Funcom reveals the secret societies of ‘The Secret World’
– Win beta access by taking the initiation test to find out in which you belong –
– New gameplay details, artworks and cinematic trailer revealed today –
– More exclusive details on ‘The Secret World’ to be revealed at PAX 2009 –

Durham, USA – September 3rd, 2009 – Funcom today revealed new details on its upcoming modern-day, real world massively multiplayer online game ’The Secret World’. As a teaser for more reveals to come out of the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle this week, Funcom unveiled three secret societies - the Illuminati, the Dragon and the Templars - all of which will be central to gameplay and the storyline in ‘The Secret World’.

Gamers everywhere can also visit the official website at www.darkdaysarecoming.com and complete a unique personality test that will reveal to them what secret society they are most suited to join. Completion of the test will not only allow them to become an initiate of that secret society and thus an important member of the official ‘The Secret World’ community, it also gives them the chance to win exclusive future beta access to the game. Initiates will also be kept up-to-date on the development of ‘The Secret World’.

"The secret societies are integral to ‘The Secret World‘," says Producer and Director Ragnar Tørnquist. "Players must eventually pick a side in the conflict. By revealing the three societies - and at the same time keeping some exciting new features under wraps - we provide players with the opportunity to dig deeper into the conspiracies and urban legends, and to learn more about these famous secret societies, before making their final decision when the game launches."

For this pre-show reveal Funcom has teamed up with Gamespot (US), CVG (UK), Buffed (DE), JeuxVideo (FR), Meristation (ES), Multiplayer (IT), Boomtown (DK) and FZ (SE) - all of which today features exclusive information on the secret societies. By visiting those sites you can also check out all-new artworks as well as a new cinematic trailer for ‘The Secret World’ – the follow up trailer to the hugely successful cinematic released in April this year which has been viewed by more than one million gamers around the world. More in-depth information on the secret societies and gameplay associated with them, as well as the first ever in-game screenshots of the game, will be revealed exclusively to press during media-only presentations at the Penny Arcade Expo. The game’s official website will also see several updates over the next days that reflects the new content and information coming out of the show.

Funcom is also present on the showfloor during the show. Here gamers can learn more about ‘The Secret World’, take the initiation test, and even win exclusive ‘The Secret World’ merchandise. ‘Rise of the Godslayer’, the first expansion pack for the 2008 best-selling new MMO ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’ will also be featured on the showfloor and gamers can even try out a playable demo.

‘The Secret World’ is Funcom’s third MMO and features a unique modern-day setting. Players will be able to discover real world locations such as New York, London and Seoul as they battle the forces of evil together with thousands of players from around the world. ‘The Secret World’ uses no classes or levels, thus giving the player complete freedom of choice when creating and developing his or her alter-ego.

For more information on ‘The Secret World’ please visit www.darkdaysarecoming.com

ABOUT FUNCOM - Funcom is an independent developer and publisher of online games for PC, consoles and mobile platforms. Funcom has provided outstanding entertainment since 1993 and continues to expand its track-record of more than twenty released games. Recent titles include 'The Longest Journey', 'Anarchy Online' and 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey'. For corporate information please visit www.funcom.com. For information about Funcom games visit www.anarchy-online.com, www.dreamfall.com, www.darkdaysarecoming.com or www.ageofconan.com. Funcom is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker FUNCOM.

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