LONDON, England – September 2, 2001 – During a press conference today at the European Computer Trade Show,
Blizzard Entertainment® unveiled World of Warcraft™, a massively multiplayer, online role-playing
game set in the rich fiction of Blizzards Warcraft universe. Featuring bold 3D graphics and deep, immersive gameplay,
World of Warcraft will allow thousands of players to adventure together in this epic world and will provide them with a
new, in-depth perspective on familiar lands, former battlefields, and heroes from the legendary universe.
In addition, World of Warcraft will introduce new, uncharted territories and foes never before seen by followers
of the series.

World of Warcraft takes place four years following the aftermath of Warcraft III: Reign of Chaosâ„¢, where a great
tension has settled over the ravaged world of Azeroth. As the various races begin to rebuild their shattered
kingdoms, new threats, both ancient and terrifying, have arisen to plague the world once again. Players
must explore the lands of Azeroth, forge fellowships with other players, and build their strength in order to prevail.

“World of Warcraft is our largest undertaking to date,” stated Mike Morhaime, Blizzard Entertainment president
and co-founder. “We are extremely focused on increasing the scope of the Warcraft universe, giving gamers an
incredibly dynamic online gaming experience complete with endless possibilities.”

An action-packed combat system delivers fast, furious combat against multiple opponents, while minimizing
delays between battles to keep players on the move. A rich, evolving story and questing system will keep
players engrossed as the world is regularly updated with new content.

Fully customizable character classes, innovative races, and thousands of weapons allow for a truly diverse gameplay
experience that will appeal to both hard-core and novice gamers alike. A simple, intuitive user interface will
allow players of various skill levels to easily join the adventure. World of Warcraft also features support for
advanced graphics hardware, giving the player superlative graphical enhancements, as well as a sophisticated,
massively multiplayer network architecture capable of supporting thousands of players in a world simultaneously.

Since its debut in 1994, the number-one selling
Warcraft series has won industry acclaim and has shattered sales
records worldwide with nearly 5 million copies sold*. In 1996, Blizzard followed the well-received
Warcraft: Orcs and Humansâ„¢ with the critically acclaimed
Warcraft II: Tides of Darknessâ„¢, which won multiple Game
of the Year awards and is still considered by many critics to be one of the best games ever made.
Warcraft III: Reign of Chaosâ„¢; will continue the legendary saga in 2002.

Best known for blockbuster hits including the Warcraft® series,
StarCraft® and
Diablo™ series, Blizzard Entertainment®
(www.blizzard.com), (a division of Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing)
is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating many of the industrys most
critically acclaimed games. Blizzards track record includes four consecutive number-one selling games and multiple
Game of the Year awards. The companys free Internet gaming service Battle.net® reigns as the largest in the world
with millions of active users.

*Based on units shipped