Global Release Date For Guild Wars Factions

Friday 10 March 2006/... ArenaNet^®, developer of the award-winning online role-playing game Guild Wars^® and NCsoft^® Europe, the world's leading publisher of online computer games, announce today the release date of Guild Wars Factions^TM, the hotly anticipated follow-up to Guild Wars. Guild Wars Factions will be available in stores worldwide 28th April 2006.

European players will also have the opportunity to pick up the European Guild Wars Factions Collector's Edition, a special bonus edition that's jam-packed with goodies for Guild Wars fans, including an art book, exclusive in-game signature emotes for the Ritualist and Assassin professions, Jeremy Soule Guild Wars Factions soundtracks, Ritualist cloth picture, Factions desk calendar and mouse mat, among other bonuses.

Guild Wars Factions is the continuation of the epic online battle set forth in Guild Wars, the ground-breaking online role-playing game that took the gaming world by storm in 2005 with its fantastic design, depth of play, and no-subscription-fee model. Guild Wars Factions opens another gateway into the Guild Wars universe, allowing new players to join the community of more than one million gamers already playing Guild Wars and providing veterans with a new world of conflict, combat and thrilling adventure in the mysterious realm of Cantha. As the saga continues, the factions of the empire battle for the realm; players will be able to pledge their allegiance to one of these factions and by their actions determine who the winner will be. While Guild Wars Factions is a standalone product that does not require the Guild Wars to play, gamers with Guild Wars accounts who purchase Factions will be able to play in the both campaigns with their existing characters.

"Guild Wars Factions is an exceptional game that invites players to immerse themselves in a truly epic adventure unlike any they have seen," says Patrick Wyatt, a co-founder of ArenaNet. "The four new mission types create a unique experience that will engage both the role-playing and competitive gamer in cooperative conquest of territories and strategic battles. Set against the landscapes of the visually stunning, Asian-themed continent of Cantha, and with two new characters to choose from - Assassin and Ritualist - Guild Wars Factions will redefine the online RPG experience."

For gamers who can't wait until 28th April to get their hands on a copy of Guild Wars Factions, ArenaNet will be hosting a massive beta test event in which all existing Guild Wars players and their friends are invited to delve into the experiences awaiting them in Cantha.

For more information on Guild Wars Factions please point your browsers towards the official site - www.guildwars.com

About ArenaNet

ArenaNet^TM, located in Bellevue, Washington, is a wholly owned subsidiary of NCsoft and was founded by veterans of the industry. ArenaNet has built a state-of-the-art, interactive game network and is developing premier multiplayer online games for dedicated game players. More information about ArenaNet can be found at www.arena.net.

About NCsoft Europe

NCsoft Europe (NC-E) is headquartered in Brighton, England and is part of Korea-based NCsoft Corporation, the world's leading developer and publisher of online games. NCsoft has already successfully established itself in North America, Japan, Taiwan, China and Thailand. NC-E began operations on 1st September 2004 and serves as a central hub for all NCsoft sales, marketing and distribution operations in Europe, via its European distribution network. NC-E currently services Lineage^® II, City of Heroes^TM, City of Villains^TM, and Guild Wars^® in Europe, with Auto Assault and Guild Wars Factions on the horizon for spring 2006. More information about NCsoft Europe can be found at http://www.plaync.com.

NCsoft, the interlocking NC logo, Guild Wars, ArenaNet and all associated NCsoft logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.