We just added two new wallpapers to our World of Warcraft wallpapers section. These wallpapers feature some amazing artwork from the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game. Head over to the Upper Deck Entertainment website now to learn more about the game, see more art, or even download some demo decks.

Verne Troyer (of Austin Powers 'Mini-me' fame) is happy to tell us all about his mighty mage in this latest TV commercial for World of Warcraft. You can check out this fifth commercial, along with the previous ones, and discover exactly how BIG Verne's mage really is.

Now you can send a Winter Veil E-Card to that special someone and bring a touch of World of Warcraft to them. This new E-Card has been added to our E-Card collection, ready for you to personalize and send to a friend… or three!

We have just updated the Fan Art Gallery with a new submission. You can check out this gorgeous draenei priestess, our latest submission from Bishop.

If you are an artist, you can submit your fan art to us here. We update our Gallery frequently, so check back often to view new submissions!

We have just added a new selectable theme to our Theme-O-Matic for Winter Veil. Use the Theme-O-Matic to spice up the World of Warcraft homepage for this holiday season!

It’s that time of the year again! All across Azeroth and Outland, festive decorations adorn towns and cities as the Horde and the Alliance begin their annual celebration of the Feast of Winter Veil. Join in the festivities and experience some brand-new Winter Veil content this year, such as…

• New holiday themed cooking, tailoring, and leatherworking recipes
• A new mechanotoy present under tree on the 25th – the Clockwork Rocket Bot
• Outland bosses that drop festive red and green winter hats matching the tailoring and leatherworking clothes
• Improved Fresh and Preserved Holly that now also works on flying mounts, transforming them into flying reindeer

Now you can choose your side and support your faction right from the World of Warcraft homepage. With brand new themes for the website, all your official World of Warcraft information will come with the stamp of the noble Alliance, or the mighty Horde.

Choose your side, and dress up the World of Warcraft website.

What's useful for generals to give orders to their troops in the heat of combat? To help a raid direct its force where it's most needed? Why, Voice Chat, of course! To celebrate the launch of Voice Chat, as well as the Feast of Winter Veil, we're teaming up with Logitech to give out great loot.

Check out our Voice Chat Contest page to find out how you can qualify to win one of fifty Logitech G51 5.1 Surround Sound Speaker sets or one hundred Digital Precision PC Gaming Headsets! You can also read the Terms and Conditions for more information.

This week, Chloé Tessier sends us one of her latest works, a dark and mysterious Draenei Warrior, to add to our Fan Art gallery.

We're always happy to receive new artwork, and you can find out how to submit your own pieces to us here.

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced that World of Warcraft is to be fully localized in Russian for release in 2008. The Russian version will be the fifth officially supported European language, complementing the existing English, French, German and Spanish versions. Check out our Press Release in English or Russian to learn more!

In a new World of Warcraft commercial for our French-speaking players, Jean-Claude Van Damme, a mighty mage of the Horde, wants to know: what's your game? Answer carefully, or he'll sheep you.

View the Jean-Claude Van Damme commercial here.

Transcripts are available for English, German, and Spanish.

Dreamhack has closed its door for now, but the impressions will linger for a long time still. Those watching – or participating in – the grand final of the Extreme Masters 3v3 Arena tournament between Team Pandemic and MoB Turtle Force will remember an exciting battle resulting in Team Pandemic emerging victorious after the maximum possible ten games.

In the World of Warcraft leveling tournament, we saw a tight race between several contestants who went beyond level 5 in less than 20 minutes. Zax from Warstomped won the tournament with his Dwarf Paladin reaching level 5 and 831 XP, followed by two Rogues – Blood Elf and Night Elf, in that order.

Many players also joined us for some trading card game fun the last evening and early morning, learning the game and/or playing against Blizzard members for fun and prizes.

We hope everybody else at Dreamhack enjoyed it as much as we did, and look forward to meet up with players, fan sites and others at the next live event. Maybe we'll even see some of you at a future Darkmoon Faire.

We are pleased to announce that the winner of the inaugural worldwide World of Warcraft Trading Card Game Championship is none other than Guillaume Matignon from France! Using the Horde deck with Nathadan, Guillaume overcame his adversaries in a series of twelve undefeated rounds. You can read more about the Championship, including an interview with Guillaume, at Upper Deck's site. Congratulations again to him on bringing the title, and the $100,000 prize, home to Europe!

This week, Djib sends us one of his latest masterpieces, Corrida, a plucky and courageous gnome, to add to our Fan Art gallery.

We're always happy to receive new artwork, and you can find out how to submit your own pieces to us here.

We're pleased to announce that along with the other companies that make up Vivendi Games, we are merging with Activision to form a new global entertainment organization called Activision Blizzard (pending shareholder and regulatory approval). Similar to our previous arrangement, Blizzard Entertainment will now operate as a division of this new organization.

There will be no changes to our games, our websites, our personnel, or our day-to-day operations as a result of the deal. However, this combining of resources will benefit all of the companies involved and will further strengthen Blizzard's ability to continue delivering high-quality content for our players around the world for many years to come. To learn more about this exciting new development, please read our press release and Activision Blizzard FAQ.

World of Warcraft comes to a television near you with these amusing and alternative commercials.

Here is your chance to see some familiar faces in not-so familiar settings, as William Shatner, Mr T, Verne Troyer (coming soon) and Willy Toledo ask you,
"What's your game?"

You may never look at these 'heroes' in quite the same way again.

Have a look at the European TV commercials now!

DreamHack Winter 2007 has opened, and with more than 8,000 participants and their computers in place it's time for action.

The Intel Extreme Masters Arena tournament with 8 top ranked World of Warcraft teams is underway. You can follow the results on the Extreme Masters DreamHack page and see the matches live on ESL TV.

The finals of the World of Warcraft levelling contest at DreamHack will take place on Saturday evening. For details including how to sign up for this contest, please check the levelling contest thread on the Community Events and News forum.

For additional information, including chances to try your World of Warcraft trading card game deck against one of Blizzard's decks, keep an eye on the Blizzard at DreamHack thread.

We have introduced a convenient way to report players who are not actively participating in battlegrounds. With just two clicks, a player can be reported as AFK, which will prevent them from gaining honor until they begin to participate in the battleground match. To learn more about this feature you can read the full article in our FAQ section.

We have just updated our Wrath of the Lich King Screenshot Gallery with two new screenshots.

Hygami presents us with a dark and mysterious warlock as the latest awesome addition to our Fan Art gallery.

We're always happy to receive new artwork, and you can find out how to submit your own pieces to us here.

The well-known Upper Deck Entertainment Darkmoon Faire reappeared on November 17 and 18 in Lille, France! The TCG and World of Warcraft players hurried to the event with great enthusiasm and partook of the festivities offered by Blizzard and Upper Deck Entertainment. Be sure to read the full coverage of this fun real-life event, one of the most attended Faires ever, here!

After a great experience at DreamHack 2006, Blizzard will be attending DreamHack Winter 2007 in Jönköping, Sweden - one of the world's largest LAN parties. DreamHack runs from November 29th to December 2nd.

In collaboration with Intel, Dell and ESL, Blizzard are inviting the eight top-ranked teams from the cancelled WSVG World of Warcraft Arena pro-gaming event to compete in the international Intel® Extreme Masters Season II. The tournament will take place on November 29th and 30th. If you're planning on attending DreamHack, make sure to catch these exciting Arena matches, and check in for other World of Warcraft-related activities.

We're happy to announce that through the wonders of modern gnomish engineering, you are now able to change the names of your characters! Finally, you can turn the name that seemed like a good idea at the time into something more befitting your true status in World of Warcraft.

Visit Account Management to begin the character-name-change process. The fee is 8,00€ (£6.00) per name change. For the complete explanation on this new improvement to World of Warcraft, check out our guide here.

Corresponding with the release of Patch 2.3 for World of Warcraft, the Armory has been updated to reflect the many in-game changes and additions. Here are some of the notable features of this Armory update:

• New Login-Protected Feature: Guild Banks
  Guild members can view their Guild Bank contents and transaction logs on the first login-protected area of the Armory. The new Guild Bank pages require you to log in with your World of Warcraft account to access them. You must also have been granted the appropriate Guild Bank permissions by your guildmaster to view these pages. Find out more at our Login and Guild FAQs.
• Patch 2.3 Item Changes and Additions
  The many new items included in the patch (including new Badge of Justice rewards) have been added to the Item Database, and existing items have had their tooltips updated to reflect the additions of Expertise Rating as well as the bonus spell damage derived from bonus healing effects.
• And More...
  You'll also find many miscellaneous improvements in this update, from the addition of Guild Tabards to all Guild pages, to the appearance of Guild Message of the Day and Guild Information messages on the Guild Bank pages (login required), and the placement of new character titles and Personal Arena Ratings in Character and Team Profiles.

Mr. T, William Shatner, and Verne Troyer (coming soon) are asking, in a series of television commercials: 'What's Your Game?' The answer, 'foo',' is: World of Warcraft! Click on the links below to watch streaming versions of the Mr. T and William Shatner World of Warcraft commercials. These commercials, along with others specially made for some European countries, will be airing in the coming weeks. Check back here often for more details.

