IRVINE, Calif. – May 23, 2006 – Players of K2 Network’s Knight Online will struggle for supremacy in the first Knight Online World Championship. In a first, this competition will allow players who normally play different regional versions of this highly successful MMORPG to compete directly against each other.

The competition will take place under a fixed set of rules in order to level the playing field for players on different versions of the Knight Online. K2 Network has also modified some maps and introduced new items and skills specifically for the tournament to balance the competition. In a nod to the upcoming World Cup, all the teams will wear soccer uniforms from their respective countries.

This battle for national pride that will pit teams from America, Japan, Korea and China against each other begins at 2 a.m. Pacific on May 29 and end on June 2. Only Premium Users with characters level 60+ are eligible to register for the chance to be one of the 300 players selected to compete.

K2 Network’s Free2Play model allows players to have full access to the game free. Players that want even more can subscribe to Premium memberships that give them access to enhanced play including events like the World Championships.

"We’re constantly working on adding exciting new premium content like the Knight Online World Championship to all our Free2Play titles," said Joshua Hong, CEO, K2 Network. "This is the future of online gaming. Gamers don’t want to be held hostage by monthly subscriptions. They are demanding dynamic pricing models that deliver exceptional value."

Knight Online has gained a huge following since its launch with more than 10 million people playing worldwide.