Not to be outdone by our lavish GameStop launch events, over in Europe Blizzard is going to co-host four special midnight signing events to celebrate The Burning Crusade's release. Locations in France, England, Germany and Sweden (take THAT, Belgium!) will host BC team members for a meet, greet, and game-signing session kicking off at 0:00 on January 16th.

It is fitting that Europe get special attention during this launch, having originated several other popular crusades throughout history. In fact, I'm relatively sure that there was burning involved as well. If you happen to be Turkish, recently excommunicated, or a heretic in Europe early next Tuesday, you might want to keep a low profile. Spirits will be high, and we all know how easily military campaigns of a religious character can break out.

See the press release after the jump for specific locations. Michael Fahey

World of Warcraft : The Burning CrusadeTM Midnight Store Openings
BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA ALERT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 09, 2007

PARIS, France. Blizzard Entertainment announced today that it will co-host special midnight signing events at four retail locations across Europe to celebrate the release of World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade. The four retail outlets listed below will allow gamers at each location to be among the first in Europe to purchase the highly anticipated World of Warcraft expansion, going on sale at 0:00, January 16.

WHAT: Copies of World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade will be on sale during the events, with availability subject to stocks and store capacity at each location. Blizzard development team members will be present to help celebrate the launch.

WHO: Developers from the World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade team will be on hand to meet gamers and sign copies of the game.

WHERE:

UK: HMV
150 Oxford Street
London W1D 1DJ
Paris 8e
Phone: 020 7631 3423
Doors open: 11:00PM, January 15

FRANCE: FNAC
74 Ave des Champs Elys es
Phone: 0153 53 64 64
Doors open: 0:00 - 04:00, January 16

GERMANY: Media Markt
10627 Berlin-Charlottenburg
Krumme Stra e 48
Phone: 030 31992 0
On sale: 0:00, January 16

SWEDEN: EB Games Gallerian
Hamngatan 37
Stockholm
Phone: 08 411 21 51
Doors open: 0:00, January 16

WHEN: Monday, January 15/Tuesday January 16, 2007 | On Sale at 0:00

Players who are unable to attend any of the four official Blizzard launch events can check with local stores for their midnight opening plans.

With more than 7.5 million players worldwide, World of Warcraft has become the most popular massively multiplayer role-playing game to date. The game's first expansion, World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, will allow players to advance up to the new level cap of 70; embark on new adventures in the continent of Outland, where they can obtain player-controlled flying mounts; play as two new races - the Blood Elves and the Draenei; take up the new profession of jewelcrafting; engage in exciting new forms of player-vs.-player combat; and much more. For detailed information on the expansion, visit http://wow-europe.com/en/burningcrusade.

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