EQ PLAT:EverQuest and EverQuest II Expansions Launch

There's plenty of content available for EverQuest fans this season, as SOE shipped expansions for both EverQuest and its sequel today. The old EQ is getting Secrets of Faydwer, which includes 15 new zones and increases the level cap to 80. The EverQuest II expansion, Rise of Kunark, promises to bring back some nostalgia from the early days of the series, as it is based on famous places from the original game. Other features include a higher level cap and a new playable race. Both expansions come with their corresponding games and all previous expansions, which is a good deal if you're just getting started. 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.