Highly anticipated third expansion to the critically acclaimed massively multiplayer online role-playing game launches around the world this week.

PARIS, France. – December 7, 2010 – Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced that World of Warcraft®: Cataclysm™, the highly anticipated third expansion for the world’s most popular subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game, is now on sale in stores throughout North America, Europe, Argentina, Chile, Russia, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, and will be available beginning December 9 in Korea and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.

The expansion can now be purchased at retail stores on DVD-ROM for Windows ® XP/Windows Vista ®/Windows ® 7 and Macintosh ®. A special Collector’s Edition packed with bonus items is also available exclusively from retailers. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is also offered as a digital download through Battle.net® account management (https://eu.battle.net/account/management).

“Cataclysm adds an incredible amount of new content for players to explore, revitalizing the game world and building on everything we’ve learned since World of Warcraft launched over six years ago,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We thank all of our beta testers for helping make this our best expansion yet, and we’re looking forward to seeing everyone in the new Azeroth.”

In World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, the corrupted Dragon Aspect Deathwing has returned, and the world has been reshaped by the devastation left in his wake. In an effort to survive the planet-shattering cataclysm, two new playable races – worgen and goblins – join the struggle between the Alliance and the Horde. Players can now begin their journey to the new level cap of 85, 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.