earlier this year, are global online roleplaying games. In Guild Wars Nightfall you'll explore opulent cities, brave savage coasts, delve deep into ancient monuments, and find your way across poisonous deserts as you determine the fate of the new realm of Elona. The Guild Wars Nightfall Prerelease Bonus Pack is available in retail stores worldwide now. The Guild Wars Nightfall Standard Edition and Guild Wars Nightfall Collector's Edition will be released worldwide on October 27, 2006.

Guild Wars Nightfall World Preview Event Set for September 22 - 24

Guild Wars Nightfall to Debut in Free Global Event Open to the Entire World! Millions of Guild Wars Players not the Only Ones Invited to the Big Event!

September 12, 2006 (BELLEVUE, WA) — Announced today by ArenaNet®, developer of the wildly-popular franchise Guild Wars®, the studio's latest game Guild Wars Nightfall^TM will make its debut in a massive event open to anyone and everyone who would like to play. The event will take place September 22, 2006, beginning at 12:01am PDT and running through September 24, 2006 at 11:59pm PDT.

The Guild Wars Nightfall World Preview Event will feature previews of the new environments, new missions, and new battle arenas. The event will allow players to create Nightfall-specific characters from the six core professions as well as the two new Nightfall^TM professions, the Dervish and the Paragon, and try out new Nightfall skills. The entire Istani province of the new realm Elona will be open for player exploration, and players will be able to view the first Nightfall in-game cinematics. In addition, two new arenas will make their debut, the Sunspear Arena and Churranu Island.

For an added bonus, the November 2006 issue of PC Gamer magazine, due in stores a week before the event, boasts a Guild Wars Nightfall cover story, and includes an access key for an exclusive, in-game, Gray Giant miniature. The Gray Giant will be useable during the World Preview Event, and then may be reactivated with a Guild Wars Nightfall account upon release.

The Guild Wars live events are world-renowned, drawing players in unprecedented numbers who log millions of gameplay hours. The Guild Wars Nightfall World Preview Event is expected to exceed prior Guild Wars beta records as eager fans await their first taste of one of the year's most-anticipated games, and ArenaNet is preparing to handle the flux of participants on its servers.

Guild Wars, an instant bestseller worldwide upon its release in April 2005, and Guild Wars Factions, the number one game in both North America and Europe earlier this year, are global online roleplaying games. Guild Wars Nightfall continues the tradition of inviting players to immerse themselves in an epic storyline centered in a vibrant fantasy setting. Eager fans can get the Guild Wars Nightfall Prerelease Bonus Pack in stores on September 15, and the Guild Wars Nightfall Standard Edition and Guild Wars Nightfall Collector's Edition on October 27, 2006.

ArenaNet and NCsoft Announce October 27 as Global Release Date for Guild Wars Nightfall

Box Art Debuted and Premium Items Announced for Collector's Edition

August 24, 2006 (BELLEVUE, WA) — ArenaNet® and NCsoft® today announced that Guild Wars Nightfall^TM, the next game in the award-winning and critically-acclaimed Guild Wars® franchise, will be available in stores worldwide October 27, 2006. The news was announced today from the Guild Wars Factions^TM World Championship in Leipzig, Germany.

In this third Guild Wars campaign, players must fight to hold back the night as a mad ruler attempts to free an outcast god and bring darkness to the continent of Elona. But players won't fight alone. Guild Wars Nightfall introduces new customizable Heroes who level up, follow player instructions in combat, and use skills and equipment of the player's choosing. These Heroes will follow the player through savage coasts, ancient monuments, and poisonous deserts during an epic story that spans twenty missions and hundreds of quests. And for the ultimate one-on-one challenge, competitive players can choose to enter the new Hero vs. Hero Battles, where they group with a custom team of Heroes and fight against other players from around the world and their customized groups of Heroes.

Guild Wars Nightfall will be available in both Standard and Collector's Editions. The highly-coveted, limited run, Collector's Edition will include the Guild Wars Nightfall game as well as a Making of Guild Wars Nightfall behind-the-scenes DVD, a collector's art book, collectible skill pins, a character mini-standee, a poster-sized map of Elona, the Guild Wars Nightfall soundtrack CD, and more.

NCsoft Brings Nightfall To Leipzig

Guild Wars Factions^TM World Championship Final & Unveiling of Guild Wars Nightfall^TM at Games Convention 2006

August 15, 2006 (Brighton, UK) — NCsoft Europe has today confirmed its presence at the Leipzig Games Convention, taking place 23 — 27 August 2006.

Visitors to the Games Convention will be able to witness the culmination of six months of intense online battles where top guilds from all over the globe have been competing for the crown of the first ever Guild Wars Factions^TM World Champions and a share in the $100,000 prize pot. The final, which will take place on the main show floor, B12, Hall 5, is sure to be both exciting and tense for not only the players but also those watching.

NCsoft Europe will also treat visitors on the show floor to the first look of their upcoming title Guild Wars Nightfall^TM, the next campaign in the international best-selling Guild Wars series. Guild Wars Nightfall takes place on the continent of Elona, Land of the Golden Sun, which has fallen under the shadow of an evil, outcast god. The people of Elona will need more than a hero to save them, they will need a hero to lead them... for nightfall is at hand.

Dirk Metzger, Marketing Director, NCsoft Europe says: "Guild Wars is a hugely popular title in Germany and both the German press and consumers have always been very supportive. Leipzig is the perfect place for us to showcase Guild Wars Nightfall and the buzz at the convention makes it the ideal place to host the final of the Guild Wars Factions World Championship."

Alongside the tournament and demonstration NCsoft Europe's Director of Product Development, Thomas Bidaux will take part in the GC Developer Conference where he will discuss overturning the traditional perceptions of MMOGs and will look at the four new developments that he believes will herald a second, more lasting, revolution of the genre.

Guild Wars Online Store Goes Live

In-Game Interface and Digital Distribution Allows Players to Purchase, Download and Play Guild Wars Games and Accessories Immediately

August 3, 2006 (BELLEVUE, WA) — For the millions of gamers worldwide enraptured by the award-winning online roleplaying game, equipping themselves with Guild Wars® games and accessories has never been easier. Announced today by ArenaNet®, developer of the wildly popular Guild Wars franchise, and NCsoft® Corporation, the world's leading developer and publisher of online computer games, the Guild Wars online store is now open for business.

Players can now download Guild Wars games and accessories from right inside the game, and the digital distribution will enable this content to be used immediately, without the need for downloads or CD installation. The store is initially selling Guild Wars and Guild Wars Factions^TM games, as well as additional character slots, the item most-requested by Guild Wars players, which can now be purchased and immediately used on existing player accounts.

"Guild Wars and Guild Wars Factions are the first NCsoft games to be integrated into PlayNC, the NCsoft online store, through a user-friendly in-game purchase option," said Dorothy Ferguson, VP of sales and marketing for NCsoft North America. "Instant access to purchases gives gamers the stuff they want, without a wait, wrapped in a great shopping experience inside the game."

Guild Wars, an instant bestseller worldwide upon its release in April 2005, and Guild Wars Factions, the number one game in both North America and Europe earlier this year, are global online roleplaying games. Guild Wars Nightfall, coming later this year, will continue this great tradition. These games invite players to immerse themselves in an epic storylines centered in vibrant fantasy settings, build personalized characters, and find grand adventures in missions and quests.

