We’re happy to announce that we’ve reached another major milestone for Guild Wars 2: the game officially launches in China on May 15 at 10:18 a.m. Beijing time! A massive event in Beijing today marked the momentous announcement, including a presentation by ArenaNet co-founder and president Mike O’Brien in which he introduced the upcoming Festival of the Four Winds release, the game’s first truly global game update.

“We wanted to provide the best possible MMO experience for Chinese players, so we joined forces with KongZhong, an ambitious partner who shared our passion for quality,” O’Brien said. “Together we’ve spent eighteen months preparing – meeting with Chinese players and guild leaders to get their feedback, and working on every little detail of the game. Finally we’re ready to open our arms and join with China as one global community.”

We’ll be hosting the celebratory Festival of the Four Winds in Guild Wars 2 starting on May 20 for the NA and EU regions. This in-game festival brings back some well-loved moments from the first season of the Living World of Guild Wars 2 and is meant to bring players together in celebration.

At the event in Beijing, ArenaNet and KongZhong shared the stage with China superstars and a 30-foot statue of Rytlock Brimstone. The event’s biggest celebrity performer was singer and songwriter Jike Juan Yi, also known as Summer. As a treat for both her fans in China and Guild Wars 2 fans around the world, Summer recorded a music video blending live action and game play to debut a Chinese version of the Guild Wars 2 anthem Fear Not This Night, a song of hope sung by the mystical Pale Tree to her sylvari children.