Click here to watch the TV ads.

Having fun with her friends, 'Sélénien' is today's amazing Fan Art submission from talented artist Virginie Humbert.

We're always delighted to receive new artwork, and you can find out how to submit your own pieces to us here.

Congratulations to Nysard on Moonglade, the English-language winner of the Hallow's End Recipe Contest! Take a moment to check out his winning entry, along with several Honorable Mentions, on our Hallow's End Recipe Contest Winners page!

This week-end, the Darkmoon Faire will be coming to Lille! From November 17 to 18, Blizzard and Upper Deck Entertainment are once again proud to present a fun and exciting World of Warcraft Trading Card Game event. Clint Langley, one of the World of Warcraft TCG artists, will be present for signing sessions, so bring your cards or pick up one of the exclusive art pieces available at the event!

Players can compete for great prizes in epic TCG battles, with Draft, Constructed, and Lazy Peon tournaments available for participants to show their skills or learn more about the game. There'll be other World of Warcraft activities also running, including some brand new ones.

Check out our coverage of the Darkmoon Faires in Frankfurt, Milan and London for a small taste of what might happen in Lille!

We have just updated our Wrath of the Lich King Screenshot Gallery with two new screenshots.

The World of Warcraft team is happy to announce the release of the new content patch, "The Gods of Zul'Aman." Highlights of the new patch include:

Zul'Aman: The stronghold of Zul'Aman has stood for millennia as the Amani trolls' seat of power and bastion of the fearless and cunning warlord Zul'jin.

Guild Banks: The guild bank is a shared repository for an entire guild and will be accessible through guild vault objects near existing banks. The Guild Bank will allow players with the appropriate permissions to store items and money for use by the rest of the guild.

Dustwallow Marsh Revamp: Dustwallow Marsh has seen many improvements with the addition of more than 50 quests and a new neutral goblin town called Mudsprocket located in the southern part of the zone. There is also a small quest hub featuring a crashed goblin zeppelin, to the east of Tabetha's hut.

Leveling Improvements: The amount of experience needed to gain a level has been decreased between levels 20 and 60. In addition, the amount of experience granted by quests has been increased between levels 30 and 60.

And much more, including:

• New daily quests are available for battlegrounds, normal dungeons, and Heroic dungeons.
• New Vindicator (PvP) rewards are available through the Honor system.
• New Badge of Justice (PvE) rewards are available from bosses in Heroic mode dungeons.
• New player-crafted flying machines and a Cenarion-reputation flying mount are now available.

On patch day everyone wants to get the new content as soon as possible, and our Technical Support team is here to help you with a special FAQ designed to address any issues which might arise while patching.

They are there for you by phone and email, and you can access the full support site here.

Germany, Italy, and now England: The Darkmoon Faire is touring all over Europe, and its latest stop was in London! From 20 to 21 October, Upper Deck Entertainment and Blizzard gave players another opportunity to face off against each other in exciting TCG tournaments and compete in all kind of fun in-game contests.

Read more about the latest TCG Darkmoon Faire in London on this page!

Dramatically enigmatic, 'Blood Elf Jurka in Terokkar Forest' is today's amazing Fan Art submission from talented artist Jurij Jelizarov.

We're always delighted to receive new artwork, and you can find out how to submit your own pieces to us here.

Five-person dungeons are a cornerstone of World of Warcraft. The experience of teaming up with a small group of fellow players to take on challenges --and gain rewards -- beyond the reach of a single player has lasting appeal. With Wrath of the Lich King, dungeon design is being pushed to a new level of immersion, refinement, and sheer fun.

We sat down with the World of Warcraft design team to get insight into the overall philosophy behind five-person dungeon design in Wrath of the Lich King. In the process, they gave us some details on one of the first dungeons players will experience in Northrend, Utgarde Keep, as an example of these ideas in action.

Do you have inspirational stories about the people you've met or the personal connections you've made in World of Warcraft? Submit them for consideration in our new series – a selection will be featured on our website. For more information, check out the stories page.

We have just updated our Wrath of the Lich King Screenshot Gallery with two new screenshots.

We've just updated our Fan Art Wallpaper section with a new wallpaper featuring Cloud Sky.

Now you can have this beautiful piece of art on your own desktop!

Noble and proud, 'Champion of the Exodar' is today's amazing Fan Art submission from talented artist Spirit.

We're always delighted to receive new artwork, and you can find out how to submit your own pieces to us here.

Olibith is a French player who has succeeded in leaving his mark on the international WoW Community with his outstanding videos based upon the World of Warcraft universe. Combining music and images with a touch of comedy and a dash of creative insight, these short films have won the acclaim and the hearts of many.

Check out our latest Spotlight to uncover this colorful character and delve into the little secrets underlying the creation of his masterpieces!

Fans and fansites rejoice! Our fansite kit offers a range of resources to help you put together the perfect World of Warcraft fansite. Even better, it now includes images and information from World of Warcraft Classic to Wrath of the Lich King, and including The Burning Crusade.

All you need to add are the fans, and to help you advertise your site, we've given our fansite page a new look. With more than ten languages represented, there's a fansite for everyone.

For a taste of something special, why not check out our Fan Art gallery? You can see the talented work of artists like Mho, who submitted this terrific picture.

If you want to submit your own artwork, you can read more about the Fan Art gallery here.

We have just updated our Wrath of the Lich King Screenshot Gallery with two new screenshots.

We have just launched our newest feature on the World of Warcraft Europe site: the Online Atlas! No longer will you have to wander the worlds, lost, searching for a profession trainer, vendor, or quest hub. With the Online Atlas, Azeroth and Outland are just a click away. Here's a taste of what you can find in the Online Atlas:

• Region Levels
• Profession Trainers
• Flight Paths, Zeppelin and Boat Routes
• Dungeon Information
• Detailed Region Information

The PLAY Symphony, an orchestration of music from World of Warcraft and other videogame titles, will be appearing at the Electroworld Exposition in Lillestrøm, Norway at 20:30 CET, Friday 26th of October. Norwegian players will have the opportunity to experience familiar themes from World of Warcraft as performed by over 130 musicians from Norway's Kringkastingsorkesteret orchestra and the Oslo Philharmonic Choir. In addition to stage effects, lighting and video, the World of Warcraft score will be accompanied by a performance from live roleplaying group Gråsida.

More information on the event can be found here.

Additionally, the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet will be streaming a live interview with World of Warcraft lead composer Jason Hayes and PLAY producer Jason Paul at 17:00 CET, Thursday 25th of October.

Our Fan Art gallery now features "Together" by talented artist Shilin Huang.

We're always looking for new artwork to grace our gallery, and you can read more about how to submit your art here.

If you are new to World of Warcraft you might be interested to learn that a World of Warcraft Battle Chest is now available for only 34.99 € (£24.99)! The Battle Chest includes everything you need to play World of Warcraft and its expansion The Burning Crusade:

• A DVD of World of Warcraft and an Authentication Key to create your personal account
• A DVD of the expansion to World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade and an expansion Authentication Key
• Two official World of Warcraft Battle Chest guides from Brady Games

This Hallow's End, adventurers will face a new challenge striking at the very base of their homelands: the Headless Horseman! This fearsome creature will unleash destruction upon towns across Azeroth. The stout of heart should rush out to meet him! To learn more about this event, which will run from 18 to 31 October, please check our Hallow's End page.

This weekend, the Darkmoon Faire will be held in London! For two days, from October 20 to 21, Blizzard and Upper Deck will join forces to present players with a fun World of Warcraft Trading Card Game event. Players will be able to compete for great prizes in epic TCG battles. Draft, Constructed, and Lazy Peon tournaments will also be available for participants to show their skills or to learn more about the game. For those who want a break from the card game, other World of Warcraft events, such as in-game leveling contests, races, and PvP contests will be available.

For full coverage, check out our overview of the Real Life Darkmoon Faire. Also, you can learn more about what will be going on in London at the Upper Deck World of Warcraft TCG website.

We have just updated our Wrath of the Lich King Screenshot Gallery with two new screenshots.

Cast Scroll of Resurrection and get a free month! Invite a former player of World of Warcraft to try the latest content of World of Warcraft for 10 days free and you could get 30 days free play! For every friend who returns to the game through your Scroll of Resurrection invitation, and then re-subscribes to the game with a paid subscription, you will receive one free month of World of Warcraft game-time.

A new version of the Recruit A Friend, the Scroll of Resurrection allows previous subscribers of World of Warcraft to come back and play for 10 days free! The offer includes access to The Burning Crusade, so players who have not already been to Outland will also be able to brave the new perils and challenges to be found through the Dark Portal. Click here to visit the Scroll of Resurrection page in the Account Management and start resurrecting your friends! You can also learn more about the Scroll of Resurrection by reading our FAQ.

Since World of Warcraft launched in 2004, the staff at Blizzard has watched enthusiastically as the community pushed machinima in Azeroth from an unexplored, unproven experiment to a broadly utilized and intricate craft, producing thousands of videos ranging across every type and genre.

To nurture the advancement and growth of this artistic community, we've just released a new page to provide resources and insight helpful to the ongoing development of cutting-edge videos crafted from the World of Warcraft experience.

