December 4, 2006 (BELLEVUE, WA) — Guild Wars Factions™, one of the year’s most-popular online games, took home the award for Multiplayer Game of the Year Wednesday at Billboard Magazine’s prestigious Digital Entertainment Marketing and Media Excellence (DEMMX) awards gala. Guild Wars Factions was honored as the best game played online by more than one player.

Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions, and Guild Wars Nightfall™ are online roleplaying games where players explore a rich fantasy world, acquire skills, build personalized characters, and compete in head-to-head battles with players from around the world. In addition to the compelling game design and innovative technology that make playing Guild Wars a unique experience, the success of Guild Wars is due in part to a revolutionary business model in which no monthly subscription fee is charged to its users.

First released in April 2005, Guild Wars topped the sales charts around the globe and launched what has become one of the most critically acclaimed franchises in the genre. The hotly anticipated follow-up, Guild Wars Factions, was released in April 2006, and again the game was #1 in North America and Europe. The latest adventure, Guild Wars Nightfall, was released in October 2006. With rave reviews and millions of players worldwide, Guild Wars continues to set the bar in online gaming.