Taking place at Tokyo Game Show this October, the Metal Gear Online World Championship 2008 is open to the best players in North America, Europe, Japan and Greater Asia. The top teams from Regional Championships in all four territories will receive all expenses paid trips to the MGOWC08 Finals in Tokyo, Japan. To kick off the event Konami will be hosting an exhibition tournament at this year's ComiCon in San Diego, CA. Gamers attending ComiCon can register to enter this exhibition and compete for prizes. More details on the North American Regionals will be announced at a later date.

Metal Gear Online is the ultimate squad based, tactical shooter based on the Metal Gear Solid Universe. Players can immerse themselves in this next-gen multiplayer experience with various maps, game play type and weapons to choose from. Create your own character or take on the role of your favorite Metal Gear Solid character. Players will need a retail copy of Metal Gear Solid®4: Guns of the Patriots to play Metal Gear Online.

The Metal Gear Online World Championship 2008 is now open for registration and play, for the North American Qualifier tournament. The top two teams from the North American Qualifier will participate in the Metal Gear Online World Championship 2008 finals in Tokyo, Japan at the Tokyo Game Show, along with an $8,000 cash prize pool, and other prizes. Please go to GameBattles.com/Konami to register for the Metal Gear Online World Championship 2008, but hurry, the North American Qualifier will conclude on September 8, 2008.

Taking place at Tokyo Game Show this October, the Metal Gear Online World Championship 2008 pits the best teams from around the world against each other for the chance to win worldwide recognition at one of the videogame industry's most prestigious events.

The Metal Gear Online World Championship 2008 will consist of the best players in North America, Europe, Japan, and Korea/Greater Asia. The top teams from the regional qualifiers in the territories will win trips to the Metal Gear Online World Championship 2008 finals at the Tokyo Game Show.

Additionally, Konami announced the first Metal Gear Online expansion packs - Gene Expansion and Gene Expansion Plus -- were available for download beginning July 17. Available for $11.99, Gene Expansion will contain a vast amount of new content including new maps, special characters, reward points, online shopping, the ability to play as a female character, and more. Available for $14.99, Gene Expansion Plus includes everything in the Gene Expansion pack with the addition of an extra character slot.

Please find below further details on the new content in the expansion packs:

• 3 New Maps
  • Coppertown Conflict -- Wide streets, underground passages, and rooftop areas that are ideal for close to medium range combat.
  • Tomb of Tubes -- An intricate labyrinth of underground passages that are ideal for close to medium range combat.
  • Virtuos Vista -- An outdoor map with natural terrain that is ideal for medium to long range combat.
• 2 new special characters
  • Meryl Silverburgh - Excels with the handgun skill as she raises the spirits of teammates nearby to help them recover Psyche and helps unconscious teammates recover more quickly. Additionally, the position of enemies she fires on and enemies that target her will be visually shared with other teammates through the SOP system.
  • Johnny (Akiba) - An expert at disarming traps, he has the ability to see all traps on his screen and disarm all of them with a press of a button and turn them into items.
• Survival Mode
  • Organize your own team and play a series of matches to win Reward points.
• Female Character - For the first time, you can now also play as a customizable female character.