Hero vs hero! Power vs power! City of Heroes Issue #4 revealed

Player vs player battles, and millions of new costume combinations

Monday 11 April 2005/... NCsoftTM Europe can today confirm the exciting list of new features incorporated in the fourth update to the multi-award-winning City of HeroesTM, from Cryptic StudiosTM. As a completely free content download for existing City of Heroes players, Issue #4: Colosseum will go live in May, while the opportunity to beta test the new content in the European Training Room goes live this week.

The latest update to NCsoft's action-packed heroic MMO will add even more options to the most detailed character creation process in MMOs. As well as the brand new, Asian-inspired outfits and accessories, Issue #4 lets players customise various different physical attributes that weren't user-definable before – from waist size to muscle density, facial structure to chest diameter.

Mouse controls have also been implemented for the game, allowing movement around the city with just a few clicks. Supergroups will also be able to communicate more easily using Coalition Chat.

The highlight of Issue #4, however, will be the new player vs player Arenas. Scattered throughout the city, these gigantic training grounds will allow consenting players and Supergroups to face off in a variety of match types. Weight class divisions will ensure that players of all levels have the opportunity to take part, and a PvP ranking system will grant prestigious badges to the skilful.

In addition to the new content, NCsoft is realigning the retail pricing structure across Europe to bring it line with the model used in the USA.

"City of Heroes is now more than twice as large as the original release," says Stephen Reid, Content and Community Manager, NCsoft Europe. "With the addition of Arenas, a whole new dimension of gameplay has been added; if you thought Paragon City's villains were tough, try fighting another hero. With the price realignment also confirmed to give European players even more value for money, there has never been a better time to save Paragon City."

More information on City of Heroes, comprehensive explanation of the features found in Issue #4, as well as instructions on how existing players can access the EU Training Room to help beta test Issue #4, can be found at the official European web site:
http://eu.cityofheroes.com/