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Warhammer Online release date and subscription costs announced

1:39 PM on 08.06.2008, Justin Villasenor 26 comments

Warhammer Online release date and subscription costs announced photo
     Releases

Last month we brought you word that EA had Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning listed for a September 23 release date. We’ve just gotten the official announcement from Mythic Entertainment, and it looks like the actual date will be five days earlier than expected: on September 18.

Along with the release date Mythic also let us know how much Warhammer’s subscription costs would run, which are pretty standard as far as MMO pricing goes.

  • Monthly Subscription: $14.99 USD
  • 3-Month Subscription: $41.97 ($13.99 per month)
  • 6-Month Subscription: $77.94 ($12.99 per month)

Also, if you go ahead and preorder the game (from these select retailers) you’ll get a few extra bonuses. Firstly, you’ll gain admittance to the open beta, which confuses me as a selling point, seeing as how if it’s an open beta then everyone should be able to get in regardless. Along with the “open” beta admittance, preorderers will be able to start the playing the game a few days before the official launch, and will have two bonus item to equip their head-start characters with. It also comes with a Warhammer collectable card deck for you to, uh, collect.

Do these extras provide enough motivation for you to get up (or turn on your computer) and go preorder Warhammer Online?

FAIRFAX, Va. - August 5, 2008 - Hot on the heels of spectacular showings at E3 and Comic-Con, Mythic Entertainment, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) studio, today announced that fans will be able to enter the gritty fantasy world of Warhammer® Online: Age of Reckoning™ (WAR) on September 18th, 2008 when the highly-anticipated MMORPG goes live. After three years in development by Virginia-based Mythic Entertainment, WAR will open its North American, European and Oceanic servers and offer players a variety of flexible subscription options. Gamers who pre-order WAR in North American will enjoy special benefits including open beta admission, a live game head start, and bonus in-game items.

Based on Games Workshop's epic and longstanding tabletop fantasy war game, WAR is a unique MMORPG that features revolutionary Realm vs. Realm™ (RvR) gameplay that will immerse players in a world of perpetual conflict for years to come. WAR has been recognized for its unique play style that appeals to novice MMO players while offering incredible depth for more seasoned players.

Consumer demand for WAR is mounting with all units of the game's Collector's Edition having been pre-sold in North America. In addition, the title is receiving significant media attention, picking up numerous critic awards at this year's E3, including "Best PC Game" from G4's XPlay, "Best MMO" from IGN and Voodoo Extreme, and "Top 10 PC Game" from Gamespy, as well as being nominated for the prestigious Game Critic's Awards "Best PC Game".

"The countdown has officially begun. Mark your calendars! September 18th is the Day of Reckoning," said Mark Jacobs, founder and general manager of Mythic Entertainment. "For the last three years, the entire team at Mythic has poured their hearts into making Warhammer Online the next great MMORPG. We are so excited to open up this world and share it with the fans that will live in it, quest in it, go to war in it and make it come alive."

Fans looking forward to laying siege to their enemy's capital city will have several pricing options available, beginning with a $14.99 monthly subscription. Additionally, collectible 30- and 60-day prepaid Game Time™ Cards will be available at many game retailers. WAR subscription options include:
•    Monthly Subscription: $14.99 USD
•    3-Month Subscription: $41.97 ($13.99 per month)
•    6-Month Subscription: $77.94 ($12.99 per month)
Players can now pre-order their copy of WAR to secure their spots on the frontlines with a special pre-order package that includes:
•    Open beta admission: Pre-order customers can experience the glory of battle and the thrill of WAR by participating in the open beta test.
•    Head Start program: Players can begin their adventures in the Age of Reckoning before the game's official launch.
•    Bonus in-game items: Players can equip their characters with two bonus in-game items by pre-ordering from select retail partners.
•    Universal Fighting System™ Battle Deck: The Emperor Karl Franz and Tchar'zanek, dread Champion of Tzeentch, go head-to-head in this exclusive collectible card game from Fantasy Flight Games. (Available in a limited supply from select retailers.)
Participating pre-order partners include Amazon.com, Best Buy, Circuit City, Direct2Drive, EAStore.com, EB Canada, EB Games, Fry's, Futureshop, GameCrazy, GameStop, GoGamer.com, and Walmart.com. (Pre-order offers will vary by retailer.) The European pre-order program is scheduled to begin in late August. For more information about the North American pre-order program, visit www.warhammeronline.com/preorder.

Available for the PC, WAR is rated "T" for TEEN by the ESRB. WAR will be the first MMORPG to launch servers simultaneously in North America, Europe, and Oceania when it goes live on September 18th, 2008. For more information, visit http://www.warhammeronline.com/.

