NCsoft releases City of Heroes Issue 6, bringing player controlled heroes and villain

[Harv]

New free expansion provides bridge to City of Villains with addition of Player versus Player zones

NCsoft® Europe announces the release of Issue 6: "Along Came a Spider," the latest expansion to City of Heroes®. The expansion, provided by the game's developer, Cryptic StudiosTM, will offer new content, graphics and technology upgrades whilst pitting heroes and villains into direct conflict as it opens the doors to new player-versus-player (PvP) zones that will be shared with characters from the soon to be released City of VillainsTM. Issue 6 is free to all current City of Heroes subscribers.

The new content offered in Issue 6 includes three new PvP zones, graphical improvements such as water diffraction and bloom lighting effects; improvements to super group management and other quality of life changes that will help bring City of Heroes and City of Villains into alignment.

Once City of Villains, the stand alone sequel to City of Heroes, is released next week, the PvP zones will be shared by both games, allowing open hostilities between heroes and villains. The PvP zones include Bloody Bay, a zone featuring the Shivan villain group for players level 15 and above. Siren's Call, for players level 20 and above, has heroes defending a breach in the Paragon CityTM War Wall, allowing villains to create a beachhead. Warburg, the third PvP zone is an underground web where conflicts with villains can occur at every turn. It is designed for players level 30 and above.

"Issue 6 brings major improvements to City of Heroes and at long last allows player controlled heroes and villains to scrap," said Jack Emmert, Cryptic Studio's creative director. "Now heroes will have a game that looks better and plays better. But what I'm psyched about most is that heroes can use their energies to subdue real player controlled villains that will be lurking about. If villainous players think it's good to be bad, they should remember that crime doesn't pay."

Existing City of Heroes' customers can enjoy the new content from Issue 6 on its own, or purchase City of Villains and pay a single subscription price of £8.99 (€12.99) per month for both games.

For more information about City of Heroes, Issue 6, go to: eu.cityofheroes.com. For more information about City of Villains, go to: eu.cityofvillains.com.