WoW Mists of Pandaria Expansion Arriving in September

Blizzard announced on Wednesday that the fourth expansion pack for World of Warcraft, Mists of Pandaria, will go on sale starting September 25, 2012. It will be offered in DVD format for Windows XP/Windows Vista/Windows 7 and Macintosh, and in digital form directly from Blizzard's World of Warcraft website, both priced at $39.99 USD.

"Mists of Pandaria offers a wide variety of content for new and returning World of Warcraft players," Blizzard said. "Features include a new playable race (the pandaren) with its own starting zone and quests, a new character class (the monk), and an expansive new continent for players to explore as they adventure to the new level cap of 90. The expansion also includes a host of new gameplay elements designed to give players even more ways to enjoy the game, including scenarios -- a flexible new kind of cooperative PvE trial; challenge modes, which offer high-prestige rewards for mastering Mists of Pandaria's 5-player dungeons; and an all-new pet battle system."

A special Collector's Edition packed with bonus items will be available exclusively in retail stores for a suggested retail price of $79.99 USD. It will include the following:

* Behind-the-Scenes DVD and Blu-Ray: Learn about the creation of Pandaria with this two-disc set featuring over an hour of commentary, insider interviews, and developer roundtables.
* Collector's Edition Soundtrack CD: Experience 20 orchestral pieces from Mists of Pandaria.
* The Art of Mists of Pandaria Book: Explore this 208-page hardcover tome featuring never-before-seen pieces from the expansion, from early concepts to final 3D renderings.
* Chen Stormstout Mouse Pad: Equip your desk with this special-edition mouse pad featuring the legendary pandaren brewmaster.
* In-game content from the Digital Deluxe version.

The Digital Deluxe version of Mists of Pandaria will cost $59.99 USD and include a full digital copy of the expansion along with the following exclusive in-game bonus items:

* World of Warcraft In-Game Mount: Take to the skies of Azeroth astride the mystical Imperial Quilen flying mount.
* World of Warcraft In-Game Pet: Journey across Pandaria with the Lucky Quilen Cub at your side.
* StarCraft 2 Battle.net Portraits: Bring the Horde and Alliance rivalry to the far reaches of the Koprulu sector with exclusive Infested Orc and Night Elf Templar Battle.net portraits.
* Diablo 3 Banner Sigil and Accent: Display your status as a hero of Pandaria with the iconic markings of World of Warcraft's newest playable race, the pandaren.

Players who purchase the standard edition digitally or at retail will have the option to upgrade to the Digital Deluxe version at any time (for as long as the standalone Digital Deluxe version remains available) for an additional $20 USD.

Blizzard also announced that pre-sales for the standard digital and Digital Deluxe versions of Mists of Pandaria are now live. The expansion content will automatically be digitally delivered to pre-purchasers via World of Warcraft's streaming launcher prior to the expansion's release. Players who would like to pre-order the standard box or the retail-exclusive Collector's Edition can do so by visiting their local retailer now.

Mists of Pandaria has received a Teen rating from the ESRB.

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killerchickens 5 years ago

Wow another Kung Fu Panda video game just what I wanted!
d_kuhn 5 years ago

Ever since I first saw the idea last year all I've thought is "Panda's.... for real?". I suppose a game that lets you play imaginary species like orc's and elves isn't going too far out on a limb with panda's... but it's CLEARLY not a move intended to keep western players but rather court eastern markets.
killerchickens 5 years ago

stopthe_bombStop hating on the game... its a great way to play in big groups of people and have lots of fun... Just because you don't like it doesn't mean everyone else shouldn't play it. If you don't think its worth the money, fine, don't load the page and don't post about it.

Wow is a very cheap hobby for how many hours of entertainment most people get out of it. I don't like it but thats besides the point.

Other Comments

nebun 5 years ago

milk that shiiiiit....milk it good...people still play this game?
nebun 5 years ago

people still play this crap....milk it good
stopthe_bomb 5 years ago

Stop hating on the game... its a great way to play in big groups of people and have lots of fun... Just because you don't like it doesn't mean everyone else shouldn't play it. If you don't think its worth the money, fine, don't load the page and don't post about it.
d_kuhn 5 years ago

Ever since I first saw the idea last year all I've thought is "Panda's.... for real?". I suppose a game that lets you play imaginary species like orc's and elves isn't going too far out on a limb with panda's... but it's CLEARLY not a move intended to keep western players but rather court eastern markets.
killerchickens 5 years ago

Wow another Kung Fu Panda video game just what I wanted!
killerchickens 5 years ago

stopthe_bombStop hating on the game... its a great way to play in big groups of people and have lots of fun... Just because you don't like it doesn't mean everyone else shouldn't play it. If you don't think its worth the money, fine, don't load the page and don't post about it.

