Durham, USA — June 30, 2006 – Funcom announces that ‘Age of Conan’ is entering the first phase of beta testing. The ‘Age of Conan’ Beta will evolve gradually with more and more external testers being added as the game moves closer to launch. The first stage of Beta will include people from Funcom’s Quality Assurance Department and selected, experienced Beta testers under NDA. During the fall more external testers will be included in the Beta. Beta signs-up will be announced broadly when Funcom is ready to process applications.

"We have worked hard on ‘Age of Conan’ for more than two years, and it’s great to see that our collective effort has led us to this point”, said Trond Arne Aas, CEO of Funcom. “The game already looks stunning and it’s a lot of fun to play. We are looking forward to include our community, partners and press once we move into the later stages of the Beta.”

‘Age of Conan’ is a Showcase title for Windows Vista, and the game recently won the “Best MMO of Show” E3 awards from IGN, Gamespot, Gamespy and Yahoo Games. More information about the MMO ‘Age of Conan’, screenshots, forums, newsletter sign-up and a welcoming community portal can be found on the official website.

Funcom would like to remind interested Beta testers that signing up for the Conan newsletter as well as registering on the official forums will increase the chance of getting a Beta spot.