PARIS, France - Tickets for the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment^® Worldwide Invitational convention and tournament gaming event will be available from Thursday, 20th of March on the Worldwide Invitational website at http://eu.blizzard.com/wwi08.

This year's Blizzard Worldwide Invitational will take place in Paris, France, at the Porte de Versailles Exposition Centre on the 28th and 29th of June. Tickets are priced at €70 / £55 for the two-day event, which will feature hands-on play with the latest versions of World of Warcraft^®: Wrath of the Lich King^™ and StarCraft^® II. Blizzard Entertainment developers and executives will be present to share all the latest news, meet attendees and participate in public discussion panels.

"The previous Blizzard Worldwide Invitationals have provided great opportunities for us to meet with players and share some incredible gaming experiences with them," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We're looking forward to bringing this event to Paris for the first time and offering an exciting show for everyone attending."

In addition to invitational tournaments featuring top eSports competitors playing for a total of $100,000 in prizes, the Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational will also host casual tournaments for attendees, costume and dance contests, live musical performances, and more. All attendees will also receive a goody bag of Blizzard Entertainment items including a beta key for an upcoming Blizzard Entertainment game and an exclusive World of Warcraft in-game pet.

The Worldwide Invitational is open to attendees of 16 years or above, as well as younger individuals accompanied by a consenting parent, guardian or responsible adult of 18 years or above.

Additional plans and content for the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational will be revealed on the official website in the weeks leading up to the event.