EQ and EQ2 Expansions are Live

Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) announces today that the expansion packs for both EverQuest and EverQuest II MMORPGs are live and on sale today throughout North America. EverQuest: Secrets of Faydwer and EverQuest II: Rise of Kunark include the original game, all previous expansions and relevant adventure packs in each bundle for a recommended $39.99.

“Launching dual expansions of this magnitude for two major MMOs on the same day is a Herculean feat,” said Russ Shanks, COO and Vice President, Sony Online Entertainment. “It took a full year, dedicated development teams and the experienced infrastructure of SOE to be able to support these simultaneous launches. We’re extremely proud of the breadth of the new adventures these two games offer and we’re also grateful for the support from our beta testers and loyal community for their input on the final products.”

Get the full details after the break.

EverQuest II Rise of Kunark brings back the legendary high-fantasy game play style from its famous predecessor and blends it with the beautiful cinematic graphics for which the game has become known. “This is a return to nostalgia expansion — where players will enjoy the best game experience in EQII’s three year history and likely the most compelling content the franchise has ever seen,” according to Scott Hartsman, Sr. Producer, Sony Online Entertainment.

Rise of Kunark introduces players to the Sarnak, a new dragon-like humanoid playable race that inhabits the jungle islands of Timorous Deep – a new starting location for adventurers featuring a wealth of new content for levels 1-20. Many of the expansion’s new zones are based on favorite gameplay areas from the original EverQuest, such as Karnor’s Castle, the Lake of Ill Omen, Sebilis and Veeshan’s Peak. In addition, Kunark raises the level cap to 80, adding new solo, group, and raid content for levels 65-80.

EverQuest Secrets of Faydwer is the fourteenth expansion for this genre-defining game. “We put a renewed emphasis on the test and adjust period for Secrets of Faydwer and increased the number of our Beta testers by 25 percent,” said Clint Worley, Sr. Producer, Sony Online Entertainment. “The feedback we received from the players was outstanding and it raised the quality bar exponentially.”

Secrets of Faydwer players will have the opportunity to advance to level 80 as they explore through 15 new zones, discovering thousands of new items along the way. In addition to the new high level raid content, there are new Alternate Advancement ability lines to refresh even the most hardened warriors.

Both retail and digital customers will receive several items with their purchase. Rise of Kunark consumers receive the base EQII game, the Rise of Kunark expansion, all three previous expansions and adventure packs, a claimable cockatrice house pet and a Legends of Norrath online strategy game starter pack, booster pack and loot item. Secrets of Faydwer consumers will receive the base EverQuest game and all 14 expansions, a claimable worg mount and a Legends of Norrath online strategy game starter pack, booster pack and loot item.

EverQuest II Rise of Kunark Features

• All-New Player Race – Start up a brand new Sarnak – the classic dragon-like humanoid creature that now inhabits Timorous Deep. Exiled from your homeland and magically altered, discover how your new breed came to be, and eventually return home to help your race triumph over the evil Iksar.
• New Starting Area – Begin your adventure from the new starting area in the islands of Timorous Deep. Conclude your day of questing and retire to new housing within the Village of Gorowyn.
• Level Cap Raised – Continue your adventures with your existing character in Kunark, expanding on your achievements as Adventure and Tradeskill levels all increase to 80. Achievement points cap raised from 100 to 140.
• More Unique Zones – Advance your way through new, massive regions, containing many zones filled with nostalgia and danger, such as The Emerald Jungle, Skyfire Mountains, Sebilis, and Karnor’s Castle.
• Hundreds of New Quests – The tale of Kunark is told through hundreds of new quests, aimed at gameplay of all types: solo, group, and raid.
• More Weapons & Armor – New quests for all 24 classes. Battle through the opposition and acquire additional fabled and legendary armor sets.
• New Mount – Explore the world on the shoulders of a new rampaging beast – The Kunarkian Rhinoceros.
• Dozens of New NPCs – Encounter and engage a wide variety of new enemies that inhabit the menacing lands of Kunark.
• Improved Features – New and improved racial abilities for all of the original races, new tradeskill interface and new in-game map capabilities.

EverQuest Secrets of Faydwer Features

• Level Cap Increase – Players can now achieve level 80.
• New High Level Content – Over 3,000 new item sets, more than 300 new spells and 30 new NPCs. In addition, prepare for the return of some of the best known NPC’s in the EverQuest franchise!
• 15 New Zones – New realms for adventurers to explore, including: Meldrath’s mechanical fortress Mechanotus, the new lands of the Loping Plains and Kerafyrm’s lair Crystallos.
• Thrilling New Adventure Content – Travel through Faydwer solo or with a group to complete over 100 new challenges, including 28 high-end raids.
• Alternate Advancement Ability Lines – 170 Alternate Advancement Abilities with various ranks.
• Amazing Heroic Items – Increase stats above current caps!

Press Release via Stratics Central