As reported by Massively, ‘World of Warcraft’ has lost 1.1 million subscribers worldwide since May 2011. Most of the subscription losses occurred in the eastern market, leading many to speculate that Blizzard’s legal problems in China are the source of the loss. Also a factor, many have completed the ‘Cataclysm’ expansion pack and unsubscribed to save money in anticipation of the new ‘World of Warcraft’ material. Whatever the reason is, Blizzard remains confident many will return to the land of Azeroth soon.

At BlizzCon last month, Blizzard announced the ‘Mists of Pandaria’ expansion. According to the company’s press release, the fourth expansion for ‘World of Warcraft’ will feature a new race, the Pandaren, new locations, and will raise the level cap to 90. Although Blizzard has not announced a release date for ‘Mists of Pandaria,’ the amount of information Blizzard has revealed about the expansion suggests it will be available in 2012. With a new expansion on the horizon and a new Brazilian-Portuguese edition of ‘World of Warcraft’ available December 6, the loss of subscribers should subside.

But Activision Blizzard is not too concerned about the loss of ‘World of Warcraft’ subscribers. Why? Because the company’s profits are triple what they were last year. Activision Blizzard reported $627 million in sales for this quarter, and $148 million of that total is pure profit. Helping the company are its digital sales, which comprise the majority (62%) of sales. Next year should be even better for the company with the expected release of ‘Mists of Pandaria,’ ‘Diablo III,’ and ‘Call of Duty.’