ArenaNet Announces Prerelease Bonus Pack for Guild Wars Nightfall

Fans to get first taste of next Guild Wars game in new retail package that will include exclusive character items, an additional character slot, screenshots and more

August 1, 2006 (BELLEVUE, WA) — ArenaNet® and NCsoft® today announced a brand new retail package which will soon give Guild Wars® players their first look inside the exciting upcoming release, Guild Wars Nightfall^TM. The announcement comes on the heels of the Guild Wars Nightfall PVP Preview Event where players were able to create characters using the new Nightfall professions.

The Guild Wars Nightfall Prerelease Bonus Pack is expected to hit store shelves on September 15 and will feature:

Guild Wars "Play Now" key for a 10-hour/14-day trial* of Guild Wars Prophecies^TM and Guild Wars Factions^TM.
Guild Wars Nightfall Bonus Key, providing one additional character slot for a Guild Wars Nightfall account, as well as two exclusive items for the new professions—a Fiery Sunspear of Shelter for the Paragon and an Icy Soulbreaker of Enchanting for the Dervish
Mini strategy guide, concept art, screenshots, in-game renders of characters and items, preview trailer, wallpapers, lore, quick reference card, music, and more!

Guild Wars Nightfall takes place on the continent of Elona, Land of the Golden Sun. It is a nation comprised of three great provinces; The island province of Istan is the home of a vibrant people who live among the monuments of an ancient empire. The military province of Kourna, under the command of its great leader, Warmarshal Varesh, hugs the shores of the mighty river Elon. And in the rugged lands to the north, the Princes of Vabbi rule from their opulent citadels. Elona is a land of wealth and power, protected by its champions, the Order of the Sunspears. In Guild Wars Nightfall, Elona has fallen under the shadow of an evil, outcast god. Against the encroaching desolation of an infernal realm, the people of Elona will need more than a hero to save them, they will need a hero to lead them. . .for nightfall is at hand.

Guild Wars, an instant bestseller worldwide upon its release in April 2005, and Guild Wars Factions, the number one game in both North America and Europe earlier this year, are global online roleplaying games. Guild Wars Nightfall continues the tradition of inviting players to immerse themselves in an epic storyline centered in a vibrant fantasy setting, build personalized characters, and find adventure in missions and quests. This is a Guild Wars game unlike any players have seen before.

ArenaNet Announces Guild Wars Nightfall

Guild Wars Players Invited to Play in Exclusive Player-Versus-Player Event as Beta Testing Launches for Next Guild Wars Campaign

July 18, 2006 (BELLEVUE, WA) — ArenaNet®, developer of the world's leading subscription-free online roleplaying games Guild Wars® and Guild Wars Factions^TM, and NCsoft® Corporation, the world's leading developer and publisher of online computer games, announce today the title of the next game in the award-winning franchise, Guild Wars Nightfall^TM. Further, Guild Wars Nightfall has entered the beta testing stage and Guild Wars players worldwide are invited to participate in an exclusive, first-look player-versus-player (PVP) event, July 28 — 30, 2006.

During the PVP Preview Event, both Guild Wars and Guild Wars Factions® players will get a first look at Guild Wars Nightfall, and will be able to try out the two new professions being introduced in the game; the Dervish, a scythe-wielding holy warrior, and the Paragon, guardian angel of the Elonian people. In addition to testing out the new professions and arenas, players will also be able to compete for items that will be exchangeable for a variety of rewards throughout the weekend event.

The Guild Wars Nightfall PVP Preview event will kick off on Friday, July 28 at 12:01am PDT and will continue through Sunday, July 30 at 11:59pm PST.

Guild Wars, an instant bestseller worldwide upon its release in April 2005, and Guild Wars Factions, the number one game in both North America and Europe earlier this year, are global online roleplaying games. Guild Wars Nightfall will continue the tradition of inviting players to immerse themselves in an epic storyline centered in a vibrant fantasy setting, build personalized characters, compete in head-to-head battles with players from around the world, and find adventure in missions and quests, in a Guild Wars game unlike any players have seen before.

Guild Wars Hits Two Million

North America's Number One PC Game Confirms More than Two Million Units Sold

June 19, 2006 (BELLEVUE, WA) — ArenaNet®, developer of the world's leading subscription-free online roleplaying games Guild Wars® and Guild Wars Factions^TM, and NCsoft® Corporation, the world's leading developer and publisher of online computer games, announce today the Guild Wars franchise has sold more than two million units worldwide to date. In further news, sales data from The NPD Group shows Guild Wars Factions as the number one selling PC game in North America for the month of May 2006.

"The highly successful release of Guild Wars Factions has solidified the Guild Wars franchise as a mainstay with gamers," says Bob McKenzie, Senior VP of Merchandising, GameStop, Inc. "As a top seller for GameStop and EBGames, we watch with high interest how this property continues to make a stronghold for itself in the marketplace."

When the first installment in this award-winning series, Guild Wars, launched in April 2005, it revolutionized online gaming and was an instant bestseller worldwide. Not to be outdone, ArenaNet's hotly anticipated Guild Wars Factions, released April 28, 2006, was the number one game in both North America and Europe for the month of May.

"ArenaNet continues to take chances in both game design and business model, and it's great to have the fans respond so enthusiastically right out of the gate with Guild Wars Factions," says Patrick Wyatt, co-founder of ArenaNet. "Our fans have been overwhelmingly supportive of Guild Wars, and we will continue to make the Guild Wars franchise bigger and better with each release."

Guild Wars and Guild Wars Factions are global online roleplaying games in which players immerse themselves in a rich fantasy world, build personalized characters, compete in head-to-head battles with players from around the world, and find adventure in missions and quests. In the game that has captivated millions of players, more than 7000 guilds worldwide are currently competing in the Guild Wars Factions tournament season, the finalists of which will be flown to Leipzig, Germany in August to compete for more than $100,000 in cash and prizes. For complete tournament rules, please visit www.guildwars.com.

Guild Wars Factions is rated T for Teen.

Guild Wars Factions #1 Game in North America and Europe

Massive Early Sales in North America and Europe and Rave Reviews from Fans and Press Alike Show Guild Wars Factions was Worth the Wait

May 22, 2006 (BELLEVUE, WA) — ArenaNet®, developer of the award-winning online roleplaying game Guild Wars®, and NCsoft® Corporation, the world's leading developer and publisher of online computer games, announce today that the studio's latest release, Guild Wars Factions^TM, is now the top PC game in North America and Europe. NPD's weekly sales report showed Guild Wars Factions as the number-one-selling PC game for the weeks beginning April 23, 2006 and April 30, 2006.

"When Guild Wars was launched one year ago, it amazed the gaming world," said Robert Garriott, CEO of NCsoft North America. "Free online game play, stunning graphics, in depth PvP and PvE—impossible they said. Guild Wars Factions proves that ArenaNet is the world leader, not just in great online games, but in building unique business models aimed for the future of online gaming."

Guild Wars Factions was one of the year's most anticipated releases, and in its first two weeks out of the gate has wowed fans, press, and retail alike. Guild Wars Factions is topping the sales charts in Europe and North America, and the media is raving about the game.

"4.5 stars out of 5 stars!" — GameSpy

"...weaves together solo, cooperative, and competitive content in a way that is undeniably impressive." — GameSpot.com

"Not only does ArenaNet give fans more of what they want, but they do it in an extraordinary manner." — Amped IGO

"The popularity of MMOGs is on the rise and quickly becoming one of the strongest performing genres on the PC platform. From 2004 to 2005, usage of MMOGs grew nearly 29 percent, and that combined with the significant increase of sales at retail for these products illustrates the growing importance of this genre," said Anita Frazier, industry analyst, The NPD Group.

