LucasArts and Petroglyph today announced that Star Wars Empire at War: Forces of Corruption, the highly-anticipated expansion for Star Wars: Empire at War, has shipped to retail stores in North America.

In the award-winning and best-selling Star Wars: Empire at War, players controlled an entire war for the Star Wars galaxy as the Rebel Alliance or the Galactic Empire. Now, they will face off against both of them in Star Wars Empire at War: Forces of Corruption as a brand new third faction. As Tyber Zann, players will stop at nothing as they seek to further the sinister agenda of the Zann Consortium and become the most notorious criminal leader since Jabba the Hutt. With all new tactics like piracy, kidnapping, and bribery, players can control the shadowy forces of corruption in their attempt to rule the Star Wars underworld.

“Star Wars Empire at War: Forces of Corruption allows fans to experience the Star Wars universe in an entirely new way,” said Nancy MacIntyre, vice president global sales and marketing for LucasArts. “People have always wanted to peek inside the shady underground of the galaxy – home to the spies, bounty hunters and smugglers – and Forces of Corruption finally gives them the chance to do so. The illicit technologies, black-market goods, and underhanded tactics in Forces of Corruption allow players to become gangsters in the wretched hives of Star Wars scum and villainy.”

“Creating a completely new faction in Forces of Corruption gave us the opportunity to add a remarkable amount of new content and gameplay to the Empire at War story,” said Mike Legg, president of Petroglyph. “In addition, the decision to add to the Star Wars lore gave us the freedom to create unique and fantastic units and characters. We believe that all Empire at War players, and Star Wars fans alike, will find something new and exciting in Forces of Corruption.”

In advance of playing the full retail version of Star Wars Empire at War: Forces of Corruption, players can hone their skills at racketeering, slavery and intimidation through the single-player demo. Brand-new corruption gameplay elements are available in the demo, along with new underground units and weapons such as cloaking transports, defilers, and buzz droids. The demo is available at: http://www.fileplanet.com/promotions/empireatwar/foc/index.aspx.