World of Warcraft: Cataclysm hitting China next month

WoW: Cataclysm is due to launch in China on July 12. Netease will be responsible for the launch.

Other regions have been enjoying the most recent expansion for the past seven months, but Blizzard have only just got around to preparing the content for China-based players. We doubt they're complaining though - Wrath of the Lich King took almost two years to appear in their territory.

Blizzard co-founder, Mike Morhaime is predictably happy about the announcement, saying: “We've always appreciated Chinese gamers' passion and support for World of Warcraft, and we're excited that they'll soon be able to enjoy all of the great new content this expansion has to offer.”

WoW patch 4.2 is due to launch soon. See the first footage of it here and read the extensive patch notes here .