NCsoft Reveals 'Kamael,' the Largest Expansion in Lineage II History

Friday 14th December/...NCsoft® Europe today announced the release of Kamael, the newest and largest addition to the Lineage® II franchise. At more than 1 Gigabyte, Kamael is the largest expansion ever for the massively multiplayer online PC game and adds an entirely new playable race, new lands, ongoing fortress battles, instanced dungeons and new account services to the game, which has continued to increase in depth and story.

The huge Kamael expansion is free to all current Lineage II subscribers. Lineage II is known as the gaming market's premier player-versus-player (PvP) MMO, and since its launch in late 2003, has reached more than 17 million players worldwide.

The main feature of the expansion is a new playable race called the Kamael, one-winged soldiers who control a form of dark magic and are presented in different class paths based on gender, with both male and female characters possessing distinct combat abilities. The ultimate goal of the Kamael warriors, born on the Isle of Souls, is to earn a second wing and reach the powerful "final form."

Adding to the intrigue and massive battles Lineage II is known for are clan-based, daily fortress battles. Smaller in scale to the enormous castle sieges, the fortress battles will allow smaller clans to gain a foothold on territory and elevating their clan in the larger political and military background.

Highlights for veteran players of the game include the addition of lands for those above level 70, Hellbound and the Isle of Prayer. Also coming soon, highly-requested game features such as character server transfers, name changes and gender changes will become available for purchase.

Newer players will enjoy new items and enhancements that will aid the solo play experience for those at lower levels, helping to make Lineage II more accessible without diluting the challenge for which the game is well known.

"The Kamael expansion is so epic that it is hard to pin down which feature is the most exciting," said Tim Tan, NCsoft's North American producer of Lineage II. "The new Kamael race is very unique and adds a new world of playability to the game. The new high-level lands will benefit our longtime players seeking harder challenges, while the new-player and soloing features will make getting to the heart of the game easier for more players. The sheer amount of content in this expansion is unbelievable and I really look forward to seeing the players' response."

Additional new features include a set of instanced dungeons and new item slots and items that include new more powerful weapons and armor. Instanced dungeons provide players a place where they can hunt by themselves, untouched by players or creatures. There are two different kinds of Instanced Dungeons: one that requires a quest to enter, and the other that requires the acquisition of a castle or fortress to enter.

Also, when players tackle particularly challenging adventures or overcome monstrous bosses, they can capture the moment on video with the game's newly polished record and replay system that allows players to speed up or slow down their footage when they view their captured battles.

Existing players of Lineage II will receive The Kamael update automatically to their accounts. For gamers wishing to experience Lineage II for the first time, the game is available at retail at £19.99 / 29.99, which includes a 15 day time card, giving players a total of 45 days play time. To purchase the game or other Lineage II merchandise, go to the PlayNC store at: http://eu.plaync.com/eu/store/ .

To find out more please visit the Lineage II web site at: http://eu.lineage2.com/

About NCsoft Europe

NCsoft Europe (NCE) is headquartered in Brighton, England and is part of Korea-based NCsoft Corporation, the world's leading developer and publisher of online games. NCsoft has successfully established itself in North America, Japan, Taiwan, China and Thailand and recently NCE announced its intentions to establish a development studio within Europe. NCE began operations on 1st September 2004 and serves as a central hub for all NCsoft sales, marketing and distribution operations in Europe, via its European distribution network. NCE launched Lineage II in November 2004, City of Heroes® on 4th February 2005, Guild Wars® on 28th April 2005, City of Villains on 31st October 2005, Guild Wars Factions on 28th April 2006, Guild Wars Nightfall on 27th October 2006, Guild Wars: Eye of the North on 31st August 2007 and Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa on 2nd November 2007. More information about NCsoft Europe can be found at http://eu.plaync.com.

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