Developed by fledgling award-winning studio ArenaNet, Guild Wars Factions is the follow-up to the company's debut release Guild Wars (April 2005). Guild Wars revolutionized online gaming, and the industry has been anxiously awaiting the release of Guild Wars Factions.

Guild Wars Factions takes place on the Asian-inspired continent of Cantha, where players create a character from eight distinct professions—including the newly created Assassin and Ritualist—and join an epic quest that pits two warring factions, the Luxons and the Kurzicks, against an ancient evil, and against each other. As players become embroiled in this brutal war of conquest, new missions provide both roleplaying fans and competitive PvP players the opportunity to help determine the fate of Cantha.

Guild Wars Factions is rated T for Teen. For more information, please visit www.guildwars.com.

Guild Wars Factions Ships Worldwide

One of the Year's Most Anticipated Games Hits Store Shelves This Week

April 26, 2006 (BELLEVUE, WA) — ArenaNet®, developer of the award-winning online roleplaying game Guild Wars®, and NCsoft® Corporation, the world's leading developer and publisher of online computer games, announce today that one of the year's most-anticipated PC titles, Guild Wars Factions^TM, has officially shipped. For fans of the game that revolutionized online roleplaying, the wait is nearly over as Guild Wars Factions goes out today to retail stores worldwide.

Guild Wars Factions is the stand-alone follow-up to Guild Wars, the game that set new standards in online gaming with fresh design, innovative technology and no-subscription-fee pricing. With an expected retail price of $49.99, Guild Wars Factions will be available worldwide and servers supporting the new release will "go live" at 12:01 AM PDT /7:01 GMT on April 28, 2006.

Those who pre-ordered the game will be able to participate in the exclusive Guild Wars Factions Head Start Event beginning at 12:01 AM PDT/7:01 AM GMT on April 27, 2006. These lucky gamers will have access to the game for a total of 48 hours, including a full 24 hours before the game's global release. During the first 24 hours of the Head Start Event, ArenaNet has planned an exclusive in-game event titled "Day of the Tengu," in which players will join one-day-only "Day of the Tengu" quests, and earn exclusive in-game rewards.

"New features in Guild Wars Factions such as guild scrimmages, alliance battles, ranked character titles, and some surprises still to come all resulted from our drive to create a truly unique gaming experience for existing and new fans of the Guild Wars universe," says Mike O'Brien, co-founder of ArenaNet. "With a full year of development and a passionate design team, we think what we've created delivers on that and much, much more. Either played as a stand-alone game, or linked with your original Guild Wars account, Guild Wars Factions is a game we are thoroughly proud of—and still carries no subscription fee."

Guild Wars Factions takes place on the Asian-inspired continent of Cantha, where players create a character from eight distinct professions—including the newly created Assassin and Ritualist—and join an epic quest that pits two warring factions, the Luxons and the Kurzicks, against an ancient evil, and against each other. As players become embroiled in this brutal war of conquest, new missions will provide both roleplaying fans and competitive PvP players the opportunity to help determine the fate of Cantha.

Guild Wars Factions is rated T for Teen. For more information, please visit www.guildwars.com.

Guild Wars Factions World Championship Announced for Leipzig, Germany August 24 — 27

Top Guilds from Around the Globe to Compete for More than $100,000 in Cash and Prizes

April 6, 2006 (BELLEVUE, WA) — Hot on the heels of a massive global preview event for Guild Wars Factions^TM, ArenaNet®, developer of the award-winning online roleplaying game Guild Wars®, and NCsoft® Corporation, the world's leading developer and publisher of online computer games, announce today the date and location of the Guild Wars Factions World Championship. The Guild Wars Factions World Championship event will take place at the biggest European electronic game show, GC Game Convention in Leipzig, Germany August 24 — 27, 2006.

The Guild Wars Factions World Championship is a culmination of the Guild Wars Factions Championship Series, comprised of three seasons of competitive gameplay taking place between March 7 and June 26, 2006. The Championship Series is open to all Guild Wars players, and at the end of each season, the top 16 guilds on the Guild Wars Ladder will compete in post-season playoffs for Guild Wars Factions Championship Points. The five guilds from around the world with the most Championship Points at the end of the three qualifying seasons along with the winner of the upcoming Guild Wars Factions Championship Open Event will be awarded a trip to the GC Game Convention in Leipzig, where they will compete for more than $100,000 in cash and prizes. The winner of the Guild Wars Factions World Championship will also earn the honor of choosing the designs of next season's set of Guild Wars skill pins, new collectible badges given to Guild Wars fans at events throughout the year.

Guild Wars Factions is the highly anticipated stand-alone follow-up to the critically acclaimed game Guild Wars, an online roleplaying game in which more than one million players explore a rich fantasy world, acquire skills, build personalized characters, and compete in head-to-head battles with players from around the globe. ArenaNet attributes the success of Guild Wars to compelling game design, innovative technology that offers a unique online gameplay experience, and a revolutionary business model with no monthly subscription fees. Guild Wars Factions is set to hit store shelves April 28, 2006 with an estimated retail price of $49.99 (US).

Complete details regarding the tournament rules are available at http://www.guildwars.com/competitive/gwfc/gwfc06-rules.php.

For more information, please visit www.guildwars.com.

Half A Million Gamers Played More Than Three Million Hours in Guild Wars Landmark Weekend Event

April 3, 2006 (BELLEVUE, WA): ArenaNet®, developer of the award-winning online roleplaying game Guild Wars®, and NCsoft® Corporation, the world's leading developer and publisher of online computer games, opened the virtual door for a weekend-long sneak peak at its new game Guild Wars Factions^TM, and players around the world responded in record numbers. From 12:01 AM on Friday, March 24 until 11:59 PM on March 26, more than 500,000 players participated in the invitation-only preview event and cumulatively spent more than three million hours online, making the Guild Wars Factions Preview Event (FPE) one of the largest preview events in gaming history. Guild Wars Factions is set to hit store shelves April 28, 2006 with an estimated retail price of $49.99 (US).

"We knew that by focusing on new ways to play and new things to do within the game, such as the 12x12 Alliance Battles, which were extremely popular with both PvP and roleplaying gamers, that fans would respond enthusiastically," says Jeff Strain, co-founder of ArenaNet. "This weekend reinforced that we are on the right track with Guild Wars Factions and are making a game that rises to the challenge to be innovative and ever-compelling for its fans."

The extraordinary weekend is just the latest success for Guild Wars, the wildly popular game that continues to redefine the online roleplaying experience. The Guild Wars Factions pre-order pack offered a key code for access into the FPE, driving gamers to their local game stores and driving sales of the pre-order pack into weekly Top 10 lists alongside full retail titles at stores and chains around the world.

"Guild Wars continues to set new standards for online roleplaying alongside some heavyweight competition," says Bob McKenzie, Senior VP of Merchandising, GameStop, Inc. "The combination of a unique pre-order pack for retail, an exciting live preview event for players, and a high level of anticipation for Guild Wars Factions has helped to create one of the best pre-sale campaigns for GameStop and EBGames. We get the impression this is only the beginning of a very exciting year for the Guild Wars franchise, and we look forward to the April 28 release date of Guild Wars Factions."

