Thousands More Gain Access To Neverwinter's Second Beta Weekend

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., March 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Perfect World Entertainment Inc. and Cryptic Studios are pleased to announce that the second Beta Weekend for the highly praised Dungeons & Dragons^® Neverwinter^™ action MMORPG is about to begin. Taking place between March 8 and 10 Beta Weekend Two gives players with access another 60-hours of early beta gameplay, a higher level cap, new features and additional classes.

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"Neverwinter continues to impress players and publications worldwide," said Craig Zinkievich, Executive Producer and Chief Operating Officer, Cryptic Studios. "The tremendously valuable feedback from peers and fans has allowed us to make Neverwinter a truly AAA experience that is also free-to-play. We thank everyone for their continuous support and welcome new players into this, our second Beta Weekend."

Building upon the success of the first Beta Weekend, which was open to select participants and Neverwinter Founders, Beta Weekend Two opens the gates to hundreds of thousands more, including lifetime subscribers from two other Cryptic titles, Star Trek Online and Champions Online.

New Features Include:

Control Wizard Class
Alongside three other previously playable classes (Guardian Fighter, Trickster Rogue, and Devoted Cleric), the Control Wizard makes its public debut. With an arsenal of arcane abilities, ranged attacks and AoE effects, Control Wizards are perfect additions to well-balanced parties.

New Zones, Level 40
Players can now test their combat skills up to a new level cap of 40 and in new zones, such as the burial grounds of Ebon Downs or the fortified monastery of Helm's Hold. For those skilled enough to reach the Lair of the Mad Dragon, there's an epic fight with... well, one can guess. 

Play Foundry Content
The Foundry, a powerful and easy-to-use content creation tool, allows users to create, share and play their own quests and campaigns directly in the persistent game world. In Beta Weekend Two, players can access more adventures created by other gamers. Visit a well-informed Bar Maid, like the one in Driftwood Tavern, or check out one of the many Job Boards scattered throughout the city of Neverwinter to see the community's first pass at Foundry content.

For guaranteed access to all Neverwinter's Beta Weekends, along with a wide array of VIP perks and exclusive in-game items, players may purchase the Hero of the North Founder's Pack or the Guardian of Neverwinter Founder's Pack on the official website.

For more details on the Neverwinter Founder's Pack Program, please visit: http://nw.perfectworld.com/founderspack

For a chance to access upcoming Neverwinter Beta Weekends, please visit and register at: http://www.playneverwinter.com/

During some of Neverwinter's quests, players will encounter Valindra Shadowmantle's undead army as she purposes to destroy the living world and to rule the Sword Coast. To download the new Undead Critter trailer and new screens, go to: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/fb3vnx5gdh0ozu1/JR1oKehUU0

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.

CONTACT:
Christine Yeo
Perfect World Entertainment Inc.
(650) 590-7732
[email protected]

Related Links:
Official Website for the free-to-play Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter
Get immediate access to Neverwinter's Beta Weekends

SOURCE Perfect World Entertainment Inc.