NCsoft® and ArenaNet® announced today that the prerelease bonus pack for Guild Wars: Eye of the NorthTMis set to arrive on retailer?s shelves and will include ahost of compelling features, including exclusive in-game items andaccess to the Guild Wars: Eye of the North Sneak Peek Weekend set for later this summer.

The Guild Wars Gold: Eye of the Northprerelease bonus pack will be available from retailers in North Americaand Europe as well as at the NCsoft store at PlayNC.com and via theOfficial Guild Wars online store.

Guild Wars: Eye of the North is the first ever expansion to the subscription-free Guild Warsfranchise of fantasy online roleplaying games, which will be releasedto the public. This expansion will provide newcontent accessible to players who have any of the previously released Guild Wars Gold campaigns (Guild Wars, Guild Wars: FactionsTM, or Guild Wars: NightfallTM).

Players who pre-order Guild Wars: Eye of the Northwill gain access to the Sneak Peek Weekend, wherethey will be able to log into the game for a first look at Eye of the North.Players will be able to explore the Far Shiverpeaks region of theworld, home of the barbaric Norn. Everything players obtain during theSneak Peek Weekend, including items, XP, Heroes, and loot, will bepermanent and available when the expansion goes live.

The Guild Wars: Eye of the Northprerelease bonus pack also comes with exclusive weapons, including theGlacial Blade, the Hourglass Staff, and the Darksteel Longbow. Thesenew weapons are based on the winning designs from the Guild Wars Design-a-Weapon Contest held earlier this year. In addition, the prerelease bonus pack includes a Guild Wars Trilogy Trial DVD that provides access to all three of the Guild Wars Gold campaigns for a special trial promotion lasting 10 hours or 14 days, whichever comes first.

"We believe thisfeature-packed prerelease delivers real value to our players," saidMike O?Brien, co-founder of ArenaNet. "From past experience, we expectthe Sneak Peek Weekend alone to be hugely popular, and players won?twant to miss this chance to get a leg-up before the game goes live."