Guild Wars Factions is the highly anticipated stand-alone follow up to the critically acclaimed game Guild Wars, an online roleplaying game in which players explore a rich fantasy world, acquire skills, build personalized characters, and compete in head-to-head battles with players from around the world. ArenaNet attributes the success of Guild Wars to compelling game design, innovative technology that offers a unique online gameplay experience, and a revolutionary business model with no monthly subscription fees charged to users.

For more information, please visit www.guildwars.com.

ARENANET AND NCSOFT ANNOUNCE APRIL 28 AS GLOBAL RELEASE DATE FOR GUILD WARS FACTIONS

March 10, 2006 (BELLEVUE, WA): ArenaNet® , developer of the award-winning online roleplaying game Guild Wars®, and NCsoft® Corporation, the world's leading developer and publisher of online computer games, announce today the release date of Guild Wars Factions^TM, the hotly anticipated second game release from the critically acclaimed studio. Guild Wars Factions will be available in stores worldwide April 28, 2006.

Guild Wars Factions takes place on the Asian-inspired continent of Cantha, where new and existing Guild Wars players join an epic quest to defeat an ancient evil and save a war-torn empire. Roleplaying and competitive player-versus-player gamers alike will be able to join together in guild alliances to take control of territory and determine the fate of Cantha. New scored challenge missions and strategic competitive missions allow players to test their roleplaying prowess and earn the right for their alliance to take control of cities, towns and outposts. Large-scale alliance battles pit teams from opposing factions against each other in a struggle to conquer new territory and redraw the battle lines across the continent of Cantha. New elite missions allow the most skilled players exclusive access to areas designed to be the ultimate cooperative challenge.

"Guild Wars Factions is an exceptional game that invites players to immerse themselves in a truly epic adventure unlike any they have seen," says Patrick Wyatt, a co-founder of ArenaNet. "The four new mission types create a unique experience that will engage both the roleplaying and competitive gamer in cooperative conquest of territories and strategic battles. Set against the landscapes of the visually stunning, Asian-themed continent of Cantha, and with two new characters to choose from — Assassin and Ritualist — Guild Wars Factions will redefine the online RPG experience."

New players will join the more than one million gamers already playing Guild Wars worldwide, and existing players will have a new continent and storyline to explore within the universe of Guild Wars, the ground-breaking online roleplaying game that took the gaming world by storm in 2005 with its innovative design, depth of play and no-subscription-fee model. While Guild Wars Factions is a standalone product that does not require Guild Wars to play, gamers with Guild Wars accounts who purchase Guild Wars Factions will be able to play in both campaigns with their existing characters and even gain extra character slots.

For gamers who can't wait until April 28 to get their hands on a copy of Guild Wars Factions, ArenaNet is hosting a massive beta test event in which all existing Guild Wars players and their friends are invited to delve into the experiences awaiting them in Cantha. For those who want to be the first to enjoy all that Guild Wars Factions has to offer, a limited edition pre-order package is currently available at retail stores throughout North America. This pre-order pack includes an access key to the Factions Preview Event (FPE) on March 24, and also provides access to Guild Wars Factions twenty-four hours before the street date, exclusive in-game items for each of the game's new professions, a "friend-key" that gives access to the FPE for friends without an existing Guild Wars account, a limited trial of Guild Wars (original Prophecies campaign) for a friend, a tactical guide, a quick reference card, and a CD that includes concept art, wallpapers, and in-game trailers.

For more information, please visit www.guildwars.com.

GUILD WARS FACTIONS TO BE UNVEILED IN MASSIVE BETA TESTING EVENT AVAILABLE TO MORE THAN 3 MILLION GAMERS

ArenaNet Opens Up Highly Anticipated Game to Global Beta Test and Announces Pre-Order Availability

BELLEVUE, WA (February 9, 2006) — ArenaNet®, creators of the #1 selling online roleplaying game Guild Wars®, and NCsoft® Corporation, the world's leading developer and publisher of online computer games, announce today plans for a landmark event to preview Guild Wars Factions&tm;, the highly anticipated follow up to 2005's critically acclaimed game Guild Wars. On March 24, 2006, game players around the globe are invited to participate in the Guild Wars Factions Preview Event, an exclusive and one-time opportunity unlike any offered before.

All current Guild Wars players can join the event, and will be able to invite up to three of their friends using an in-game invitation interface. Entry into the beta event will also be available through the Guild Wars Factions pre-order package, which will include the Guild Wars Factions (GWF) pre-order CD, a GWF beta access key, a "friend" key that allows access to the beta event, a 14-day, 10-hour trial key for the original Guild Wars game, a tactical guide, and a quick-reference card. The Guild Wars Factions pre-order key also adds one unique item for each of the game's two new professions, the Ritualist and the Assassin, and authorizes the user to play Guild Wars Factions 24 hours before the game's street date in spring 2006. The Guild Wars Factions pre-order package will be available in retail stores nationwide beginning February 28.

A game beta test of this size and scope has never been offered before and is a unique event for both fans and the ArenaNet team alike. With current Guild Wars players, their invited friends, and players around the world who purchase the GWF pre-order converging on the game for the Guild Wars Factions Preview Event, ArenaNet is preparing capacity in all its data centers to handle record-breaking numbers of new players.

"To be able to open up Guild Wars Factions and share this one-time experience with so many people is truly a thrill," said Mike O'Brien, ArenaNet co-founder. "Guild Wars players will get the opportunity to play Factions before the game's release while sharing the game with up to three of their friends. We can't wait for the feedback from the seasoned players, as well as those who join us for the first time on March 24."

Guild Wars is an online roleplaying game where players explore a rich fantasy world, acquire skills, build personalized characters, and compete in head-to-head guild battles with players from around the world. In addition to the compelling game design and innovative technology that make playing Guild Wars a unique experience, Guild Wars' success is due in part to a revolutionary business model in which no monthly subscription fee is charged to its users.

Please visit www.guildwars.com for more information.

VICTORIOUS GUILD, THE LAST PRIDE, COMES AWAY FROM TAIWAN GAME SHOW AS GUILD WARS WORLD CHAMPIONS AND SHARE MORE THAN $100,000 IN CASH AND PRIZES

ARENANET ANNOUNCES MARCH 7 AS KICK-OFF DATE FOR NEXT WORLD TOURNAMENT SERIES

February 23, 2006 (BELLEVUE, WA): Guild Wars® developer ArenaNet® and NCsoft® Corporation, the world's leading publisher of online computer games, are thrilled to announce the successful conclusion of the first Guild Wars World Championship (GWWC) and the crowning of guild The Last Pride (EvIL) from Korea as Guild Wars World Champions. The winning guild defeated five others from around the world during the February 17-19 championship at the Taiwan Game Show in Taipei. The Last Pride also walked away with a cash prize of $50,000 dollars, their share of the $100,000 total purse, for winning the tournament.

The GWWC featured the top six Guild Wars guilds, two each from America, Europe and Korea. These top players survived several months of elimination tournaments staged for the more than one million Guild Wars players worldwide. The battle raged on through the weekend, and on Sunday afternoon The Last Pride (EvIL) guild emerged victorious. They beat out the Korean Regional Champions, the Guild Wars juggernaut War Machine (WM). (For a detailed account of championship battles, please visit www.guildwars.com.)