Check out our new machinima page now!

Our Fan Art gallery now features Hue, Undead Warlock by talented artist Hanna Enqvist.

We're always looking for new artwork to grace our gallery, and you can read more about how to submit your art here.

As part of celebrating Hallow's End, the denizens of Azeroth are brewing up more than just spooky fun. Send us your Hallow's End alchemy and cooking recipes. The most creative and interesting recipes will be posted on our website and will win a cool, new Blizzard-themed iPod!

Check out our Hallow's End Recipe Contest page and our Terms and Conditions for more information.

We have just updated our Wrath of the Lich King Screenshot Gallery with two new screenshots.

The Voice Chat feature has been activated for all European realms. To learn more about Voice Chat, please check our Voice Chat guide.

Our Fan Art gallery now features a paladin by talented artist Ian Watson.

We're always looking for new artwork to grace our gallery, and you can read more about how to submit your art here.

We've just updated our Game Guide section with a new, more in-depth Macro Guide! We will be adding content to this guide regularly, so check back often for updates.

We have just updated our Wrath of the Lich King Screenshot Gallery with two new screenshots.

The Voice Chat feature has been activated for realms in the Blutdurst and Cyclone battlegroups. Other realms will be activated later. To learn more about the activation of the feature, please check this thread. To learn more about Voice Chat, please check our Voice Chat guide.

We are happy to announce the unveiling of our new Blizzard Support site! If you encounter any technical issues with Blizzard games, you can check this site to find the solutions to your problem. The support site is updated regularly and welcomes reports from players. Take a moment to check it out!

Celebrated by both the Horde and the Alliance, the Brewfest is a time to enjoy the fermented fruits of the harvest: pretzels, cheese, and the like. Beginning tomorrow, adventurers can explore and sample many exotic new games, wares, and foods at this event. To learn more about this fun new event, watch our new Brewfest video!

Check out this amazing new piece of fan art by Tom Jilesen!

Our Fan Art Gallery is always open for new submissions, and you can read more about how to send us your art here.

One of the eagerly anticipated features of Wrath of the Lich King is the new Death Knight hero class. We have just posted an interview with the World of Warcraft development team about the Death Knight, as well as a bit of lore concerning the history and creation of this cool new class. You can read them both on our Wrath of the Lich King features page!

New to World of Warcraft or The Burning Crusade? Then you'll be pleased to hear that these games are now available at a new, low price! World of Warcraft's recommended retail price is now €14.99 (£9.99) and The Burning Crusade's is €19.99 (£14.99) at most major retailers.

If you have yet to try World of Warcraft you can try it free for 10 days or, if you're already playing World of Warcraft, you can also try the expansion to World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade for 10 days free!

We have just updated our Wrath of the Lich King Screenshot Gallery with two new screenshots.

A new holiday is sweeping through Azeroth and Outland; beginning on October 3, there will be a celebration of the fine art of brewing: Brewfest! Hardy adventurers are invited to stop by the brewers' tents outside of Ironforge and Orgrimmar to sample their selected, and exotic, fare. But, Brewfest is about more than just fine brews. Heroes of the Horde and Alliance can also help their preferred vendors to spread their fame throughout the land. Check out our Brewfest page to learn more about this hearty new holiday!

Those who plan to attend this fest can begin preparing themselves for the feasting by stopping in on the Harvest Festival this week!

The latest content patch for World of Warcraft, Patch 2.2, is live. This patch contains improvements to the chat interface, video capture for the Mac client, and Voice Chat. Please note that the Voice Chat feature will not be enabled for European realms until October 3rd. For more information about the implementation of this feature, please read this thread.

To find the full listing of bug fixes and additions in this patch, please check the patch notes.

We have added two updates to the World of Warcraft Armory: the Arena Calculator and an Armory browser search plugin.

Arena Calculator
The Arena Calculator is a new tool that allows you to do a number of helpful calculations for when and how you can spend your arena points. Choose one of the three useful calculators to help you answer the following questions:

• How many arena points will I earn this week?
• What's the average rating I'll need to get my desired arena reward?
• When can I expect to get my desired arena reward?

Browser Search Plugin
Searching the Armory just got even more convenient!

With the click of a button, add the World of Warcraft Armory search field to your browser for instant Armory access from anywhere on the web! Currently supported browsers are Firefox and Internet Explorer 7. Add Armory Search to your browser today!

We have just updated our Fan Art Wallpapers with a new wallpaper. This wallpaper is based upon a piece named Azshara.

Check out this amazing new piece of fan art by Christian von Dreger!

Our Fan Art Gallery is always open for new submissions, and you can read more about how to send us your art here.

After its first stop in Frankfurt on the 12th of May, Upper Deck Entertainment World of Warcraft TCG Darkmoon Faire continued its tour across Europe, stopping this time in Milan on the week-end of the 15th and 16th of September.

Once again, Upper Deck and Blizzard came together to offer players a vast array of TCG tournaments, in-game events, and a few more surprises...

Read more about the latest TCG Darkmoon Faire in Milan on this page!

We are happy to announce our newest addition to the World of Warcraft Forums: the Wrath of the Lich King forum! Here players can discuss and ask questions about the features announced for the up-coming expansion to World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King. Take a moment to check it out!

We have just updated our Fan Art Wallpapers with a new wallpaper from Setallia. This wallpaper is based upon a piece named Darjana, you can find the original fan art submission from Setallia by checking out our Blizzard Fan Art Gallery.

As leader of the last elven defenders of Quel'Thalas, Sylvanas Windrunner suffered a terrible fate: her spirit was ripped from her body and transformed into a banshee. When the Lich King's power faltered, however, she and other undead were freed of Scourge control. She has since reclaimed her body and become queen of these undead rebels, the Forsaken. Although her heart is full of bitterness, she cannot forget the people she once loved....

Watch our new World of Warcraft gameplay video of Sylvanas singing "Lament of the Highborne," a sad, ancient elven song of bravery against overwhelming odds.

Relive the revelry of BlizzCon 2007, or experience it for the first time, with our new video trailer of the event. This video captures the sensory impressions and experiences of being at BlizzCon as well as the atmosphere of fun and camaraderie that was the true lifeblood of the show.

The trailer is available to view now in streaming Flash format, as well as in a downloadable, high-definition DivX version.

Check out this amazing new piece of fan art by Alba de Mingo!

Our Fan Art Gallery is always open for new submissions, and you can read more about how to send us your art here.

Once thought mere legend, the Ogre plateau of enlightenment is indeed real, and those who prove their worth may find much to occupy themselves in the hidden sanctuary of Ogri'la. Level 70 players are able to assist the ogres of Ogri'la in their battle with invading forces and engage in a selection of one-time and daily quests. The Outland faction has much to offer an enterprising player in search of enlightenment – and perhaps also those with more material rewards in mind. We've updated our World of Warcraft Guide with a new page on gaining reputation with Ogri'la.

This weekend, the Darkmoon Faire will be held in Milan! For two days, from September 15 to 16, Blizzard and Upper Deck will join forces to present players with a fun World of Warcraft Trading Card Game event. Players will be able to compete for in-game Murloc pets and other great prizes in epic TCG battles. Draft, Constructed, and Lazy Peon tournaments will also be available for participants to show their skills or to learn more about the game. For those who want a break from the card game, other World of Warcraft events, such as in-game leveling contests, races, and dueling contests will be available.

For full coverage, check out our overview of the Real Life Darkmoon Faire. Also, you can learn more about what will be going on in Milan at the Upper Deck World of Warcraft TCG website.

We hope to see you in Milan!

Check out this amazing new piece of fan art by Anton Zemskov!

Our Fan Art Gallery is always open for new submissions, and you can read more about how to send us your art here.

The Sha'tari Riding Nether Ray is a mark of honor bestowed upon those brave and generous enough to have lent their strength to both the Sha'tari Skyguard and the ogres of Ogri'la. Adventurers such as these are part of an awe-inspiring elite to others who must make do with lesser mounts. Those who wish to join the ranks of the Sha'tari Skyguard should check out our new Sha'tari Skyguard tips page.

Our fan art gallery has been updated with awesome new art by Hex.

If you want to submit art to the Blizzard Fan Art program, you can read all about it here.

We have updated our Games Convention 2007 coverage with a recap page detailing everything that was happening at the Blizzard booth during the event. Read about tournaments, the live raid on Illidan and interviews with the winner of our fan art contest as well as the creators of the Shakes & Fidget comic. If you couldn't attend the GC yourself, you can still get impressions of this great event from our picture gallery.

Our fan art gallery has been updated with awesome new art by Lupi.

If you want to submit art to the Blizzard Fan Art program, you can read all about it here.

Our intrepid reporters at the Games Convention caught up with Nihilum before their anticipated 'live raid' on the Black Temple, to talk with them about a range of topics. Read more about one of Europe's most famous guilds here.

From the 23rd to the 26th of August 2007, the Games Convention commences in Leipzig, Germany, for the sixth time in the history of this massive video entertainment conference in Europe.

