Ncsoft Dates 'Guild Wars' First Expansion Pack for Europe

Finally... NCsoft Europe and ArenaNet have announced that the pre-release bonus pack for Guild Wars: Eye of the North is set to hit retailers on July 20th (which is two days from now - Friday) and will include exclusive in-game items and access to the Guild Wars: Eye of the North Sneak Peek Weekend set for later this summer.

Not that we didn't know this by now, but just in case there are newcomers among us, Guild Wars: Eye of the North is the first expansion pack to the subscription-free fantasy MMORPG, launching on August 31, 2007. This expansion will provide new content accessible to players who have any of the previously released Guild Wars campaigns (Guild Wars, Guild Wars: Factions, or Guild Wars: Nightfall).

"We believe this feature-packed prerelease delivers real value to our players," said Mike O'Brien, co-founder of ArenaNet. "From past experience, we expect the Sneak Peek Weekend alone to be hugely popular, and players won't want to miss this chance to get a leg-up before the game goes live."

If you pre-order your Guild Wars: Eye of the North, you gain access to the Sneak Peek Weekend, August 24-26, 2007, where they will be able to log into the game for a first look at Eye of the North, with its Far Shiverpeaks, home of the barbaric Norn. Everything players obtain during the Sneak Peek Weekend - including items, XP, Heroes, and loot - will be permanent and available when the expansion goes live.

The bonus pack also comes with exclusive weapons, as today's official report says, including the Glacial Blade, the Hourglass Staff, and the Darksteel Longbow. These new weapons are based on the winning designs from the Guild Wars Design-a-Weapon Contest held earlier this year. In addition, the pre-release bonus pack includes a Guild Wars Trilogy Trial DVD.

Remember, the Guild Wars: Eye of the North pre-release bonus pack will be available from retailers in North America and Europe as well as at the NCsoft store at PlayNC.com and via the Official Guild Wars online store. The game launches on August 31, 2007.