With the conclusion of the first Guild Wars World Championship comes the news that players will get their next opportunity to test their mettle as the world tournament season for Guild Wars Factions^TM begins March 7, 2006. The Guild Wars Factions Championship (GWFC) series will feature three seasons of competitive play and tournaments. Each tournament season will consist of four weeks of competitive guild vs. guild (GvG) play that will culminate with a season-ending tournament for the top 16 guilds. Each guild that makes this final tournament will earn GWFC points as well as in-game and out-of-game prizes. GWFC points can be spent in each guild's attempt to earn one of five available invitations being offered to compete live at the Guild Wars Factions Championship in August 2006. Just like the recent GWWC event held in Taiwan, the guilds invited to the GWFC will compete for more than $100,000 cash and prizes in front of a live audience, where they will meet and make friends with guilds from around the world. Visit www.guildwars.com for rules and information.

Guild Wars Factions is the highly anticipated stand-alone follow up to the wildly successful and critically acclaimed Guild Wars. Guild Wars is an online roleplaying game where players explore a rich fantasy world, acquire skills, build personalized characters, and compete in head-to-head battles with players from around the world. ArenaNet attributes the success of Guild Wars to compelling game design, innovative technology that offers a unique online gameplay experience, and a revolutionary business model with no monthly subscription fees charged to users.

NCsoft, ArenaNet Announce Guild Wars: Factions

Free Player-versus-Player Event to Provide Sneak Peek for Players All Over the World

Bellevue, Wash., Jan. 10, 2006 — NCsoft®, the world's leading developer and publisher of online computer games, announces Guild Wars®: Factions^TM, the next chapter in the critically acclaimed Guild Wars franchise from ArenaNet® studios. The Factions campaign will release in the second quarter of 2006. It offers players an incredible gameplay experience with many new choices, including new regions, professions, skills, missions, and monsters, along with expanded options for both Cooperative and Player-versus-Player (PvP) play, and enhanced features for guilds.

Players will get their first chance to experience the new campaign when ArenaNet opens its servers to everyone for the Guild Wars: Factions Global Free-for-All PvP Weekend. This worldwide event—scheduled for January 20 through 22—is open to both existing Guild Wars players and to those who do not have a Guild Wars account. ArenaNet is distributing free access keys to the event at http://www.guildwars.com.

The event will enable players to experience two new professions being introduced in the campaign, the Assassin and the Ritualist. Participants will also be able to try out a number of the skills added to Guild Wars: Factions, including some of the deadly skills of the Assassin and the arcane spells of the spiritual Ritualist. They will also be able to get familiar with the new PvP continent, Battle Isles. Battle Isles will introduce players to new PvP experiences, new and expanded arenas, new quests, and a new explorable area as well.

Another feature available during the Guild Wars: Factions Global Free-for-All PvP Weekend is Observer Mode, where players who aren't participating in a battle can view the proceedings and check out the strategies and tactics used by top-ranked guilds as they fight for supremacy.

"We're excited to be offering this free preview of Guild Wars: Factions to players throughout the world," said Patrick Wyatt, co-founder of ArenaNet. "Factions is a huge step in the continued evolution of the game, and I think gamers are really going to be excited about the new features they're going to see!"

In September of 2005, Guild Wars surpassed more than one million units sold in North America and Europe, a milestone reached in less than five months. Guild Wars is a competitive online roleplaying game that rewards player skill more than time played. Players explore a rich fantasy game world, acquire skills, build personalized characters and compete in head-to-head guild battles with players from around the world.

NCsoft and ArenaNet Announce first Guild Wars World Championship

Competition kicks off in October; Finals set for Taiwan in February 2006

BELLEVUE, Wash., September 29, 2005—Players of the hugely successful Guild Wars® online computer game will soon get a chance to battle for supremacy in the upcoming Guild Wars World Championship. The competition, sponsored by NCsoft® and Guild Wars developer ArenaNet®, will kick off this weekend, and will come to an exciting conclusion with teams from America, Europe and Korea competing in the Guild Wars World Championship Finals during the week of the Taipei Game Show, which takes place February 16 – 20, 2006 in Taipei, Taiwan.

The inaugural season will begin Saturday, October 1, 2005, as ArenaNet resets the Guild Wars ladder at midnight Pacific Daylight Time (7 AM GMT). The ladder season will last three months, and will lead to playoffs among top-ranked guilds in three regions: America, Europe and Korea. Two eight-player teams from each region will then qualify to compete in Taipei for the Guild Wars world champion title in February 2006. Teams from Taiwan and Japan will also compete in exhibition matches with the world finalists.

"Players have been clamoring for a tournament ever since we launched Guild Wars in April," said ArenaNet Co-founder Jeff Strain. "This sort of global competition has been in our plans from the start, and since the emphasis in Guild Wars is on player skill, the game is perfectly suited for tournament play."

"We are pleased that the inaugural championship playoffs will take place in Taiwan where we'll be able to celebrate the launch of Guild Wars, which will take place just a few weeks prior to the finals," said ArenaNet Business Director Tommy Park.

The announcement comes on the heels of last week's news that Guild Wars surpassed more than one million units sold in North America and Europe. And earlier this month ArenaNet released their Sorrow's Furnace Update, a free expansion of Guild Wars content that offered two new explorable regions, new quests, new monsters, new items and more.

Guild Wars Surpasses One Million Units Sold in North America and Europe

Acclaimed Online Game Hits Milestone in Less than Five Months; Activations Show No Sign of Slowing as Holiday Season Approaches

AUSTIN, Texas - Sept. 22, 2005 - NCsoft® (KSE: 036570.KS), the world's leading developer and publisher of online computer games announces yet another milestone for its top-selling competitive roleplaying game, Guild Wars®, from ArenaNet® studios. More than one million units have been purchased since the game launched on April 28th of this year, and the numbers are increasing.

"We reached this lofty goal in an extremely short period of time," said Robert Garriott, president of NCsoft's North American business. "We launched the game in late April and throughout the notoriously slow summer buying season, account activations just continued to grow. Our business model, which does not require a subscription fee, coupled with the quality of the game, have struck a chord with gamers everywhere."

"At EBGames, Guild Wars has been one of the most successful PC products during the summer and early fall," said Carol Beck, vice president of merchandising at EBGames. "As we head to the critical holiday shopping season, we expect the game to continue to be a top seller and become one of the most requested games on holiday shopping lists."

"We are extremely pleased the game has been so well received in such a short amount of time," said ArenaNet co-founder Michael O'Brien. "Our commitment to our players is consistently to provide high-level support for the game through frequent gameplay and content updates and we believe that's a big reason why we have so many people playing the game today."

Earlier this month ArenaNet released their Sorrow's Furnace Update, a free expansion of Guild Wars content that offers two new explorable regions, new quests, new monsters, new items and more. Players already are applauding the newly released update.

Guild Wars is a competitive online roleplaying game that rewards player skill more than time played. Players explore a rich fantasy game world, acquire skills, build personalized characters and compete in head-to-head guild battles with players from around the world.

NCsoft and ArenaNet soon will be launching Guild Wars in both Japan and Taiwan with fully-localized versions.

More information about Guild Wars can be found at http://www.guildwars.com.

Sorrow’s Furnace Update Announcement

New Explorable Areas Available Free to All Guild Wars Players

Bellevue, Wa. (August 29, 2005) — ArenaNet®, creators of the #1 selling competitive online roleplaying game, Guild Wars®, announces the release of the much-anticipated Guild Wars Update: Sorrow’s Furnace. To be released on September 7, 2005, the update will be available free to all Guild Wars account holders and will stream to them live at game log-in.

Sorrow’s Furnace offers two large, explorable regions: Grenth’s Footprint and Sorrow’s Furnace. These regions will provide exciting new high-level content to Guild Wars players, and will offer new quests, new monsters, new items, and more. For characters who have completed their ascension in Guild Wars, these areas will provide new opportunities for exploration and reward.

