Blizzard's World of Warcraft MMORPG has ended its beta test and has officially launched. Players in China can now download the game and create accounts.

The commercial launch of World of Warcraft follows an open beta period in China during which the game reached a peak concurrency – the total number of subscribers playing simultaneously – of more than 500,000 players.

Blizzard Entertainment has partnered with The9 (NCTY), who will help operate and manage World of Warcraft in China, including all aspects of support.

To maintain a safe and secure service, Blizzard and The9 have implemented an authorization CD-key system for the official launch of World of Warcraft. This system will help protect the game from malicious hack programs that could otherwise affect players' enjoyment of the game.

Only players who have purchased an authorized CD key will be able to activate their accounts and enter the game. Each CD key costs 30CNY and can be purchased with a World of Warcraft Points Card. Point Cards also cost 30CNY and can be used at a rate of 9 points per hour (0.45CNY/hour) to play World of Warcraft.