Killzone is (almost) Five! – Celebrate with a Double XP Weekend and More

November 26 will be a very special day for all of us here at Guerrilla. On that day, exactly five years ago, the very first Killzone title for PlayStation 2 hit the shelves in Europe. Sure, the game had already been released in the US three weeks prior, but hey…Guerrilla is based in the Netherlands. We commemorate the 26th because that’s the date that we were finally able to see the fruits of our labor in Dutch stores.

Of course, it would be a shame to leave this occasion unmarked –- and I’m not talking about the champagne and strange Dutch snacks we’ll undoubtedly be having at the studio. We also want to celebrate it with you, the fans. After all, the Killzone brand wouldn’t be where it is today without your support. So here’s what we have in store for you over the next few days:

Looking back at Killzone 1
Later this week on Killzone.com, Seb “Motherh” Downie and I are going to play through the first Killzone game for you. We’ll be commenting on our favorite sections and wallowing in beer-induced nostalgia.

Killzone 2 retro tournament
This weekend (November 27-30) Guerrilla will host a Killzone 2 retro tournament, using only the Beach Head and Southern Hills maps from the second DLC pack. And there’s more to be gained than valor alone, because…

Double XP Weekend returns
…the tournament will take place during a Double XP Weekend! Just like last time, any game created in the weekend of November 27-30 will yield extra XP to help you boost your ranking.

Killzone 1 and 2 side-by-side
Finally, Killzone.com editor Victor Zuylen will compare various features of Killzone 2 with its predecessor next week, illustrating exactly how far we’ve come since the first Killzone game was released.

And starting today, Killzone 2 DLC goes on sale on the PlayStation Store — Flash & Thunder is now $2.99 and the Map Pack Bundle is down to $9.99 — until December 10. I hope you’ll join us in celebrating the fifth anniversary of Killzone! In the meantime, I’m going to put on my Top Hits of 2004 album and try to remember how I partied five years ago. Eric out.