Neverwinter™ Open Beta Dated

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., April 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Perfect World Entertainment Inc. and Cryptic Studios are pleased to announce that on April 30, 2013, the free-to-play action MMORPG Dungeons & Dragons® Neverwinter is heading into Open Beta, allowing millions of players unrestricted access to the game world.

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"The direct response and support from the Neverwinter community during our Closed Beta Weekends have pushed us to make Neverwinter the best free-to-play MMORPG anyone has yet seen," said Cryptic Studios Executive Producer and COO, Craig Zinkievich. "On April 30, we go into Open Beta. That's when the world we've labored for years to build comes to life -- that's when every gamer can login and play what we've worked so hard to create. We could not be more excited."

Recent winner of MMORPG.com's Most Anticipated Award at PAX East 2013, and recipient of dozens of other awards and much critical acclaim, Neverwinter is Cryptic and Perfect World's proof that Western free-to-play games, when built from the ground up, can compete with even the biggest boxed subscription titles. On April 30, the companies invite all gamers to put that claim to the test. There will be no character wipes or restricted access after the start of Open Beta.

As an added thank you to the committed Founders who have helped make Neverwinter possible, beginning 12:00 p.m. (PDT) on Friday, April 12, Founders will get the first opportunity to experience Neverwinter's professions system as part of a newly added 60-hour Beta Weekend 4. Founding members may simultaneously pursue four different professions: Leadership, Mailsmithing, Platesmithing and Leatherworking.

"We've never been in a better place launching a game," said Jack Emmert, CEO, Cryptic Studios. "While the entire team is focused on launching Neverwinter's Open Beta on April 30, we still wanted to thank those committed Founders who stuck with us. Since the beginning of Neverwinter's Beta Weekends, our Founders have shown us that Neverwinter offers engaging game mechanics, unique features and a gameplay experience that is parallel to subscription or paid games. They have become our biggest supporters and we wanted to give them Beta Weekend 4 as a token of our appreciation."

Players can still become Founders through Neverwinter's Founder's Pack Program. Benefits include exclusive access to Beta Weekend 4, permanent in-game items that are unique to Founders, early access to Open Beta, and VIP perks.

To take advantage of these benefits and to gain exclusive access to Neverwinter's Beta Weekend 4, players may visit: http://nw.perfectworld.com/founderspack/

To download and view the brand new "What is Neverwinter?" trailer and screenshots in anticipation of the imminent Open Beta launch on April 30, please visit: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/u3t4eg9qwrq9xa5/hdW5Fib4P9

ABOUT PERFECT WORLD ENTERTAINMENT INC.

Perfect World Entertainment is a leading North American online games publisher specializing in immersive free-to-play MMORPGs. Founded in 2008, Perfect World Entertainment has published 10 popular titles, including Blacklight Retribution, Forsaken World, Perfect World International and Star Trek Online. The company works closely with its American development teams and partners such as Cryptic Studios, developer of the highly anticipated MMORPG Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter, and Runic Games, developer of the hit Torchlight series, to provide unparalleled quality of service and game experiences to its players. A subsidiary of Perfect World Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: PWRD), Perfect World Entertainment is headquartered in Silicon Valley, California. For more information, please visit: www.perfectworld.com

ABOUT CRYPTIC STUDIOS, Inc.

Cryptic Studios, Inc. is a leading developer of online games committed to delivering the next level of gameplay. Cryptic Studios, Inc. develops AAA titles for PC and is rapidly diversifying its portfolio of games to expand beyond the traditional MMORPG genre. In addition to its successfully launched "Champions Online: Free for All" and "Star Trek Online", Cryptic Studios, Inc. is now developing "Dungeons & Dragons: Neverwinter" and other unannounced projects. Cryptic Studios, Inc., a subsidiary of Perfect World Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: PWRD), is located in Los Gatos, CA.

Dungeons & Dragons, Neverwinter, their respective logos, Forgotten Realms, and all character names are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. All rights reserved.

Related Links:
Neverwinter Official Website 
Become a Neverwinter Founder Today!

CONTACT:
Christine Yeo
Perfect World Entertainment, Inc.
(650) 590-7732
christine.yeo@perfectworld.com

SOURCE Perfect World Entertainment