Atari has announced the development of "Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer," an upcoming expansion to Obsidian Entertainment's role-playing game that will be released in the Fall.

"In Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer, players are transported back to the Forgotten Realms shortly after the events detailed in the original Neverwinter Nights 2. Following the climactic battle against the King of Shadows, the player awakens alone and stranded deep beneath the earth. Surrounded by a horde of evil spirits, the player embarks on an epic adventure that reveals his true destiny.

"Atari's commitment to the Neverwinter Nights franchise and the enormous community is strong," said Nique Fajors, Vice President, Sales, Marketing, Atari, Inc. "We are on track to release the Neverwinter Nights 2 expansion pack this Fall, less than one year since the launch of Obsidian's outstanding sequel, and are confident the new features will deliver a role-playing experience that further engages and satisfies fans."

Set in harsh, spirit-rich Rashemen, near the powerful nation of Thay, Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer will present players with an exciting new campaign; epic levels; dozens of new feats and spells; new races, base classes and prestige classes; new companions; new weapons, armor and crafting options; hordes of new monsters; and enhanced modding tools.

"Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer's engrossing campaign will conclude the storyline that began in the original Neverwinter Nights 2 and focus on combat, exploration and classic D&D dungeon-crawling," said Feargus Urquhart, CEO, Obsidian Entertainment. "We're also making new advances in story and character development as well as improving upon the acclaimed companion Influence System used in both Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords and Neverwinter Nights 2."

The Neverwinter Nights franchise has sold more than three million copies worldwide, is translated into 10 languages, sold in more than 40 countries and features one of the largest and most active fan communities in all of gaming."