More than 500 exhibitors are presenting new products and technologies to players, and Blizzard Entertainment is right in the middle of the action, giving live speeches and presentations as well as hosting playing stations for its recently announced StarCraft II and the second expansion for World of Warcraft, Wrath of the Lich King.

The ongoing events will also include a live raid on the Black Temple with top European guild Nihilum on Saturday.

Read more about our plans for this event and have a look at photos and reports on our dedicated GC 2007 coverage page!

The Netherwing mounts surely are the envy of all those adventurers who trudge along dusty roads, watching as those exalted enough to have earned the trust of these mighty dragons soar overhead. Getting your own Netherwing drake is made a little easier with these tips about the Netherwing Faction.

Now is your chance to become a member of Blizzard. We are looking for talented individuals with excellent teamwork skills to expand our Game Master Teams. Join Blizzard now and use your unique skills to help us make a great game even better! You can learn more about working at Blizzard and can also have a small glimpse at life on GM Island by visiting our Recruitment section.

In early October, we'll be releasing the World of Warcraft Battle Chest, which combines the DVD versions of World of Warcraft and the game's first expansion, The Burning Crusade, with the BradyGames strategy guides for both titles all in one package. At a suggested retail price of €34.99, this will be a great value for anyone looking to begin their World of Warcraft experience -- and a great gift for anyone you'd like to share that experience with. The World of Warcraft Battle Chest will begin shipping on October 12 and should be available in stores nationwide shortly thereafter.

The Armory has been updated with improvements to enhance the effectiveness and performance of the wide range of functions it offers. You'll find that the paging and sorting features have been enhanced and the tooltips which appear when mousing over items should be much more responsive. In addition, the 'Find an Upgrade' function should now be more intuitive, providing recommendations which are more customized to your character. Last, but not least, the address of the Armory has changed to http://eu.wowarmory.com.

You can review the full list of enhancements at the Updates page.

We have new fan art from Valery to grace our gallery and astound our viewers. Check out the latest addition here.
If you're an artist with a penchant for Blizzard-themed pieces, why not submit your art to our gallery?

The newest developments in StarCraft II and Wrath of the Lich King can be experienced hands-on at the Games Convention, commencing 23 August in Leipzig. Attendees will be able to adventure in Northrend and venture into Utgarde Keep and for StarCraft fans, the Terran and Protoss will be available for play in single-player and multiplayer battles. Developers will be on hand to give live demonstrations and presentations of these latest Blizzard games. An opportunity not to be missed, all this and more will be available at the Blizzard booth at the Games Convention.

Fires of Outland is the latest set for the World of Warcraft TCG, and it features the most exciting in-game Loot items yet. Set up a Goblin Gumbo stand and distribute Landro Longshot's secret recipe to members of your party. When they eat it, they'll belch green gas with a loud burping sound. The Fishing Chair gives you a comfortable seat to relax in while you fish, and it even comes with its own umbrella for shade. The rarest Loot item in Fires of Outland is the Spectral Tiger, an eye-catching, epic-speed mount. Once Fires of Outland is released, the Spectral Tiger is sure to become the most sought-after World of Warcraft TCG Loot item yet.

For full information and images on these items, visit the official article on WoWTCG.com.

The neutral city of Halaa is prized for its strategic importance to both factions. As a highly visible target, with its own unique rewards, the city is the focus for the world PvP that occurs in Nagrand. We've updated our World of Warcraft Game Guide with a new tips page on Halaa-based PvP combat.

We have added a patch to the Public Test Realms which includes many changes, not the least of which is the new voice chat functionality. You can read about this change, and all the other changes on the Test Realms here.

Hard as it was to choose between them, we've finally made the decision to award the prize to S. Algehov of Sweden. You can see the winning entry here, and also see why we had such a hard time choosing from the other great entries. Many thanks to all those who contributed – it was a real pleasure to receive work from so many talented artists.

We've added some more photos to the BlizzCon Gallery. Check out the excitement and energy of Level 70 Elite Tauren Chieftain's concert, and the hard work of the costume contest entrants.

We have just updated the Blizzard Fan Art Gallery with a new submission from talented artist Sic! If you want to submit your fan art to us, check the link here. We update our Gallery frequently, so check back often to view new submissions!

Blizzard is proud to officially announce the next World of Warcraft expansion set, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King! With the opening of the Dark Portal, and the renewed war to stop the Burning Crusade's destruction of worlds, the heroes of Azeroth have given little thought to the frozen wastes of Northrend – and the terrible, ancient powers that wait there. Yet the brooding evils of the fallen Nerubian empire and their malevolent sovereign have not forgotten Azeroth…

BlizzCon, the convention celebrating all Blizzard games, has officially begun! Gamers from around the globe are joining us in Anaheim today to take part in developer panels, battle with their fellow players, and indulge in the variety of entertainment available.

On top of that, Blizzard announced the next expansion to World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, and we also revealed a ton of new details about StarCraft II.

To see an up-to-date recap of all the major announcements at this year's BlizzCon, head over to the BlizzCon Breaking News page. You can also follow the Arena Tournament progress at the Brackets page here.

Blood, death, the clash of blades and the searing fire of spells, the roar of the crowd…
If you were representing Europe at the finals of the first Arena Season, what would you be thinking? We caught up with Log (Curse) and had a chat to them about their impressions of the European Regionals, and their plans for the final showdown at BlizzCon.

The Darkmoon Faire has a new location, just outside Shattrath City - and a new attraction as well! Level 70 Elite Tauren Chieftain has brought their musical onslaught to Outland. From now until the end of BlizzCon, you can see them perform at the top of every hour (realm time) on a custom stage. Make sure your music is enabled in the sound options to hear them play their song, "The Power of the Horde."

The Blizzard Fan Art Section has been updated with a new piece of artwork.

On August 23 until August 26, 2007, Blizzard will be attending the Leipzig Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany. In honor of this special occassion, we are holding a contest! Submit your best StarCraft or Warcraft fan art to us and you might just win a trip to the Leipzig Games Convention! Visit our Blizzard GC 2007 Fan Art Contest page to learn more. You can also read the Terms and Conditions of this contest here.

Nobundo progressed with trepidation, leaning heavily on his walking stick and cursing the pain in his joints as he stepped onto the platform that would carry him to the top. He was worried, for he was still unsure how the others would react. There had been a time when his kind had not even been allowed to enter the settlements of the unaffected…

You can learn more about the Unbroken by reading this short story by Micky Neilson.

Thanks to improved gnomish technology, it is now possible to ignore and report players who are spamming you in-game by right clicking their name in the chat interface and selecting “Report Spam”. If a spammer acquires many of these reports, his account will be completely silenced for a short period. During this period, our Game Masters will investigate the submitted reports and may take additional action if it is warranted. Read more about this feature in our Squelch FAQ.

Kness, the winner of the Valentine contest 2007, granted us with a short interview, giving us an opportunity to learn more about Café Salé, a non-profit association and a gathering of true artistic talent!

Café Salé gathers illustrators, cartoonists, sculptors, and scriptwriters, both amateur and professional, some of whom have already drawn attention to their work during various Blizzard contests or by illustrating cards for Upperdeck's World of Warcraft Trading Card Game.

Join the world of Café Salé and surrender to the magic of these fabulous artists by reading our spotlight !

The Blizzard Fan Art Section has been updated with a new piece of artwork.

The World of Warcraft subscriber base has continued to grow this year as new and returning players have signed up to explore Azeroth and check out all of the content added with the Burning Crusade expansion. Worldwide, the game's community now numbers more than 9 million subscribers. In the midst of preparations for BlizzCon and the upcoming launch of the expansion in mainland China, we wanted to take a moment to share the news and thank everyone for continuing to support the game.

We've just updated our World of Warcraft Wallpapers section with a wallpaper featuring Level 70 Elite Tauren Chieftain. The band, who will be performing live at BlizzCon, recently released a music video for their song I Am Murloc.

The Arena Hall of Fame recognizes the best teams of each Arena season – those teams who finished in the top 0.5% of their team bracket in each battlegroup. These teams and their members have been permanently enshrined in a special Hall of Fame section of the Armory.

In addition, every team member who played in at least 20% of his or her team's total games also received an armored Netherdrake mount and a special title as trophies.

The second qualification round of the World of Warcraft Arena 2-vs.-2 Championship Gaming Series has concluded. The top 8 teams from Europe and North America will be flown to BlizzCon to compete at the live CGS tournament and subsequent draft. We will be contacting the qualifying teams soon. Check out the CGS website for more information. Congratulations to all the qualifiers!

The Blizzard Fan Art Section has been updated with a new piece of artwork.

From 3:00am to 9:00am Paris time, on Tuesday 17 July, we will be conducting maintenance on some of our websites. You won't be able to access the World of Warcraft website, Account Management, the Forums, the Armory, or the StarCraft II site. You will still be able to access our Blizzard website. We apologise for any inconvenience during this downtime.

Comin' straight outta Outland: Level 70 Elite Tauren Chieftain invades Southern California once again to perform at BlizzCon. Taking a break from their massive multi-world tour of Azeroth and Outland, Level 70 Elite Tauren Chieftain is gracing the mortals in Anaheim, California with another evening of power, majesty, and metal!

