Blizzard Entertainment to celebrate with players at multiple stores around the world on the eve of new expansion's December 7 launch

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Blizzard Entertainment today announced several official launch events to celebrate the upcoming release of World of Warcraft^®: Cataclysm^™, the highly anticipated third expansion for the world's most popular subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game. Starting on the night of December 6, key retail partners in the US, Canada, France, Germany, Russia, Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK, and the region of Taiwan will welcome gamers who want to be among the first to purchase and play Cataclysm. Members of the World of Warcraft development team will be on hand at each of the events to meet with players and sign their copies of the expansion.

In Canada, the launch event will take place at the EBGames/GameStop located at 425 Queen Street West in Toronto, Ontario, starting at 10:00 p.m. EST on December 6. Before the expansion goes on sale at midnight, gamers will enjoy a dance contest showcasing players' favorite moves from the game and featuring great prizes for the winning competitors. For further details on each of the global launch events, visit www.blizzard.com/company/events/. In addition to the official Canadian launch event, other retail locations around the country will open at midnight to support gamers looking to pick up their copy of the expansion the moment it goes live. Please check with your local retailers for further details.

"After two years of development, we're excited to now be just two weeks away from releasing our best World of Warcraft expansion yet," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "Cataclysm will add a huge amount of new content to the game and change the face of Azeroth forever, and we can't wait to celebrate this launch with players around the world."

Attendees at the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm launch events will have the opportunity to purchase the standard edition of the expansion as well as the Collector's Edition, which contains the following bonus items in addition to the game disc:

• An exclusive World of Warcraft: Cataclysm behind-the-scenes DVD including over an hour of developer interviews and commentaries
• The World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Collector's Edition soundtrack CD
• The Art of Cataclysm, a 176-page hardback book featuring never-before-seen artwork from the development process
• Starter pack and exclusive cards for the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game
• Exclusive in-game pet, Lil' Deathwing
• A special-edition World of Warcraft: Cataclysm mouse pad

The first two World of Warcraft expansions, The Burning Crusade^® and Wrath of the Lich King^®, each shattered PC-game sales records upon their release.^* In Cataclysm, the face of Azeroth will be forever altered by the return of the corrupted Dragon Aspect Deathwing. Players will explore once-familiar areas of the world that have now been reshaped by the devastation and filled with new adventures. In an effort to survive the planet-shattering cataclysm, two new playable races -- worgen and goblins -- will join the struggle between the Alliance and the Horde. As players journey to the new level cap of 85, they'll discover newly revealed locations, acquire new levels of power, and come face to face with Deathwing in a battle to determine the fate of the world.

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

For press inquiries, please contact Rob Hilburger in Blizzard Entertainment public relations at rhilburger@blizzard.com or (949) 955-1380 Ext. 13228.

* Based on internal company records, public data, and reports from key distribution partners.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

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

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Blizzard Entertainment's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Blizzard Entertainment generally uses words such as "outlook," "will," "could," "would," "might," "remains," "to be," "plans," "believes," "may," "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "estimate," "future," "plan," "positioned," "potential," "project," "remain," "scheduled," "set to," "subject to," "upcoming" and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales levels of Blizzard Entertainment's titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the impact of the current macroeconomic environment, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Blizzard Entertainment's products, competition from the used game market, industry competition and competition from other forms of entertainment, rapid changes in technology, industry standards and consumer preferences, including interest in specific genres such as real-time strategy, action—role-playing and massively multiplayer online games, protection of proprietary rights, litigation against Blizzard Entertainment, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, licensees, licensors, vendors and third-party developers, including the ability to attract, retain and develop key personnel and developers who can create high quality "hit" titles, counterparty risks relating to customers, licensees, licensors and manufacturers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates and tax rates, and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities, and the other factors identified in the risk factors section of Activision Blizzard's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

Blizzard Entertainment
Rob Hilburger, 949-955-1380 Ext. 13228
rhilburger@blizzard.com

Source: Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

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