SOE Details New EQ2 Expansion, EQ1 Plans

EverQuest II will be seeing its fourth expansion pack later this year with EverQuest II: Rise of Kunark. Rise of Kunark, which developer SOE-San Diego considers to be the spiritual successor to the EverQuest expansion Ruins of Kunark, will expand on the content added in EverQuest II: Echoes of Faydwer. A new playable race, the dragon-like Sarnak, will be included alongside new zones, hundreds of new quests, new epic equipment for all classes, a new Kunarkian Rhinoceros mount, new deities, and a raised level cap of 80. EverQuest II: Rise of Kunark will be released near November 13, 2007 at retain and via digital distribution. Two retail boxed versions will be available, each containing the full EverQuest II game as well as all four expansions. The standard box will be priced at $39.99, while a limited edition set with a Cockatrice pet and other unique content will run $59.99. Sony Online Entertainment released some Rise of Kunark artwork as well as several screenshots from Game Update #35, expected to launch later this month. As far as the original EverQuest, SOE-San Diego announced that the pace of expansion releases will slow slightly going forward. "We are pleased to announce that starting this year we will be releasing only one expansion pack per year," said a rep during a presentation at last week's Gamer Day 2007. "The players demanded it."