BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT® SHOWCASES NEW WORLD OF WARCRAFT® PLAYER-VS.-PLAYER CONTENT AT E3

Hands-on Demonstration Reveals First Look at New Multiplayer Modes, Characters, and Vehicles

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - May 18, 2005 - Today at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Blizzard Entertainment® showcased the highly anticipated player-vs.-player (PvP) Battlegrounds, the latest addition to its subscription-based massively multiplayer online game, World of Warcraft®. Featuring distinctly different map designs and game objectives, the first two PvP Battlegrounds will provide both veteran and casual World of Warcraft players with an entirely new level of competitive gameplay. "The war between the Horde and the Alliance has always been a core component of the Warcraft® universe, so we're excited that players can now take part in this conflict on an epic scale." said Mike Morhaime, president of Blizzard Entertainment, "We're eager to hear what players think of all the new PvP content, and we're looking forward to adding even more in the months ahead." The two Battlegrounds shown at E3 were Alterac Valley and Warsong Gulch. Alterac Valley is a hotly contested zone where up to 80 players can battle against each other for complete domination, earning honor points and rewards along the way. World of Warcraft's Honor Point System provides players with a unique means of character progression whereby they can attain higher ranks, along with prestigious weapons, armor, and mounts, as they earn honor for their faction. In Warsong Gulch, a specially designed capture-the-flag Battleground, up to 20 players can engage in quick battles, usually resolved in fewer than 30 minutes. Also providing players with a means to earn honor points and special rewards, these battles pack exciting action and PvP gameplay into a visually stunning mini-zone.

Key Battlegrounds features:

• Two Battlegrounds are now available for play: Alterac Valley and Warsong Gulch.
  
• The Alterac Valley Battleground allows players to participate in epic 40-on-40 battles, with the two sides vying to capture key strategic posts such as graveyards and towers en route to destroying each other's bases for complete and total victory.
  
• Warsong Gulch is a more casual, quicker 10-on-10 Battleground that features capture-the-flag gameplay. Small groups sneak into each other's camp to steal the flag and return to base for bonus honor points.
  
• Multiple instances of each Battleground will spawn, so thousands of players can participate with minimal wait times.

Key Honor System features:

• Players earn honor points for battling and defeating enemy players of similar level.
  
• Honor points accumulate to provide players with a PvP rank, which allows the purchase of new rewards and items unavailable in the rest of the game.
  
• PvP ranking system provides enormous character-growth opportunities, giving high-level players a new avenue for character advancement.
  
• PvP rewards are more powerful and visually stunning than all but the highest-level raid items and bestow numerous in-game benefits to players.

Blizzard plans to further enrich World of Warcraft's PvP experience in future updates, with additional Battlegrounds scheduled for release throughout the year.