In addition, DirectSong will simultaneously release new music for Sorrow’s Furnace. DirectSong, the world’s first official music expansion service, will offer a Sorrow’s Furnace music Mini-Pak free of charge to all Guild Wars account holders who register at their website: www.directsong.com. The Mini-Pak also features a preview of Guild Wars Battle Pak 1, the first full music upgrade announced for Guild Wars, available end of September.

More information about Guild Wars and Sorrow’s Furnace can be found at www.guildwars.com.

Guild Wars to Launch April 28 in North America and Europe

Preorder customers to be offered early access to the game

Bellevue, WASH., February 14, 2005 — ArenaNet^TM, creators of the highly anticipated online roleplaying game Guild Wars®, and NCsoft® Corporation, the world's leading developer and publisher of online computer games, today announced that Guild Wars will be available at retail in North America and Europe on April 28, 2005. Players who preorder Guild Wars will be able to use their preorder access codes to start playing the full game on April 27, 2005.

According to EB Games^TM, Guild Wars is one of the best-selling preorder PC games year-to-date in North America. More than 500,000 players have participated in public preview events in the US and Europe. In Korea, Guild Wars was named the number one most anticipated game of 2005 by The Electronic Times.

ArenaNet has created a unique, global game world that invites players from around the world to play together seamlessly. There are no sharded servers, no language-specific versions of the game and nothing to keep players from exploring the game world with friends from other countries.

"Guild Wars has been a global game since we wrote the first line of code four years ago," Patrick Wyatt, ArenaNet co-founder said. "When Guild Wars launches in April players around the world will be able to experience the game together."

Players who preorder Guild Wars also have access to exclusive monthly Beta Weekend Events that feature first looks at new gameplay elements, technological advancements and environments to explore. The schedule for the final three Beta Weekend Events follows:

February 18—20, 2005
March 18—20, 2005
April 15—17, 2005

The February Beta Weekend Event, which will begin at approximately 12:01 AM PST on February 18, will invite players to explore the Kingdom of Ascalon before The Searing. The February Beta Weekend Event allows players to experience the beauty and grandeur of Ascalon before the Charr decimated it. Players can gain access to the February event by buying the preorder package or by winning an access code in a contest hosted by a select fansite or game website. A list of participating sites can be found at www.guildwars.com.

The March and April Beta Weekend Events will be held exclusively for players who preorder Guild Wars. No contests or promotions will offer access codes after the February 18—20 Beta Weekend Event. Details of the new elements to be shown in the March and April events will be announced later.

Players in Europe will soon be able to preorder the game and participate in the Beta Weekend Events. Details on the European preorder program will be announced in coming weeks.

Guild Wars is a competitive online roleplaying game that rewards player skill. Players explore a rich fantasy game world, acquire skills, build personalized characters and compete in head-to-head guild battles with friends around the world. It is the first title from ArenaNet, which was founded by key members of the creative teams behind the hit games Warcraft®, StarCraft® and Diablo®, and the creators of Battle.net®.

More information about Guild Wars and the upcoming Beta Weekend Events can be found at www.guildwars.com.

Guild Wars World Preview Event a Huge Success

More than 400,000 people play in free global event;
Beta period kicks off with first Beta Weekend Event starting Saturday

BELLEVUE, Wash., November 4, 2004 — The results are in and they show that hundreds of thousands of people played Guild Wars® last weekend during ArenaNet® and NCsoft's® free World Preview Event. More than 400,000 people representing more than 140 countries participated in the event, which took place October 28 through 31.

"The World Preview Event was a great opportunity for people to try out Guild Wars," said Jeff Strain, Guild Wars producer and ArenaNet co-founder. "We were pleased that so many took advantage of this unique opportunity. If Guild Wars was available for purchase, last weekend's subscriber numbers would have ranked the game as one of the top three online role playing games operating in North America."

This weekend, ArenaNet will roll out another chance to play the game during the first of several Beta Weekend Events. These exclusive events will take place on the first weekend of each month and will be open only to players who purchase the Guild Wars preorder box or obtain access to single events through ArenaNet's programs with leading game magazines and websites, iGames game centers or select retailers.

In addition, the December issue of Computer Games Magazine features a cover story on Guild Wars and an invitation for readers to join a Beta Weekend Event. GameSpot, which features several articles on the Guild Wars professions, will offer its readers an invitation to the November Beta Weekend Event.

Each Beta Weekend Event will feature new content and offer exciting new challenges in the Guild Wars world. This weekend's event begins on Saturday at 12:01 a.m. PST.

Purchasing the preorder box for Guild Wars guarantees participation in each exclusive Beta Weekend Event. The preorder boxes are currently available at most computer game retailers in North America. In addition to access into the Beta Weekend Events, the box provides an exclusive in-game item available at launch, a Guild Wars poster, a Guild Wars music CD and several other items.

More information about Guild Wars, the Beta Weekend Events and where to purchase the preorder box can be found at www.guildwars.com. ArenaNet and NCsoft plan to release Guild Wars at the conclusion of the beta period, which they anticipate will be in early 2005.

Guild Wars World Preview Event Starts Friday

Free global event offers sneak peek into the Guild Wars world

Bellevue,WASH., October 26, 2004 — This weekend game players around the globe will have free access to Guild Wars®, one of the world’s most anticipated online role-playing games, as ArenaNet® and NCsoft® kick off the Guild Wars World Preview Event.

The free World Preview Event, which begins Friday evening, Oct. 29 and ends Sunday evening, Oct. 31, will allow players to explore two new game regions, play in an expanded international tournament and engage in combat on new competitive battlefields. For the first time game players will be able to create new guilds and experience guild warfare in the vibrant online environments of Guild Wars. To participate in the World Preview Event players can simply visit www.guildwars.com and download the free game client, which is approximately 90KB.

“The World Preview Event offers a unique opportunity for players to experience Guild Wars,” Jeff Strain, Guild Wars producer and ArenaNet co-founder said. “Inviting players to participate in an event of this proportion before beta is ground-breaking and it gives us the opportunity to show fans the beauty and innovation of Guild Wars.”

In large head-to-head guild battles, cooperative group combat and single-player missions, players explore a fantasy world and test their skills against chosen rivals. While Guild Wars offers a vast online world and the opportunity to play with thousands of players worldwide, players will not be required to pay a subscription fee.

The Guild Wars beta period will begin with the first Beta Weekend Event November 6-8. These exclusive events will take place on the first weekend of each month and will be open only to players who purchase the Guild Wars preorder box or obtain access to single events through ArenaNet’s programs with leading game magazines and websites, iGames game centers or select retailers. Each Beta Weekend Event will feature new content and offer exciting new challenges in the Guild Wars world.

iGames, North America’s leading game center organization, will feature the Guild Wars World Preview Event in more than 125 game centers in Canada and the United States. Players who play Guild Wars in iGames game centers can compete for prizes from ATI and ArenaNet.

More information about Guild Wars, the October World Preview Event and Beta Weekend Events can be found at www.guildwars.com. ArenaNet and NCsoft plan to release Guild Wars in early 2005.

Guild Wars Pre-Order Box Ships Today

World Preview Event Kicks Off October 29

Bellevue,WASH., September 13, 2004 — ArenaNet^TM, creators of the highly anticipated online role-playing game Guild Wars^TM, and NCsoft, the world’s leading developer and publisher of online computer games, today announced that the Guild Wars pre-order box has been shipped to retail and online outlets nationwide.