The group's last non-Azerothian performance, the final show of the highly successful Storm, Earth, and Fire World Domination tour, took place at BlizzCon 2005, where they received a hero's welcome and even had the multi-platinum recording artists, The Offspring, close the show for them. Now, having leveled past their previous name -- Level 60 Elite Tauren Chieftain -- the crunching chords and pounding war drums of the newly dubbed Level 70 Elite Tauren Chieftain will once again be echoing throughout the Anaheim Convention Center's main arena at BlizzCon 2007. Exclusive to BlizzCon attendees, the concert will start at 7:30pm on Saturday, August 4, preceding the other live entertainment that evening. Get there early because seating will be first-come, first-pwned.

For those who can't wait to catch another glimpse of the band in action, we've just posted the new video for their hit song "I Am Murloc," as well as the .mp3 of the song for your listening pleasure. Prepare to be musically face-melted.

Our latest update for the Armor Sets page includes the full array of Arena Season 2 sets. Earned by getting points in the Arena System, these powerful sets can be viewed on any valid race/class combo. Head on over and take a look!

In a new interview that is part of their comprehensive E3 coverage, GameSpot has revealed new details about some upcoming features and content of World of Warcraft. Find out the latest about guild banks, voice chat, and the new raid dungeon, Zul'Aman.

The second qualification round of the Arena 2v2 Championship Gaming Series has begun. The five top-ranked teams from each battlegroup have been selected to participate in the next qualification stage of the tournament set to run July 11-18. Each qualifying team has been copied to a private realm from their respective region (Europe or North America), where they will compete for a chance to qualify for the live CGS tournament at BlizzCon and subsequent draft. Good luck to all of the participating teams!

We released a small patch today that made some small changes to how an aspect of our mail system works. For a comprehensive list of patch changes, please read our patch notes page.

The Blizzard Fan Art Section has been updated with a new piece of artwork.

Our latest update for the Armor Sets page includes the full array of Tier 6 sets. Earned from bosses in Mount Hyjal and the Black Temple, these powerful sets can be viewed on any valid race/class combo. Head on over and take a look!

The Honor Rewards page now includes the epic veteran rewards, which are comprised of a wide variety of cloaks, belts, boots, bracers, rings, and necklaces. The Armory also compiles this new collection for easy reference.

Last Friday, during the ESWC 2007 finals, an exhibition Arena game between Millenium and Nihilum took place. In furious battles, Millenium once again showed proof of their PvP Arena excellence – and made clear, that mastering PvE isn't the only challenge waiting for you in the World of Warcraft! Read more on our ESWC info page.

The Electronic Sports World Cup (ESWC) Grand Final begins in Paris today and this showcase of eSports would not be complete without some bloodthirsty gladiatorial combat.

In addition to the other events, you will be able to witness a duel between two of Europe's most famous names, as Nihilum and Millenium meet head-on in a 5v5 arena exhibition game. The best PvE guild meets France's best arena team in a battle that can only be described as titanic.

This seminal event takes place on Friday 6 July at 14:00, and you can read more here!

The Blizzard Fan Art Section has been updated with three new pieces of artwork.

The ladder stage of the Arena 2v2 Championship Gaming Series has concluded. The five top-ranking teams from each battlegroup will be invited to participate in the upcoming qualifier round of the tournament set to run July 11-18. Teams will compete for a chance to win an entry spot for the live World of Warcraft CGS arena tournament at BlizzCon. Good luck to all of the participating teams!

The Electronic Sports World Cup (ESWC) Grand Final will take place from 5 to 8 July in Paris, France. As well as tournaments in different categories like WarCraft III, you will be able to witness a World of Warcraft Arena exhibition game between France's best arena team, Millenium, and the best PvE guild worldwide, Nihilum, on Friday 6 July at 14:00 on the main stage. Find out all about this eSports event on the official site of the ESWC!

We are pleased to announce that World of Warcraft will be one of the featured games in this year's Championship Gaming Series (CGS) World Championship. All World of Warcraft players in 2-vs-2 arena teams on the European and North American realms have the opportunity to secure a spot in the upcoming CGS draft, to be held at BlizzCon!
Read more about this event on our forums.

The first European Championship of the World of Warcraft Arena, and the European Regional finals of the fifth Warcraft III Battle.net Season concluded in Hamburg today. After many exciting matches these players and teams managed to defeat all opposition to win their trip to the Global Finals at BlizzCon:

1st - Warders of the Melee
2nd - Log
3nd - Nashwan

1st - ToD
2nd - Creolophus
3rd - Grubby

Today is the first day of the European Regional Finals at the Congress Center in Hamburg, where the best European World of Warcraft Arena teams and the best European Warcraft III players will fight for the chance to compete in the Global Finals at BlizzCon.

If you are not lucky enough to be in Hamburg to witness this exciting event live, you can tune in on the official site of GIGA 2, either in low-quality and for free or in high-quality with subscription to catch all the excitement of this tournament.

See all Warcraft III results on our brackets page and check out the gallery for the latest pictures directly from the venue. You can find information on the players and teams as well as the schedule of the event on our European Regionals page!

The Midsummer Fire Festival is here, signaling a time of merriment and a chance to revel in the hottest season of the year by lighting celebratory bonfires across the land and sharing in what the elemental spirits have to offer. Learn more about the new Midsummer Fire Festival events and rewards here!

The patch you've all been waiting for, containing all new arena and honor rewards is now live! Some other notable features of this patch include:

• Change-over to Arena Season 2
• New art for many raid-level items
• Various bug fixes and balance changes

In two days the first European Regional Finals of the World of Warcraft Arena and the European Championship of the fifth Warcraft III Battle.net Season start in Hamburg. Find out all about this unique European event on our information page and check out who will compete for the title of European Champion on the Armory brackets page for the Arena tournament and the Warcraft III brackets on Battle.net. Don't miss the excitement as the best players from across Europe compete for the chance to play at the Global Finals at BlizzCon!

In the US and Europe, we recently banned several thousand accounts associated with the use of botting programs that fully automate player actions, such as killing and looting monsters. We take these attempts to bypass the rules and standards of the game extremely seriously, and we will continue to aggressively monitor all World of Warcraft realms in order to protect the service and its players from the negative effects of cheating.

You can read more about this in this thread.

All available tickets for BlizzCon 2007 are now sold out! Set to take place on Friday and Saturday, August 3 to 4, at the Anaheim Convention Center, BlizzCon 2007 is shaping up to be even bigger and better than the first one in 2005. Check the BlizzCon 2007 website often for ticketholder updates, the latest news on the exhibits, panels, and showcased content, and other news on what to expect at the event.

The European Regional Finals are fast approaching! From June 22 to 24 you can witness the excitement of Player vs Player action at the highest level. Join us at the Congress Center in Hamburg to watch the best eight European World of Warcraft Arena teams fight for the very first time for the title of European Champion and a ticket to the Global Finals at the BlizzCon in August.

At this event you won't only be witnessing Arena matches: the Warcraft III Battle.net Season 5 tournament is coming to an end as well and renowned players like ToD, the winner of this year's Worldwide Invitational, will compete in world-class matches with seven other amazing players for the European Championship. Three days of tense competitive gaming await you!

BlizzCon 2007 tickets are now available for purchase. Players can purchase up to five tickets per billing address at $100 per ticket. For ticket sales, restrictions, and rules of purchase, please visit the ticket sales page. And, for more information on BlizzCon in general, please check out the official BlizzCon 2007 site and the event FAQ. We look forward to seeing you in August!

The World of Warcraft Armory has been expanded with a new dimension of information and functionality – the Item Database!

The Armory's Item Database is a comprehensive searchable database of the items of World of Warcraft. As the only official item database for World of Warcraft, it has the exclusive ability to draw information from the actual game servers and is integrated with the Armory's character profiles. It's also designed for ease of use – to give you the items you're looking for as quickly and easily as possible.

Here are some of the notable features of the Armory's Item Database:

• Find an upgrade: With one click, get a sorted list of recommended upgrades for any item on any character profile!
• "Desired by" filters: Refine your search to find commonly sought-after items for every class and take into account character specializations when appropriate.
• Pin-a-character: Any character profile can be "pinned" to your Armory window, allowing you to display the matching item tooltip from that profile when viewing items.

Begin searching for items now from the Item Database main page.

Note: the Item Database, like the rest of the Armory, is still in beta.

The North American World of Warcraft Arena and Warcraft III regional finals concluded this past weekend, with 3 arena teams and 2 Warcraft III players advancing to the global finals at BlizzCon this August 2-3.

1. mTw-nilk
2. mTw-KiWi

1. The HUKHUKHUKHUKHUKS
2. We lose cuz Daorok sux
3. Power Trip

Check out some of the coverage from the event at the Battlenet site.

As we mentioned in our initial announcement of the second arena season, the start of the next season is planned to coincide with the release of a small patch. Due to additional development time and testing needed we will be delaying the scheduled release of the patch, and thus the start of Arena Season 2 by one week, until June 20. This current schedule is of course subject to change as well.

Also, don't forget that team ratings will be reset to the default 1500 with the start of the new season, allowing all teams to once again compete for top honors with a fresh start.

