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WOW expansion finally launches in China

Nearly two years after Western release.

World of Warcraft expansion Wrath of the Lich King - originally released in November 2008 – will finally see the light of day in China.

WotLK, which Eurogamer awarded a stonking 10/10 review, will release in Mainland China on 31st August.

Blizzard's endured a difficult time with the Chinese government over the last year, and even shut the game down for a time in 2009.

It's now up and running, but Chinese censors had demanded the undead-themed imagery in WotLK be modified before allowing the expansion be released.

Blizzard will be delighted that Chinese licensee Netease has managed to satisfy the censors, and even smuggled the Death Knight class – a bone of contention – into the game.

"We appreciate the continued passion and support that Chinese players have shown for World of Warcraft, and we're working hard to ensure that they have a topnotch gaming experience when Wrath of the Lich King is released," said Blizzard CEO and co-founder Mike Morhaime

"This expansion contains some of the best content we've ever created for the game, and we're excited that Chinese players will soon have a chance to explore everything it has to offer."

WOW is the most popular MMORPG in the world, with more than 11.5 million subscribers.

Third expansion Cataclysm is due out this year.