Guild Wars, a competitive online role-playing game that rewards player skill, is the first title from ArenaNet, which was founded by key members of the creative teams behind the hit games Warcraft®, StarCraft® and Diablo®, and the creators of Battle.net®. In large head-to-head guild battles, cooperative group combat and single-player missions, players explore a fantasy world and test their skills against chosen rivals. Players must carefully select from among hundreds of skills to craft their personalized characters and prepare them for battle. Missions are not scripted adventures, but are open battlegrounds in which victory is determined by skill and teamwork. While Guild Wars offers a vast online world and the ability to play with thousands of players worldwide, players will not be required to pay a subscription fee.

The pre-order version of Guild Wars features the following:

Access to all Guild Wars events including the October World Preview Event and all Beta Weekend Events

One guest pass that allows a friend to join a Beta Weekend Event

One exclusive in-game item from among a variety of weapons, shields or magical items

A Prima Tournament Survival Guide offering character and team strategies

A Guild Wars poster

Pre-registration for character names and player accounts

Exclusive music tracks from award-winning composer Jeremy Soule

Concept artwork, screen shots, wallpapers and links to the Guild Wars fan community

During the World Preview Event October 29â€“31, players from around the world will be invited to play Guild Wars. This free event will allow gamers to explore two new game regions and to engage in combat on new competitive battlefields. In addition, they will experience the Guild Wars character progression system, engage in exciting cooperative quests furthering the Guild Wars story, and view the first public presentation of guild features. To participate in the event, players should visit www.guildwars.com or a Guild Wars fansite and download the free, 90K game client. The World Preview Event officially kicks off the game’s beta period.

Purchasing the pre-order box for Guild Wars guarantees participation in each exclusive Beta Weekend Event, scheduled for the first weekend of each month. The Beta Weekend Events will be open only to players who purchase the pre-order box or obtain exclusive access to single events through ArenaNet’s programs with leading game magazines or retailers. Each Beta Weekend Event will feature new content and offer exciting new challenges in the Guild Wars world.

“The World Preview Event and monthly Beta Weekend Events will give players unprecedented access to Guild Wars,” Jeff Strain, Guild Wars producer and ArenaNet co-founder said. “After four years of development we are ready to start the crucial beta period and invite players from around the globe to experience Guild Wars.”

More information about Guild Wars, the October World Preview Event and Beta Weekend Events can be found at www.guildwars.com. ArenaNet and NCsoft plan to release Guild Wars at the conclusion of the beta period, which they anticipate will be in early 2005.

Guild Wars World Preview Event Announced

Pre-order product to be available in stores in September; beta period starts in October

Bellevue, WASH., August 9, 2004 — ArenaNet^TM, creators of the highly anticipated online role-playing game Guild Wars^TM, and NCsoft® the world's leading developer and publisher of online computer games, today announced that they will host a World Preview Event October 29-31, officially kicking off the game's beta period. During the World Preview Event game players from around the world will be invited to play Guild Wars and enjoy exciting cooperative quests, challenging competitive play and robust guild support.

Guild Wars will be available for pre-order in September. Subsequent monthly beta events will allow gamers who purchased the pre-order product to return to play the Guild Wars beta during the first weekend of each month.

"Beta events are a unique way for players to get a taste of Guild Wars and participate in the crucial beta process," Jeff Strain, Guild Wars producer and ArenaNet co-founder said. "We welcome feedback from the millions of players invited to join the events and plan to incorporate their input as we polish, tune and balance the game."

The October World Preview Event is the second time players have been invited to play Guild Wars. The May 2004 E3 for Everyone event drew more than 200,000 players from more than a dozen countries who experienced Guild Wars first hand.

Guild Wars, a competitive online role-playing game that rewards player skill, is the first title from ArenaNet, which was founded by key members of the creative teams behind the hit games Warcraft®, StarCraft® and Diablo®, and the creators of Battle.net®. In large, head-to-head guild battles, cooperative group combat and single-player missions, players explore a fantasy world while pursuing professions and acquiring skills to develop their own personalized characters. Missions are not scripted adventures, but are open battlegrounds where victory is determined by skill and teamwork.

More information about the October World Preview Event and subsequent monthly beta events will be provided at http://www.guildwars.com.

NCsoft and ArenaNet's Guild Wars Receives Tremendous Gamer Response to its E3 for Everyone Event

Players Create More than 200,000 Accounts to Play the Five-Day E3 Demo

Seattle, WA, May 20, 2004 — The Guild Wars^TM E3 for Everyone event, held in conjunction with this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), received a massive response, according to NCsoft® and ArenaNet^TM. Gamers worldwide created more than 200,000 accounts to play the demo during its five-day run. The unprecedented experience allowed gamers at home to play the Guild Wars demo with and against people on the E3 show floor.

The scale of player response made the Guild Wars demo one of the five largest online games in North America and one of the ten largest online games in the world during the time that E3 for Everyone was taking place.

In opening the experience to the public, ArenaNet demonstrated two significant technologies for Guild Wars. The first was the stability of their servers, which supported tens of thousands of concurrent gamers without a hitch. The second was the fact that everyone had a chance to witness ArenaNet's streaming technology. On the final day of the show ArenaNet introduced a dramatic new in-game event as an example of how they will provide frequent content updates without patching and without charging a monthly fee.

"To have gamers react to Guild Wars in such numbers is simply phenomenal," noted co-founder Jeff Strain. "It confirms that our core product beliefs - offering a first class online game with no monthly fees, rewarding player skill more than time played, and focusing gameplay on activities players enjoy - truly give gamers what they want. The early demo has inspired such terrific feedback and suggestions that we can't wait until gamers experience the complete game we are building for them."

Looking forward, members of the ArenaNet development team confirm that Guild Wars is on track for release in the 2nd half of 2004 and that they are planning additional public Guild Wars events in the coming months.

More information about Guild Wars can be found at http://www.guildwars.com.

E3 for Everyone Announcement

NCsoft and ArenaNet announce that the Guild Wars E3 show experience will be open to all; gamers will be able to play online from home or from the show floor

SEATTLE, WA, April 19, 2004 — ArenaNet^TM, founded by the developers who helped create StarCraft®, Warcraft^TM, Diablo® and Battle.net^TM, and NCsoft®, the world's top developer and publisher of online computer games, are pleased to invite gamers worldwide to join the Guild Wars^TM E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) show floor experience. From May 12 through 14, while Guild Wars is being demonstrated on the E3 show floor, players from around the world will be able to join in the fun and play the game in real-time over the Internet.

This is a unique opportunity for gamers to play a sneak preview of Guild Wars months before it is released. Guild Wars is currently in the alpha development stage and typically gamers must wait until a game enters closed beta testing before a select number of people are allowed to play it. E3 for Everyone will also be the first time for many gamers to experience an E3 event, as this premier U.S. trade show is not open to the general public. While many games provide a controlled demonstration of gameplay on the E3 show floor, it is very rare for the public to have access to this game play experience in an open forum.

This one-time-only Guild Wars E3 experience will include solo player quests, cooperative missions that introduce the Guild Wars story, a competitive arena for multiplayer combat, and a competitive worldwide tournament that will run continuously, offering multiple levels and a variety of game types.

