Blizzard Entertainment says World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria, the fourth expansion set for the subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game, will be available in stores and online starting from Sept. 25.

Upon the expansion’s release, intrepid explorers of the Alliance and the Horde will be able to set foot upon the shores of the long-lost continent of Pandaria and embark on a perilous journey to uncover its ancient mysteries, according to the folks at Blizzard.

Mists of Pandaria will be available on DVD-ROM for Mac OS X and Windows XP/Windows Vista/Windows 7 at a suggested retail price of US$39.99. The expansion will also be available digitally directly from Blizzard’s World of Warcraft website (http://www.WorldofWarcraft.com), also priced at $39.99.

A special Collector’s Edition packed with bonus items will be available exclusively in retail stores for a suggested retail price of $79.99. In addition, for the first time, World of Warcraft players have the option to purchase a special Digital Deluxe version of the expansion containing the in-game bonus items from the Collector’s Edition.

The Digital Deluxe version is available to download directly from Blizzard via http://www.WorldofWarcraft.com for $59.99. Players who purchase the standard edition digitally or at retail will have the option to upgrade to the Digital Deluxe version at any time (for as long as the standalone Digital Deluxe version remains available) for an additional $20.