Deep within Blackrock Mountain waits Ragnaros the Firelord. While many players of the World of Warcraft MMO have delved into the Molten Core and returned alive, a new challenge waits amidst the fire below! Beginning on May 30, World of Warcraft TCG players are able to go head to head with the elemental firelord and his minions!

The Molten Core Raid Deck offers players the chance to team up with others to take on powerful new foes and face exciting new puzzles as they work their way to hot new loot! Whether you're looking for a challenging multiplayer experience or just trying to get your hands on some treasure, raid decks offer something for everyone. The treasure packs in the Molten Core Raid Deck introduce thirty special edition treasure cards, including powerful tier 2 legs, Blastershot Launcher, and Ragnaros's very own beatstick, Sulfuras!

If you're interested in heading into the Molten Core but don't know where to find friends willing to go with you, check out the Molten Core raid events being planned for your area!

We'll be handing out plenty of Blizzard swag at BlizzCon for attendees to show off to their friends. However, we wanted to give out even more, so we'll also be providing a beta key for an upcoming Blizzard game. If you're not enticed yet, you should definitely check out the in-game murloc suit, an item that can be redeemed and given to your favorite World of Warcraft character. Love or hate the murlocs, you won't want to miss this opportunity to blend in with them!

Check out the murloc suit!

The second season of the fast paced player-versus-player ladder, the Arena, is planned to commence in Europe on 13 June 2007, coinciding with a small patch. With this new season, team ratings will be reset to the default 1500, allowing all teams to once again compete for top honors with a fresh start. We've posted additional information on the new season in our PvP forum.

Players in the top teams at the end of the first season will receive their end-of-season rewards, which include the new Armored Nether Drake. With the start of the new season, brand new high-end epic Arena rewards will also be added, as well as new epic Honor rewards.

We wish everyone luck in their ratings for the end of the first season, and hope to see everyone continue their bloodthirsty battles in the second. See you in the Arena!

To commemorate the announcement of its highly anticipated sequel, StarCraft II, Blizzard Entertainment is proud to present the Tychus Findlay Limited Edition Statue. This collector's item is a product of a collaboration between Blizzard Entertainment and Sideshow Collectibles. Players can now own a piece of StarCraft history with this highly detailed, 18-inch tall statue of Terran Marine Tychus J. Findlay standing atop a freshly dispatched Hydralisk. Cast in high-quality polystone, individually numbered and hand painted to exacting standards, the power of the Terran Marine Corps stands triumphantly in this beautiful museum-quality piece.

As the first book of the Sunwell trilogy nears completion, the tension culminates in a surprising face-off. While some light is shed on the mystery, there are still a few unresolved issues and so our heroes continue on their search

We hope that you have enjoyed Dragon Hunt, the first volume of the Sunwell Trilogy. If you want to read the complete trilogy, you can buy "Shadows of Ice" and "Ghostlands" from retailers, along with your own copy of "Dragon Hunt".

With the latest patch, "The Black Temple", it is now possible to ignore and report players who are spamming you by right-clicking the character's name in the chat interface and selecting "Report Spam". If a spammer acquires many of these reports, his or her account will be completely silenced for a short period. During this period, our game masters will investigate the submitted reports and may take additional action if it is warranted. Read more about this feature in our Squelch FAQ.

The second BlizzCon gaming festival is coming to the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, August 3-4, 2007. Following the success of the first BlizzCon in 2005, this year's edition of BlizzCon will feature:

• Discussion panels with Blizzard developers
• Artist and developer signings
• Competitive and casual tournaments for players to showcase their talents
• World of Warcraft Trading Card Game tournaments and demos
• Costume, machinima, and character sound-alike contests with great prizes
• Commemorative merchandise and other products based on the Blizzard franchises
• A silent auction
• Live orchestral performances of music from Blizzard games

We're happy to announce the release of "The Black Temple," the new content patch for World of Warcraft! Highlights of the Black Temple patch include:

• The Black Temple:
  The Temple of Karabor was the center of draenei worship until its priests were slaughtered by demonically corrupted orcs. In the massacre's aftermath, the warlocks of the Shadow Council seized the structure and gave it a new name: The Black Temple.
  
  When the Alliance invaded Draenor after the Second War, the orc shaman Ner'zhul hastily opened several dimensional portals to escape. The resulting magical backlash ripped the world apart. Drawn by these portals, the pit lord Magtheridon entered Draenor, soon to become known as Outland, and took the temple as his seat of power.
  
  His dominion over Outland remained unchallenged until the arrival of Illidan the Betrayer. The pit lord proved no match for the wielder of the Twin Blades of Azzinoth. Today Illidan occupies the temple, awaiting any and all who would challenge his rule.
• Nether Drake:
  The Netherwing faction quest line continues, making the much-anticipated Nether Drake available. The Nether Drake is a special 280% speed epic flying mount that is obtainable through solo and small-group play. The quest to obtain one will be difficult, but the reward will surely show your dedication to the Netherwing cause as you soar through the skies of Outland on your very own ethereal drake.
• The Ruins of Lordaeron Arena:
  For those engaging in the Steamwheedle Cartel's gladiatorial combat, an arena nestled within the Ruins of Lordaeron has been added to the mix of venues. Players taking part in either rated battles or skirmishes may now find themselves battling for glory within the new arena.
• Druid Epic Flight Form Introduced
• Three New Solo or Small-Group Level 70 Areas
• And more...

You can read the entire patch notes here to see the full details on today's patch. Our thanks go out to everyone who joined the public test realm to help us test this patch, and we'll see you in-game!

Children's Week is celebrated once a year in Orgrimmar, Stormwind, and Shattrath City. The week-long celebration is a time to give back to the innocents of war: the orphans! In your adventure to fulfill some of those poor kids' wishes, you will find inner peace apart from blood and battle and maybe even a little reward - learn more about this special in-game event and its new rewards on our updated Children's Week information page.

Upper Deck Entertainment brought the excitement of the Darkmoon Faire to Frankfurt in the first stage of its European tour. Offering World of Warcraft Trading Card Game tournaments, demonstrations for novice players, and a variety of other displays and entertainment, the Darkmoon Faire turned out to be a great day, both for lovers of card games, and for those who wanted a cool place to hang out with their guild mates.

Blizzard Entertainment Community Representatives were present at the event and offered players the opportunity to try out World of Warcraft and its expansion, The Burning Crusade; participate in different World of Warcraft tournaments, or just have a chat with "the blues." You can find coverage of Europe's first Real Life Darkmoon Faire here!

Searching for a man named Borel, our heroes travel to Tarren Mill where they encounter more than they bargained for... Join our heroes as they continue their perilous journey. The Dragon Hunt continues this week and, if you want to know what happens next, you can now read chapter 5 of this book at our online comic reader!

The Worldwide invitational 2007 was particularly exciting: the event opened with Mike Morhaime's announcement of the Blizzard's newest project, StarCraft II.

During the event, people who attended were able to enjoy performances from Korean singers such as the famous Psy, Lee Hyori, as well as Ivy, Maximum Crew, and Super Junior. Moreover, the famous Video Games Live orchestra made a special appearance, doing a live performance of music from Warcraft, World of Warcraft, and StarCraft!

Besides the tournaments, a many events were prepared for the attendees, including a cosplay contest, a trading card demonstration, discussion panels with developers, among others. If you want to catch a glimpse of the atmosphere during the Worldwide Invitational, you can find some photos of the events here.

World of Warcraft Arena Tournament: Notorious Dominates
The World of Warcraft Arena Regional Finals in Korea have been very impressive. Moreover, the last rounds of the competition have been particularly exciting. During the upper bracket finals, D E R Tenacity faced Notorious. In the end, the Notorious team proved its superiority, winning the first place. The top three teams were:

First place: Notorious
Second Place: DER Tenacity
Third place: Myth

All of these teams will participate in the Global Finals and will go on to face the top players around the world.

We're pleased to announce our latest project: StarCraft II! The epic interplanetary battle between the Protoss, Terran, and Zerg will take on new dimensions in this sequel to the classic real-time strategy original. With new units and functionality for each race, upgrades to several familiar units, and a powerful 3D engine that supports explosive fast-paced combat between massive armies, StarCraft II will be the ultimate competitive real-time strategy game.

Highlights of StarCraft II include:

• Tightly balanced competitive real-time strategy gameplay that recaptures and improves on the magic of the original game
• New units and gameplay mechanics that further distinguish the Protoss, Terran, and Zerg races
• An all-new 3D engine that supports fast-paced play with realistic physics, massive units, and massive army sizes
• A groundbreaking single-player campaign that continues the epic StarCraft story
• Full-featured multiplayer support through an overhauled version of Battle.net
• A powerful map editor that puts the tools used by the game's designers into the hands of players

We'll be revealing much more information about our plans for StarCraft II in the months ahead, so please stay tuned to www.starcraft2.com for the latest updates. In the meantime, you can check out the announcement press release here for further details.

Gnomish technology has reached a new limit! No, we are not talking about a "thingamajigger" nor a "high frequency compressed air whatchumacallit," but about the first PC constructed by the great gnomish knowledge!

