Funcom have today announced that their much awaited MMORPG Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures has now gone gold. The game is expected on stores in North America, Oceania and Europe the world towards the end of May.

"Even though it feels like this great adventure is coming to an end, it’s really not at all. The launch is just the beginning" says Game Director/Producer Gaute Godager. "I believe we have created a game that will stand the test of time by its own accord, but we are already busy planning future features and expansions. We want to continue expanding Conan’s world for many years to come, and we have great ideas on what to do!"

After years of development and testing Age of Conan is now finally ready for prime time! To prepare for launch, tens of thousands of players have tested the Beta, enabling Funcom to polish the game prior to going live. While the game gets closer to release the anticipation for the title is also building steadily. Just last week 475.000 unique visitors went to the official Age of Conan websites, and the pre-order numbers in some important retail chains track as among the highest for any MMO launched.

"Age of Conan has been in development for a long time, as with all MMOs, but we have spent that time well and ended up with a game we are incredibly proud of," says Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas. "Creating a game of such epic proportions is an ambitious and challenging task, but we believe we have truly succeeded in realizing the vision of the game. We simply can’t wait to let the players in and let them experience the amazing adventures we have created.