Wrath of the Lich King Collector’s Edition Announced, Includes Soundtrack

That’s right, Blizzard has tacked a release date onto their sure-to-be-successful World of Warcraft expansion: November 13, 2008.  In the same announcement, Blizzard also reveals what will be included with the Collector’s Edition, which we’re happy to see includes an official soundtrack featuring 21 “epic tracks” from the game along with some extra bonus tracks.  Also included is a massive art book, an in-game pet, a “behind-the-scenes” DVD, a mouse pad, and even some exclusive trading cards.

If any of you played the beta, you know that the music is extremely minimalstic and even unsettling at times.  I’m really looking forward to hearing the mastered versions on the official soundtrack, and even more curious about these extra bonus tracks.

Have you heard any of the music from Wrath of the Lich King?  What do you think of the awesome, 8-minute long main theme that mixes bits from the original WoW in with new material?

Check out the official press release after the jump.

WORLD OF WARCRAFT®: WRATH OF THE LICH KING™ IN STORES STARTING NOVEMBER 13, 2008

The second expansion to Blizzard Entertainment®’s massively multiplayer online role-playing game will be available in standard and special collector’s editions

IRVINE, Calif. – September 15, 2008 – Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. announced today that World of Warcraft®: Wrath of the Lich King™, the second expansion for its award-winning subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), will arrive in stores on November 13 in North America, Europe, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Russia, and November 14 in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. The expansion will be available in Korea and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau on November 18. Details regarding the launch of Wrath of the Lich King in mainland China will be announced at a later date.

“We’re looking forward to launching Wrath of the Lich King and finally giving World of Warcraft players a chance to take on Arthas and his minions,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “Until then, we’ll continue to refine and playtest the expansion content to make sure it provides a highly polished and entertaining experience.”

World of Warcraft®: Wrath of the Lich King™ sends players to the cold, forbidding continent of Northrend, where the fearsome Lich King Arthas Menethil, last seen in Warcraft® III: The Frozen Throne®, works from his secluded citadel to bring all of Azeroth under his twisted dominion. Players will battle the Lich King’s undead army from the shores of Howling Fjord and Borean Tundra to the seat of his unholy power in Icecrown Glacier. In addition, players will be able to advance characters to level 80 and gain powerful new abilities while exploring several new zones and dungeons. The expansion also introduces a number of exciting new features, including an achievement system, expanded player-vs.-player combat options such as siege weapons and destructible buildings, and the game’s first Hero class — the necromantic death knight.

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King will be available on DVD-ROM for Windows® XP/Windows Vista® and Machintosh® in two packages: a standard edition, which will sell for a suggested retail price of $39.99, and a special Collector’s Edition (in select regions) priced at $69.99. The limited Collector’s Edition package will contain:

· The Art of World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, a 208-page book featuring never-before-seen images from the game.

· An exclusive in-game pet: Frosty, the baby frost wyrm.

· A behind-the-scenes DVD containing over an hour of developer interviews, the Wrath of the Lich King intro cinematic with director’s commentary, and more.

· The official soundtrack CD, containing 21 epic tracks from the game, along with exclusive bonus tracks.

· A mouse pad featuring a map of the newly opened continent of Northrend.

· Two World of Warcraft Trading Card Game March of the Legion™ starter decks, along with two exclusive cards available only in the Collector’s Edition.

The Wrath of the Lich King expansion requires the original World of Warcraft game, available now for a suggested retail price of $19.99, along with World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade®, which sells for $29.99. These two products are combined in the World of Warcraft Battle Chest®, are available for $39.99. World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King has received a Teen rating from the ESRB.

Since launching in November 2004, World of Warcraft has become the world’s most popular MMORPG, with more than 10.9 million subscribers. The game’s first expansion, The Burning Crusade, broke PC-game sales records in North America and Europe by selling nearly 2.4 million copies in its first 24 hours of availability and approximately 3.5 million copies in its first month.

For more information on World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, visit the official website at www.worldofwarcraft.com/wrath. With multiple games in development, Blizzard Entertainment has numerous positions currently available. Visit www.blizzard.com/jobs 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® series, 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 ten #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 users.