Pre-Order RIFT Storm Legion To Make Fun Of Blizzard And Save Pandas

RIFT developer Trion Worlds is having a bit of fun at Blizzard's expense. To "celebrate" the launch of World of Warcraft's expansion pack Mists of Pandaria, Trion is raising money to save pandas.

For every pre-order of RIFT: Storm Legion between September 26th and October 3rd, Trion will donate $1 to Panda International. Panda International is a non-profit devoted to preserving the endangered Giant Panda. They support research related to the species, boost public awareness, and help preserve or improve their habitats.

Mists of Pandaria, WoW's fourth expansion, was released worldwide earlier today. It centers around a new continent of Pandaria and its inhabitants, the Pandaren. The Pandaren, essentially sentient Pandas with Chinese style dress, have been the source of some mockery. There have been a lot of Kung Fu Panda jokes flying around since Blizzard first announced the expansion.

Storm Legion is the first expansion pack for RIFT. It raises the level cap from 50 to 60 and introduces two continents to the game world. Player housing and new character customization options for all classes are among the other features. Trion plans to release it on November 13th.

WoW, in spite of its age, is still the 800-pound gorilla of the MMORPG genre. It's not surprising that a rival game would poke fun at it in an attempt to get some publicity. Fortunately Trion is doing so in a way that actually helps a good cause.