Next page: More Electronic Arts stories




Funkiller's Avatar
Funkiller at 08/06/2008 13:53
I would pay $100 a month to be able to kick Paul Barnett in the head with steel-toe boots.
mikeyed's Avatar
mikeyed at 08/06/2008 13:57
Seeing as I still think MMORPGs are a waste of time, no. Just play real Warhammer, in which you can actually own things rather than continually pay to own things.
Magesx's Avatar
Magesx at 08/06/2008 14:07
World of Warcraft ha a sequel? Sweet!
Aurvantoid's Avatar
Aurvantoid at 08/06/2008 14:09
Pre-ordered the collectors edition months ago. CE gets like three big giant books and a figurine. Plus a few more things than the SE gets.

I'm fairly certain that Warhammer will be able to tide me over till Aion finally gets released.
king3vbo's Avatar
king3vbo at 08/06/2008 14:09
YAAAY
Aurvantoid's Avatar
Aurvantoid at 08/06/2008 14:15
@Magesx:

Milhouse's Avatar
Milhouse at 08/06/2008 14:17
I'm in!
SourGr8pes's Avatar
SourGr8pes at 08/06/2008 14:17
No dice for me. If this was 40K, I would have been throwing money at them, but it's just boring old Warhammer.

It's just WoW, but not quite WoW
Nyteshade's Avatar
Nyteshade at 08/06/2008 14:22
I think I can help out with the "Open Beta" confusion. Mythic isn't planning on offering a beta to everyone, they are only going to allow those with the pre-order codes, magazine codes, or whatever else gets you in.

"Open Beta" means the non-disclosure agreement is lifted, and everyone can talk about anything they want.

I've had the CE pre-ordered since they announced it, DAoC was one of my favorite MMOs so far, and Warhammer looks like it's going to carry on the legacy.
killias2's Avatar
killias2 at 08/06/2008 14:23
I wonder how much like WoW this will really end up being.

Warhammer gets created. Warcraft copies Warhammer. Warcraft becomes World of Warcraft. Warhammer copies World of Warcraft.

Weird, eh?
Aertyr's Avatar
Aertyr at 08/06/2008 14:29
I preordered the collectors edition the day it was announced this game is going to be amazing. Warcraft copied Warhammer in the begining and I have no doubt that Warhammer will put Warcraft to shame yet again. Definitely not at launch, as WoW is extremely well polished. Give the game a few months though and I got a hunch it's going to be the best thing since floor-cleaning robots.
aaronf's Avatar
aaronf at 08/06/2008 14:33
Here's my prediction:

1. WAR is released. Lots of people quit WoW to play WAR.
2. Players soon realize that they are basically playing the same game, just better graphics and a few other minor differences.
3. Players go back to WoW because they've already devoted their lives to it, and they like having their 1337 gear and epic mounts.
4. The once touted WoW killer WAR will essentially be a niche game like LOTRO, and will not capture nearly the player base it had hoped to because it essentially doesn't offer anything new and interesting.

The End.
aaronf's Avatar
aaronf at 08/06/2008 14:35
Oh, I forgot to mention that WotLK will come out a few months later, and all the former WoW players who will be playing WAR will go back to WoW.
Aurvantoid's Avatar
Aurvantoid at 08/06/2008 14:36
@killias2 - Just because your making an MMO doesn't mean your "copying" WoW. I've got nothing against WoW. but I fail to see how any game based off of the ORIGINAL Warhammer (that influenced and led to Warcraft) can be accused of copying anything.
loki d20's Avatar
loki d20 at 08/06/2008 14:49
Going to pass on WAR. While it's not a WoW clone, far from it, I've just lost my interest in PC gaming altogether, especially with MMOs. Next MMO I try will probably be for the PS3 or 360, but don't think I'm going back to the PC.
Aertyr's Avatar
Aertyr at 08/06/2008 15:52
Obviously Aaronf has no idea what the words "Living citys" or "Public Quests" mean, because that's what everyone and their mother is going to want, and copy.
Demtor's Avatar
Demtor at 08/06/2008 16:09
September?! NOOOO! Its too soon. Delay it again please. I have too many games to try and get out of the way before this is released. Damn it! ;)
MechaMonkey's Avatar
MechaMonkey at 08/06/2008 16:18
We'll see how law school is going before I dedicate my hard earned monies towards this and then not have time to play it.
Stratus's Avatar
Stratus at 08/06/2008 16:34
Should have delayed it and umm....NOT removed 2/3s of the games content from the launch. Well I am still buying it, so we shall see...waiting on that beta launch though.
boatorious's Avatar
boatorious at 08/06/2008 17:21
The best thing about WAR for me is that it really kills off scheduled raiding. I'm sure hardcore guilds will still have schedules but the rest of us will be able to play most of the end-game content most of the time.

Of course, keep in mind that I'm so in the tank for WAR that I have a blog about it ;)
Heintzer's Avatar
Heintzer at 08/06/2008 17:27
They didn't remove two thirds of the game's content.
TurboSpaz's Avatar
TurboSpaz at 08/07/2008 01:14
OMG OMG OMG OMG

WAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fiat Mediocrity's Avatar
Fiat Mediocrity at 08/07/2008 02:09
I'm trying to preorder this on D2D and it keeps telling me that I've stolen my own bank card.
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