Funcom's first Age of Conan expansion, "Rise of the Godslayer," is scheduled for release on May 11, in both retail and digital format

Age of Conan's first expansion, "Rise of the Godslayer," will be available in less than thee weeks! Funcom recently announced a release date of May 11 for the upcoming, Asian-themed expansion that whisks players to the land of Khitai, offering new playfields and gameplay content. Funcom describes the expansion's theme in more detail:

The expansion, set in the eastern empire of Khitai, builds on an already extensive Conan universe and will let players travel to a unique part of Conan’s world where an ancient traditional culture clashes with dark forces.

According to WorthPlaying, "Rise of the Godslayer" will be released in both retail and digital formats, and the retail version will include a copy of the original MMO as well, so new players won't have to purchase Age of Conan separately to jump right into the expansion. The retail version also comes "bundled with a new social pet as well as a package of virtual items to welcome new players to Hyboria." According to the official Funcom press release, the "Rise of the Godslayer" pre-order campaign officially kicked off April 21, although the official site hasn't been updated to reflect this announcement yet. Expect more details in the days to come, and stay tuned to ZAM's Age of Conan portal site and the official Rise of the Godslayer Web site for all the news as it's released. In the mean time, check out our Rise of the Godslayer interview from last summer, and read Funcom's pre-order announcement after the jump!

Durham, USA – April 21st, 2010 – Funcom is proud to announce the launch of the pre-order campaign for ‘Rise of the Godslayer’, the first expansion for the highly acclaimed massively multiplayer online role-playing game ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’. The expansion, set in the eastern empire of Khitai, builds on an already extensive Conan universe and will let players travel to a unique part of Conan’s world where an ancient traditional culture clashes with dark forces. ‘Rise of the Godslayer’ expands on an already massive game world, and will also introduce entirely new and exciting gameplay mechanics.

The expansion will launch on May 11th and will be available both through retail and as a digital download. In retail the expansion will come in an all-new packaging that includes both the expansion and the original game, allowing new players to quickly get up to speed with all the new content and gameplay. The retail product comes bundled with a new social pet as well as a package of virtual items to welcome new players to Hyboria.