Distribution of the Guild Wars E3 client will begin in late April via magazine CD. At the beginning of May the client will be available via online download. Industry partnerships assisting with distribution of the E3 client include the gaming press, online gaming sites, and online retailers. The game's official website, www.guildwars.com, will offer additional download access. Once the client is available, ArenaNet encourages gamers to share the 64k zipped gaming client with their friends via e-mail.

"We feel very strongly that E3 is an exciting event for all gamers as the industry puts its very best games on display. We are very proud to go one step further and to open our E3 experience not just for those fortunate enough to attend the show, but to gamers world wide," stated Jeff Strain, co-founder of ArenaNet. "Because Guild Wars is a social game, we also wanted to enable gamers to play with their friends. We thought the best way to make this happen was simply to allow gamers to invite each other by emailing the client."

Guild Wars Key Features

Victory earned with skill, not hours played
- Whether battling against monsters to fulfill a quest, or working with guild mates to reach the highest levels of tournament play, Guild Wars rewards players more for gaming skills than for the number of hours played.
FREE online play that is safe and secure
- Enjoy your playing time, don't pay for it. Unlike other online role-playing games, Guild Wars charges no monthly fee to play on its secure Internet servers.
It's about always having fun
- With personally spawned missions for all adventures, Guild Wars focuses on what's fun in a role-playing game: constant action fighting monsters, playing with and against other players, and finding that next great item. Personal missions also remove the tedium usually associated with massively multiplayer games like excessive travel time, play-limiting death penalties, and spawn camping.

Guild Wars is expected to launch in the 2nd Half of 2004. Additional information about Guild Wars and the E3 event can be found at: www.guildwars.com.

Minimum System Requirements for the Guild Wars E3 Experience

Windows 98/ME/2000 XP
800 MHz Pentium 3 or equivalent
256 MB RAM
GeForce 2 class video card with 32MB RAM
250 MB hard drive space
Internet connection

NCSoft Unveils ArenaNet's Highly-Anticipated Competitive Role Playing Game, Guild Wars

SEOUL, South Korea/SEATTLE, WA, April 22, 2003 — NCsoft, the world's top developer of online computer games is pleased to announce Guild Wars^TM, a mission-based competitive online role playing game, produced by its Seattle-based ArenaNet studio. Guild Wars will have its first major public showing at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), May 14-16 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

In the fantasy world of Guild Wars, players can engage in cooperative group combat, in single player adventures, or in large head-to-head guild battles. Guild Wars is a game that will constantly evolve, using streaming technology to provide players with the latest updates while they're online. In addition, gamers will be able to play Guild Wars without a monthly fee in North America. NCsoft will announce a variety of pricing options for gamers in other parts of the world in the near future.

"We're excited to unveil Guild Wars," said Patrick Wyatt, the original producer and lead programmer for the Warcraft series. "We believe that players are going to enjoy experiencing a game that offers technological advances that fundamentally improve the online role-playing experience, and the introduction of a groundbreaking business model for the genre."

ArenaNet was founded by key members of the creative teams behind the hit game series Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo, as well as Battle.net, one of the most successful gaming networks in the world.

The game is mission-based, and while each combat experience will be different, achievements will be permanent, so that each character grows and progresses over time. Unique items, special abilities, and a wide variety of skills will add meaningful value for the players. Missions are not scripted adventures, but are tactical battlegrounds where victory or loss is determined by skill and teamwork.

Mike O'Brien, the creator and architect of Battle.net, points out "Our vision has been to create a game that rewards skill and inventiveness rather than hundreds of hours of play, so we've built Guild Wars from the ground up to be a balanced environment where players of all skill levels can compete for recognition and prizes."

Key Game Features

Join in cooperative quests or unite in head-to-head guild battles.
Develop a unique character who can explore multiple professions and choose from hundreds of unique skills.
Enjoy fully-integrated support for guilds, including worldwide tournaments and ladders, guildhalls, special character identification and forums directly built into the game.
Experience a changing world, where the entire landscape can be altered as you explore and conquer.
Play in a secure server-hosted game environment that prevents cheating; ArenaNet's technology allows quick and seamless resolution of exploits.

Guild Wars is expected to launch in the 2nd Half of 2004. Many additional details about Guild Wars may be found at the game site: www.guildwars.com.

NCsoft Acquires ArenaNet

SEOUL, South Korea - Dec. 11, 2002 — NCsoft^TM Corporation, the world's largest online game company, today announced the acquisition of ArenaNet, a Seattle-based game development studio with a creative pedigree that has connections to some of the most successful computer games ever developed. The announcement was made during the opening day of the Korea Amuse World Game Expo 2002 (KAMEX) taking place in Seoul, South Korea.

ArenaNet was established in 2000 by three key members of the Blizzard Entertainment Development team. The founders were involved in leadership roles in the creation of the Warcraft, StarCraft and Diablo game series, and were responsible for the creation of the Battle.net gaming network. ArenaNet's mission is to create a state-of-the-art, interactive game network and to design and publish premier multiplayer online games for dedicated game players.

"We are pleased to announce the newest member of our NCsoft family," said Tack Jin Kim, president and CEO of NCsoft Corp. "The people at ArenaNet have an established track record in this industry of creating some of the most innovative and successful game titles ever. We're very excited to bring this gifted and talented team to NCsoft. They will make an already strong online product lineup even stronger."

"We are excited to become part of NCsoft," said Patrick Wyatt, who co-founded ArenaNet with Mike O'Brien and Jeff Strain. "We are confident that our development strengths will greatly contribute to NCsoft's continuing worldwide leadership in the online game market."

Triforge Games Will Be New Venture For Senior Blizzard Programmers

Irvine, March 7, 2000 - Triforge, Inc. will be the next venture for Pat Wyatt, Mike O’Brien, and Jeff Strain, the three senior-level programmers who recently departed gaming giant Blizzard Entertainment. The Triforge team includes the creators of Battle.net, the world’s largest online gaming service, the developers of the network code for all of Blizzard’s best-selling Internet games, and the developers of Blizzard’s 3D rendering technology. Their new venture, Triforge, Inc., will focus exclusively on producing top-notch original titles that advance the state of the art of multiplayer Internet gaming.

Pat Wyatt was Blizzard’s Vice President of Research and Development, and was the current Team Lead and Lead Programmer of Battle.net. Mike O’Brien was the Team Lead and Lead Programmer of Warcraft III, and was the original creator and Lead Programmer of Battle.net. Jeff Strain was the Team Lead and Lead Programmer of Blizzard’s unannounced project, and was developing shared technology for Warcraft III. Since announcing their resignations on Monday, February 28, the three founders of Triforge have been working closely with Blizzard to train replacements.

“We have been absolutely overwhelmed by the incredible enthusiasm of our fans,” said Pat Wyatt. “The Triforge web site has received thousands of encouraging messages from all over the world during the past 24 hours, and we looking forward to continuing our strong relationship with our fans.”

“Over the last five years, the Triforge team has had a leading role in the creation of four of the world’s best-selling games,” said Mike O’Brien. “We are looking forward to working together in a small, highly creative environment to advance gaming to new levels. While we can’t discuss details, we feel sure that fans will be incredibly excited when we announce our new project.”

Triforge, Inc. (www.triforge.com) will be a developer of original multiplayer games, with offices located in the Seattle area. Triforge will build a team of dedicated and talented game developers, working together in an energetic, small company environment.

Blizzard Entertainment (www.blizzard.com) is a premier publisher of entertainment software. The company’s free Internet gaming service Battle.net reigns as the largest in the world with millions of unique users. Blizzard is part of Havas Interactive, a division of the French conglomerate Vivendi.