World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will bring sweeping changes to the world of Azeroth. Players will be able to adventure as two new playable races, achieve new levels of power, take on challenging quests and dungeons in all-new zones, and experience dramatic changes to familiar aspects of the game in the wake of a world-shattering disaster.

In Cataclysm, players will witness the face of Azeroth being altered forever, as the corrupted Dragon Aspect Deathwing awakens from his subterranean slumber and erupts onto the surface, leaving ruin and destruction in his wake. As the Horde and Alliance race to the epicenter of the cataclysm, the kingdoms of Azeroth will witness seismic shifts in power, the kindling of a war of the elements, and the emergence of unlikely heroes who will rise up to protect their scarred and broken world from utter devastation.

Building on the foundation established in World of Warcraft and its first two expansions, Cataclysm will add a variety of new content and offer players the opportunity to rediscover Azeroth and experience the game from a whole new perspective.

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 the US, the launch event will take place at the Fry's Electronics located at 10800 Kalama River Avenue in Fountain Valley, Calif., starting at 9:00 p.m. PST on December 6. Gamers will enjoy an exciting evening of entertainment before the expansion goes on sale at midnight, including a dance contest showcasing players' favorite moves from the game and featuring great prizes for the winning competitors. There will also be an exclusive live performance by The Artist Formerly Known As Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain, Blizzard's in-house and in-game band. For further details on each of the global launch events, visit the official launch webpage. In addition to the official US 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 (suggested retail price $39.99) as well as the Collector’s Edition (suggested retail price $79.99), 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

Key Features:

• Two New Playable Races: Adventure as the cursed worgen with the Alliance or the resourceful goblins with the Horde.
• Increased Level Cap: Advance to level 85 and earn new abilities, tap into new talents, and progress through the path system, a new way for players to customize characters.
• Classic Zones Remade: Quest to level 60 as you never have before. Familiar zones across the original continents of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms have been reforged by the cataclysm and updated with new quests and content.
• Flying Mounts in Azeroth: Explore Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms from a whole new perspective.
• Guild Advancement: Progress as a guild to earn guild levels and guild achievements.
• New High-Level Content: Explore newly opened parts of the world, including Uldum, Grim Batol, and the great sunken city of Vashj'ir beneath the sea, and enjoy even more high-level raid content than in previous expansions.
• New PvP Zone & Rated Battlegrounds: Take on PvP objectives and daily quests on Tol Barad Island, a new Wintergrasp-like zone, and wage war in all-new rated Battlegrounds.
• Archaeology: Master a new secondary profession to unearth valuable artifacts and earn unique rewards.
• New Race and Class Combinations: Explore Azeroth as a gnome priest, blood elf warrior, or one of the other never-before-available race and class combinations

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will be available on DVD-ROM for Windows XP/Windows Vista/Windows 7 and Macintosh at a suggested retail price of €34.99 and will also be offered as a digital download from the Blizzard Store. The special Collector’s Edition packed with bonus items will be available exclusively in retail stores for a suggested retail price of €69.99.