Do you want to know more? Well, we have an exclusive interview with the famous inventor, Petimoi.

The Temple of Karabor was the center of draenei worship until its priests were slaughtered by demonically corrupted orcs. In the massacre's aftermath, the warlocks of the Shadow Council seized the structure and gave it a new name: the Black Temple. Once ruled by Magtheridon, it is now home to Illidan. The Betrayer awaits challengers to his rule deep within this ancient structure. To gain more information that would help in planning a successful strike against the Black Temple's occupier, watch this trailer or read through this preview of what awaits such challengers in the upcoming patch.

The unexpected company from Chapter 3 has some unexpected company itself… Join our heroes as they continue their perilous journey. The Dragon Hunt continues this week and, if you want to know what happens next, you can now read chapter 4 of this book at our online comic reader!

We have just updated the Fan Art Gallery with a new submission. Go there to check out Ritual, our latest submission from Alex Yantchuk!

If you are an artist, you can submit your fan art to us here. We update our Gallery frequently, so check back often to view new submissions!

The regional finals for Warcraft III and the World of Warcraft Arena Tournament are coming soon! Check out the locations and dates for each venue. If you are in the area, feel free to come by and see the top teams compete for a spot in the global finals at BlizzCon 2007.

After taking a late night swim, Kalec and Anveena run into some unexpected guests... Join our heroes as they continue their perilous journey. The Dragon Hunt continues this week and, if you want to know what happens next, you can now read chapter 3 of this book at our online comic reader!

In our continued efforts to combat cheating in World of Warcraft, more than 114,000 accounts have been closed across Europe in the month of April for the use of "bot” programs. The banned accounts were taking part in activities that violate the World of Warcraft Terms of Use, specifically, using unauthorised third party programs to automate game-play. Such behaviour not only negatively impacts the game's economy, it diminishes the achievements of those who play legitimately.

It is our goal to provide a fair and enjoyable play experience for all World of Warcraft players. To aid us, we ask that you abide by the Terms of Use, which, among other things, provide for the security of your account details, payment methods and login information, all of which can be compromised if you choose to use third-party services or programs.

Over the coming months, we will continue to take an active and aggressive stance against botting, as well as work to resolve other issues such as in-game advertising for the sale of World of Warcraft content and for-pay power-levelling services. Many account closures come as the direct result of tips reported to our GMs in game or emailed to our Hacks Team by legitimate World of Warcraft players, and we thank you for your assistance in preserving the integrity of the game experience.

Upper Deck Entertainment brings the excitement of the Darkmoon Faire to Frankfurt in the first stage of its European tour. Offering tournaments in the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, demonstrations for novice players, and a variety of other displays and entertainment, the Darkmoon Faire promises to be a great day, both for lovers of card games, and for those who want a cool place to hang out with their guild mates.

As the first day of May is a Labor Day holiday in France and working on this specific day is subject to stringent legal restrictions, Blizzard Europe will be unable to provide support on Tuesday, May 1st. All the realms will be available for play as usual, however, our customer support teams (Game Masters, Technical Support and Billing) will not be able to respond to your queries on this day. We apologize for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your understanding.

An audacious escape, an ingenious diversion, and an unexpected dinner… The adventures of Kalec and Anveena are not exactly a restful journey. The Dragon Hunt continues this week and, if you want to know what happens next, you can now read chapter 2 of this book at our online comic reader!

The World Series of Video Games has begun their 2007 season with $750,000 in cash prizes! This year, World of Warcraft's 3-vs-3 Arena will be featured as a premier event in competitions around the world. Registration is now open for two tournament locations: Louisville, Kentucky (June 21-24) and Dallas, Texas (July 5 - 8). For more information please visit: http://www.thewsvg.com. We wish the best of luck to all participants!

World Series of Video Games Update: Wuhan, China

The WSVG 3-vs-3 World of Warcraft Arena tournament has started on May 1st in Wuhan, China. Check out http://www.ampedesports.com/coverage/wsvg/ for more information and tournament coverage throughout the event.

While the tower of Karazhan glowers down at the blighted terrain of Deadwind Pass, the wizards of the Violet Eye stand guard. Medivh's deeds have left a dark stain on the tower and secrets lurk within the confines of this seemingly abandoned structure. For those brave and skilled enough to venture within to confront the legacy of one of Azeroth's most notorious villains, the sect of the Violet Eye offers its eternal gratitude... and one or two tokens of appreciation.

Or maybe you're feeling a little Oblivious? Whatever your mood, there's an armor set for you at our Armor Sets page. Now with the Outland dungeon sets, the Arena Gladiator sets and the level 70 PvP rewards, there's something to suit every occasion in a wide range of styles for the discerning player. Don't settle for ugly, mismatched armor - become a fashion statement today!

Blizzard Europe is looking for talented editorialists to join its Web Team. Responsible for developing new content for the website, researching and improving on existing content, and providing ongoing excellence to Blizzard's customers, the Web Team is hiring additional editorialists for its Spanish and German language teams. If you are fluent in English, and also in either German or Spanish, and have a desire to help us keep our website flourishing, please check out our Recruitment Page.

Closely linked with the Keepers of Time, the dragons of the Scale of Sands have their own rewards for adventurers who court their favour. Read more about this elusive faction here.

Dragons and magic create a formidable combination in The Sunwell Trilogy, a World of Warcraft comic by Richard A. Knaak and Jae-Hwan Kim. You can read this beautifully illustrated story in our online comic reader, as weekly installments of the first volume of this trilogy introduce you to a side of Azeroth you have never seen before.

Our first episode begins with the hunt for a most unusual quarry…

After two months of fierce Arena Tournament competition, the second qualification round has arrived. We have invited the eligible participants from the qualifying teams and notified them of their chance to advance in the tournament. Good luck to everyone participating!

Those not yet immersed in the quests and adventures beyond the Dark Portal are invited to take advantage of the new World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade free trial! If you are a current or previous World of Warcraft subscriber who has yet to experience the new content of The Burning Crusade, head over to the Burning Crusade free trial page now to start your download.

During your 10-day trial period, you can explore Outland, try your hand at the new jewelcrafting profession, and create blood elf and draenei characters, which you'll be able to keep if and when you decide to upgrade to the full version of the expansion. You can download the full versions of both World of Warcraft and The Burning Crusade when you begin the free trial but please note that World of Warcraft must be present on your computer prior to installing The Burning Crusade. More information on the Burning Crusade free trial is available in our FAQ.

Since 2004, the award-winning* Gnomeregan Gnews Gnetwork has been tireless in their journalistic quest to bring you the most important news affecting the world of Warcraft. In their latest segment, they turn their attention to the goings-on in some place called "Outland." Join the intrepid reporters of the Gnomeregan Gnews Gnetwork as they investigate the seemingly endless battle at the Dark Portal, the mysterious depletion of Zangarmarsh, and the source of a foul odor emanating from Shattrath's Lower City…

*2004, 2006: Best Show Starting with a Silent Letter (News or Comedy), Azeroth Media Awards

Ever wanted to dabble in shady deals? Dream of a life on the edge of law and respectability? If so, then the Consortium wants you! Swing by any of their locations in Outland to learn more about how to join up with this group of ethereal smugglers, traders, and thieves. You can find them at Aeris Landing in Nagrand or at any of their Eco-Domes in Netherstorm. If traveling isn't in your itinerary at this point, you can also learn more about them by checking out our Consortium pages.

The foreboding swamp of Zangarmarsh is home to many predators, and the astute adventurer would do well to learn from those who have learned to survive in this place. The Sporelings are happy to trade with travellers who come to their home, but only if they consider them allies. Getting along with these unusual creatures is easy, all you have to do is find a way to help them with one or two little problems. Save a Sporeling today !

The public test realms are live! Players can now try out some of the changes and additions coming in World of Warcraft's next patch, Patch 2.1.0, which features the Black Temple! Read the test realm patch notes to learn more about these updates. To copy a character and download the test realm game client, visit our Public Test Realm page, after reading our Test Realm F.A.Q.

A year and a half ago, Blizzard hosted the first "BlizzCon," a convention celebrating the Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo game universes and the amazing community of players who contribute to their continued popularity. Today, Blizzard announced that BlizzCon will once again open its doors on August 3, 2007.

Highlights for this year's BlizzCon will include:

• Discussion panels with Blizzard game developers
• Competitive and casual tournaments, including a World of Warcraft TCG tournament
• Costume, machinima, and character sound-alike contests with great prizes
• Live orchestral performances of music from Blizzard games
• And many more exciting activities to be announced soon!

The Kurenai are a group of Broken who have escaped the grasp of their various slavers in Outland. They recently took possession of Telaar, a town in the far south of Nagrand. Unlike many other Broken, the Kurenai are trying their best to overcome their demonic taint. Nevertheless, despite their noble intent, the Kurenai are cautious toward all outsiders, who sometimes mistake the Kurenai for their wretched brethren...

South of Zangarmarsh lie the grassy plains of Nagrand, homeland of the orcs. Travelers following the northeastern roads of Nagrand will come upon a settlement of brown-skinned orcs: a place called Garadar. This village belongs to the Mag'har, a group of orcs who managed to escape any form of demonic corruption. Though they endured great change, the Mag'har have retained their traditional way of life. Nonetheless, the Mag'har are far from safe...

