Vivendi gave World of Warcraft gamers a pleasant surprise as it revealed the contents of its earning statements for 2008. The statement released by the company hinted that the release date of the upcoming WoW expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, should be expected by the second half of 2008.

If you don't believe us, here's an excerpt taken from the earning statement unveiled by Vivendi:

A comparison of the first quarters of 2007 and 2008 performances is not representative because the first quarter of 2007 included the hugely successful release of World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade. Blizzard Entertainment's second expansion, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, is scheduled to be released in the second half of 2008.

This is the first time an actual confirmation date was announced for the highly anticipated expansion. This definitely jives with some of the previously released information regarding its release on Amazon and Gamestop.

In addition, the financial statement mentions that WoW subscribers have grown to 10.7 million in number, up from 10 million at the end of 2007. Hopefully, all the facts revealed by Vivendi will be on track regarding Wrath of the Lich King's release this year. For more updates regarding World of Warcraft and its upcoming expansion, check back in with us again here at QJ.NET.