FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Carrie Thearle Public Relations Wizards of the Coast (206)204-7695 Jeffrey Nead, or Kirsten Merit Glodow Coats & Nead (415)864-2333 WIZARDS OF THE COAST LAUNCHES ARENA-THE LEAGUE FOR MAGIC: THE GATHERING® August 2 Debut in Albuquerque for Unprecedented Game League July 19, 1996 (Seattle, Washington)-Wizards of the Coast, Inc., makers of Magic: The Gathering (one of the world's best selling games for the past three years) has announced the launch of Arena, the first-ever nationwide in-store Magic league organized and administered by the game manufacturer. Arena will premier in Albuquerque, New Mexico along with nine other cities and outlying areas on August 2, with play in an additional 20 cities added by the end of the year. Arena's Summer Season, kicks off Friday, August 2, and runs 38 days. Similar in concept to a bowling or chess league, players will compete in weekly Magic duels at participating retailers and other sanctioned locations. Results will be tabulated by Wizards of the Coast, with special prizes awarded to high-ranking players. Arena will feature a national ranking system (updated weekly on the World Wide Web), allowing players to compare themselves to fellow league participants around the world. In addition, Arena will offer unique Magic prizes and giveaways, including alternative-art cards exclusive to the league. Magic enthusiasts in the Albuquerque-area interested in joining Arena can register and get more information at: Wargames West on Central 3422 Central Avenue Albuquerque Phone: (505) 265-6100 The first duel of the Summer Season begins at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, August 2, with weekly duels throughout the season, ending September 8. Players interested in more information on the league can check out the Arena website at http://www.wizards.com/Arena or call Wizards of the Coast® Customer Service at (206) 624-0933. "The creation of Arena is an unprecedented event in the adventure game industry," said Richard Garfield, creator of Magic: The Gathering. "The ranking system and standardized format of play across the league will allow players around the world to actually compete against one another. And, the league is designed to accommodate Magic enthusiasts of all playing levels." The Summer season of Arena will launch in 10 U.S. cities: Albuquerque Atlanta Boston Chicago Dallas Los Angeles New York City Philadelphia San Francisco Seattle After an 11-day hiatus, Arena will return on September 20 to kick off the Harvest Season, expanding its list of participating cities to include Cleveland, Columbus, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Miami, Minneapolis, Phoenix, San Diego and Washington, D.C. The Autumn Season begins November 8 in an additional 10 cities: Baltimore, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Norfolk, Portland, Sacramento, St. Louis and Tampa-St. Petersburg. "Within the next year, we expect Arena to run coast to coast, in Canada and Europe," said Peter Adkison, Wizards of the Coast President and CEO. "Within a couple years, the league should be everywhere: fully automated, instant feedback, worldwide." Intellectual sports from chess to bridge have long been the games of choice for those looking to challenge their minds. These days, people are spending their free time playing the strategy card game Magic: The Gathering. Magic has grown into a game phenomenon, with players around the world matching wits in a fantastic card battle of wizards and spells. Wizards of the Coast created a whole new game genre when it released the first trading card game, Magic: The Gathering, in 1993. To date, more than two billion cards have sold worldwide. The game is available into seven languages: French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese and English. Later in 1996, Wizards of the Coast will release a Chinese version and a Korean version of Magic. The Seattle game manufacturer tapped into a new pool of players with the release of the Magic: The Gathering Quick StartTM set in July. Titled Rivals, this new set is ideal for teaching new people how to play the card game; the set includes preconstructed decks and will take each player through their first game step-by-step. For more information on Wizards of the Coast, visit the company¹s website (http://www.wizards.com).