Wow is a very cheap hobby for how many hours of entertainment most people get out of it. I don't like it but thats besides the point.
Tomes 5 years ago

Benn playing 'this crap' now for more than 5yrs and have played on MoP beta. I have to admit. though I will buy the new expac. I'm more excited by GW2 right now >.
southernshark 5 years ago

If only I could play a Koala Bear. That would make me go back to the game. But a panda is all fail.

If you are going to let people play Panda's at least include female pandas with huge ****.
clivene09 5 years ago

Played the beta. This expansion will hasten the erosion of subs. I hated the talents changes in Cata, and they dumbed them down to the point where they are basically gone. They won't be happy till the only choice you have is Elmo or Big Bird.
bebangs 5 years ago

boycott... nerd rage...
memadmax 5 years ago

Haven't played for a while now. Played for 3 years straight until Cata came along. It was because it was too similar to LK that did it in for me: Grind quests as fast as you can till you reach a certain level, then grind dungeons as fast as you can till you reach level cap, then hopefully ur in a active raiding guild and grind away raids for ONLY ONE DAY A FRICKIN WEEK. Then, when the one raiding day is over(because nobody wants to raid for more than one day, unless ur in a hardcore guild), you work on alts, Rinse and repeat....
LK, and Cata have this same formula, and if MoP doesn't break this, then... well...
a_tay81 5 years ago

I don't play WoW so the news doesn't matter to me. But sadly it does mean HotS will be pushed into 2013 as their financial reports say only 2 games are releasing this year (D3 being the other of course.)

I swear 2.5 years for an expansion is flat out embarrassing for any game or company no matter how good it is, let alone the fact that it's gonna have
witcherx 5 years ago

zzzzzzzzzz
oxiide 5 years ago

d_kuhnbut it's CLEARLY not a move intended to keep western players but rather court eastern markets.

I think that's a little too cynical, simplistic and perhaps even a little insulting to the Chinese.

The Pandaren have been around in Warcraft lore for years, though I personally wish they had just stayed an easter-egg in Warcraft III. This whole expansion just seems like a light-hearted joke to me, which would be more amusing if WoW players weren't stuck with it for the next year or three.
Anonymous 5 years ago

people play wow

lol
wildkitten 5 years ago

oxiideI think that's a little too cynical, simplistic and perhaps even a little insulting to the Chinese.The Pandaren have been around in Warcraft lore for years, though I personally wish they had just stayed an easter-egg in Warcraft III. This whole expansion just seems like a light-hearted joke to me, which would be more amusing if WoW players weren't stuck with it for the next year or three.

It didn't start off as an easter egg in WC3. samwise first drew a panda character for his daughter. Other Blizzard employees thought it was a funny drawing and as an April Fool's Day joke in 2003 "introduced" the pandarens as the "5th race". The joke was one of their best and they stuck a couple of them into the expansion as a humorous thing.

They also used them later on as another April Fool's Day joke after WoW's launch for Panderan Xpress.

It just seems very odd with all the Warcraft lore not seen yet in WoW, they choose to put in an April Fool's Day joke. It does seem to be playing to the Chinese market which has traditionally been where a full third of WoW subscribers have been, but have been losing quite rapidly the past couple of years.

Considering as well all the content that was cut from Wrath, and especially in Cataclysm, this emphasis on panderans and mini pet battles makes it seem as if they have given up showing actual Warcraft lore inside the game. They had been showing it in the comics, but those were cancelled because sales got so bad. And what parts of the Warcraft story they are showing makes no sense. In Cataclysm they were going to get the war between the Alliance and the Horde going again with Southshore's destruction. Because of the lack of content done, this never really got off the ground. Now they are trying again by destroying another Alliance city, Theramore, to get it going again.

The problem is, lore wise this makes no sense. Theramore is a heavily fortified city, the Alliance would go all out in it's defense. Not to mention, Theramore's leader, Jaina Proudmoore, actually fought her own father for the sake of peace. Why would Thrall not come to Jaina's aide based on what she did for him? While Thrall has always been Metzen's favorite character, he has always written him as making poor decisions which makes the fact that he's always written as the hero just laughable.

I have a feeling that this expansion will be know better as, World of Warcraft: Jumping The Shark.
dormantreign 5 years ago

This is sad, though i know its being milked.....and i don't want to play it.....i know ill end up buying and playing it.....its like c.r.a.ck
MasterMace 5 years ago

Dead game is dead.
rantoc 5 years ago

So Blizzard seem to think 9 months with the same 8 bosses over and over and over is fun, Ty blizzard for being so "entertaining" for the around 100 mil$ you get each month. (112,5 million dollar per boss in the end, greedy bastards!)
oxiide 5 years ago

wildkittenIt didn't start off as an easter egg in WC3.

http://i.imgur.com/k3geS.jpg
Check out the symbol on the Demon Hunter's warglaive. I don't know where it actually "started," but I know its at least that old. I couldn't even use that hero, because I found that so distracting after someone showed me.

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