Lead the charge against the fiercest orc clans from Warcraft^® lore

Join your friends on the front lines with an instant level-90 character upgrade

ANAHEIM, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The heroes of Azeroth are on the verge of a war that will reforge the fate of two worlds. Announced today at BlizzCon^® 2013, World of Warcraft^®: Warlords of Draenor™, the fifth expansion to Blizzard Entertainment's acclaimed massively multiplayer online role-playing game, sends players to the world of Draenor at a pivotal moment in history to fight against and alongside legends from Warcraft's brutal past.

Across Draenor's savage jungles and battle-scarred plains, Azeroth's heroes will engage in a mythic conflict involving mystical draenei champions and mighty orc clans, and cross axes with the likes of Grommash Hellscream, Blackhand, and Ner'zhul at the height of their primal power. Players will need to scour this unwelcoming land in search of allies to help build a desperate defense against the old Horde's formidable engine of conquest—or else watch their own world's bloody, war-torn history repeat itself.

"Warlords of Draenor gives players a chance to take a commanding role in one of the Warcraft series' most crucial conflicts," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "This expansion also includes features that make it easy for anyone to jump right into the action, whether they've played WoW at some point in the past or are just setting foot in Azeroth for the first time."

To help new and returning players answer the call to arms on Draenor, the expansion will enable anyone to instantly boost one character to level 90, including a newly created character, quickly getting them up to speed and ready to enjoy the latest content with their friends.

To establish a foothold on Draenor once they've arrived, the displaced champions of the Horde and Alliance will be able to construct their own Garrison, an expandable, customizable stronghold that will serve as each player's personal base of operations throughout the course of the expansion. As the Garrison grows, players will be able to recruit NPC allies and followers to take up residence, gathering resources and embarking on missions on the player's orders.

Warlords of Draenor will also introduce fully revamped player character models and animations for many of World of Warcraft's existing playable races, bringing the orcs, humans, and several other longtime residents of Azeroth up to the visual standards of newer races while still maintaining their iconic style and identity.

Along with these new features, World of Warcraft players will enjoy a wide array of new content on their way to the new level cap of 100, including new Zones, Dungeons, Raids, Scenarios, Battlegrounds, and more. Warlords of Draenor will also introduce questing improvements designed to encourage exploration and add unpredictability to players' ongoing adventures.

BlizzCon 2013 attendees are able to play World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor on the show floor, and BlizzCon Virtual Ticket buyers can learn more about the expansion online by watching panels taking place during the event. Further details about Warlords of Draenor will be announced as development continues. For more information, visit the expansion's official website at www.worldofwarcraft.com/warlords.

With multiple games in development, Blizzard Entertainment has numerous positions currently available—visit http://jobs.blizzard.com for more information and to learn how to apply.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft^® and the Warcraft^®, StarCraft^®, and Diablo^® franchises, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry's most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment's track record includes sixteen #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.

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

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Blizzard Entertainment's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20131108005131/en/

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Rob Hilburger
VP, Global Public Relations
949-242-8404 dir
rhilburger@blizzard.com
or
Emil Rodriguez
Director, Global PR
949-955-1380 x12064
elrodriguez@blizzard.com

Source: Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

News Provided by Acquire Media