Take a moment to learn about these new Burning Crusade factions by visiting our Faction section!

Upper Deck Entertainment (UDE) takes players to Outland with the release of Through the Dark Portal, the first expansion to the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game (TCG). Through the Dark Portal unveils new playable races, powerful racial abilities, and an expanded look at classic World of Warcraft content. As if that weren't enough, UDE is once again offering up three exclusive in-game codes, found on Loot cards randomly inserted in packs. You can ask a fortune-telling imp what your future holds, relax on the sunny beaches of Stranglethorn with a cozy picnic blanket, or take your pet gorilla out for a walk around Orgrimmar.

For more information on the World of Warcraft TCG, Through the Dark Portal, and the Release Celebration, head over to the official World of Warcraft TCG site or check with your local gaming store to see what they have planned.

In addition to the Black Temple's appearance in the upcoming 2.1 patch, an abundance of new solo and small-group content is coming to World of Warcraft. Groups and solo adventurers will discover much to do in the new quest hubs of Skettis, Ogri'la, and the Ethereum Prison. Druids will be able to acquire their epic Flight Form, and what's more, everyone can now quest for their very own Nether Drake epic flying mount! Read about these additions in more detail on our Under Development page.

The picturesque town of Halaa in Nagrand, and the Bone Wastes of Terokkar Forest are areas of struggle for supremacy between Horde and Alliance, allowing players to battle for control of these zones and gain an advantage for their entire faction. However, this is not the only reward for the diligence and skill of these PvP players, and you can read more about what other rewards are available at our Nagrand and Bone Wastes pages.

At the heart of the Tanaris desert lie the Caverns of Time, home of the bronze dragonflight. Nozdormu and his flight work to safeguard the time stream against all who might disturb the delicate pathways of fate. Lately a malevolent force has infiltrated the timeways, and the efforts of this mysterious enemy could lead to a destabilization of the world, and even time itself.

The Keepers of Time have detected interference at several key points in the history of Azeroth...

Learn more about this Burning Crusade faction at our Keepers of Time page!

Shattrath was once the draenei capital of Draenor. Its name means "dwelling of light." When the Burning Legion turned the orcs against the draenei, the fiercest battle was fought there. The draenei fought tooth and nail, but in the end, the city fell. The city was left in ruins and darkness until the Sha'tar arrived. The Sha'tar, whose name means "born from light", are the naaru who came to Outland to fight the demons of the Burning Legion. The naaru were drawn to the ruins of Shattrath City, where a small remnant of the draenei priesthood conducted its rites inside a ruined temple. The priesthood, known as the Aldor, quickly regained its strength as word of the Sha'tar's arrival spread. Reconstruction of Shattrath was soon underway.

Learn more about this Burning Crusade faction at our Sha'tar Rewards page!

To alleviate crowding on some realms, we have opened Free Character Migration for the realms listed below. The migrations below are currently active. Please keep an eye on this thread in the forums for updates.

• Crushridge to Agamaggan, Dragonmaw, Spinebreaker, Veknilash
• Outland to Agamaggan, Dragonmaw, Spinebreaker, Veknilash
• Warsong to Agamaggan, Dragonmaw, Spinebreaker, Veknilash

Lower City is located on the underside of Shattrath in Terokkar Forest. Populated by the refugees from the many wars that have wracked Outland, it is home to a diverse array of beings who owe allegiance to no group. Adventurers can gain reputation by doing quests located in Lower City itself, as well as aiding citizens of Lower City in other places, such as the Refugee Caravan in the Bone Wastes.

Learn more about this Burning Crusade faction at our Lower City Rewards page!

The latest issue of the official World of Warcraft Insider newsletter featured a broad lineup of web updates, including a behind-the-scenes look at one of The Burning Crusade's new raid dungeons, more info about the new factions of The Burning Crusade, and a handy tool to track all the expansion dungeons' key and attunement requirements. Check out the content of Insider 12 here:

• Main Feature – Quest Highlights of The Burning Crusade
• By Invitation Only – Dungeon Attunement Guide
• Anatomy of a Dungeon – Magtheridon's Lair
• Expansion Reputation Guide Updates – Hellfire Factions and Rewards

In an epic adventure surpassing the War of the Shifting Sands and the opening of the gates of Ahn'Qiraj, you will be able to participate in an all-encompassing race to unlock the secrets of the Black Temple.

With the assistance of the Priests of Baa'ri Illidan's gates will be sundered by those heroes brave enough to overcome every obstacle in their path, bringing blood and steel to these shadowed halls. Read more about this epic quest to gain access to the Black Temple here!

We are pleased to announce the newest epic engineering item in World of Warcraft: the Tin Foil Hat! This item brings many benefits to players lucky enough to get their hands/claws/paws on one. You can learn about this new item by checking out our Tin Foil Hat page!

Remember: Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not after you!

Shattrath was once the draenei capital of Draenor. Its name means "dwelling of light." When the Burning Legion turned the orcs against the draenei, the fiercest battle was fought there. The draenei fought tooth and nail, but in the end, the city fell. The city was left in ruins and darkness until the Sha'tar arrived. The Sha'tar, whose name means "born from light", are the naaru who came to Outland to fight the demons of the Burning Legion. The naaru were drawn to the ruins of Shattrath City, where a small remnant of the draenei priesthood conducted its rites inside a ruined temple. The priesthood, known as the Aldor, quickly regained its strength as word of the Sha'tar's arrival spread. Reconstruction of Shattrath was soon underway. It wouldn't be long, however, before the city came under attack once again.

This time, the attack came from the armies of Illidan Stormrage. A large regiment of blood elves had been sent by Illidan's ally, Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider, to lay waste to the city. As the regiment of blood elves crossed the bridge, the Aldor's exarchs and vindicators lined up to defend the Terrace of Light. Then the unexpected happened: the blood elves laid down their weapons in front of the city's defenders...

Learn more about these factions on our Aldor and Scryers pages!

The World of Warcraft Arena Tournament webpage is now live. Our most current information is on this page, including news announcements, frequently asked questions, and the newly released tournament rules. We will add more content to this webpage as the tournament progresses, so check back periodically for the latest information.

Following the success of Heroes of Azeroth, the initial set for the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game (TCG), players have eagerly awaited the first expansion. On March 31 and April 1, Through the Dark Portal Sneak Preview tournaments will give players their first glimpse of the new set almost two weeks before the official release.

Through the Dark Portal, the second major release for the World of Warcraft TCG, offers draenei and blood elf heroes and allies, a plethora of powerful racial abilities, and additional equipment and abilities for every class. Sneak Previews are great for both new and veteran players, giving everyone a chance to win exclusive prizes and giveaways while trying out the new set. All participants will receive an exclusive Extended Art promo version of Legend of Mt. Hyjal just for entering. Check out the official listing of locations to find a tournament near you, and prepare to continue your journey Through the Dark Portal with the World of Warcraft TCG.

In Outland, Honor Hold and Thrallmar both battle for control of strategic objectives in Zangarmarsh. By wresting control of the Twin Spire Ruins from the opposing faction in Zangarmarsh, you can get access to nice rewards. Take a moment to check them out here.

Have you been wondering what the new Burning Crusade high level armor sets look like? Or even what the old sets will look like on your shiny new Blood Elf or Draenei? Now you can find out! The new Tier 4 and Tier 5 armor sets have been added to our High Level Armor Sets page. We have also added the Blood Elf and Draenei versions for all of the old sets. Take a moment to check them out!

With our new Recruit a Friend feature you can invite up to 5 of your friends to play alongside you for free for 10 days! To invite a friend, just go to the Account Management section and click the Recruit a Friend button. If your friend later decides to purchase a retail account, you will automatically be credited with 30 days free subscription to your own account as soon as they begin their first paid period of subscription. For more information, take a look at our F.A.Q.

The Forums will undergo an exceptional maintenance beginning 0:01 AM and finishing around 10:00 AM on Thursday 15th March. During this time you will not be able to access the forums. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

On the blasted world of Outland, within the heart of Hellfire Peninsula stands Hellfire Citadel, a nearly impenetrable bastion that served as the Horde's base of operations throughout the First and Second Wars. For years, this gargantuan fortress was thought to be abandoned – until the recent discovery that marauding bands of fel orcs have made Hellfire Citadel their home. Though the origins of this particularly savage breed present something of a mystery, what's more disconcerting is that the numbers of these fel orcs seem to be growing...

Hellfire Citadel is one of the first new dungeons that players will encounter in The Burning Crusade. Watch our new gameplay trailer, which showcases the look and feel of Hellfire Citadel's three 5-man wings.

Forgotten something? Don't worry! You can still activate the netherwhelp pet from your Burning Crusade Collector's Edition box.

In order to obtain the pet you will need to retain your proof of purchase and the contents of your Collector's Edition box. Full details can be found in the Netherwhelp Redemption Guide.

Don't miss your chance to claim one of Outland's more appealing denizens for your own.

It is now possible to update your registered e-mail address via our Account Management pages. Simply go to the 'Change Contact Info' section and press the 'Change E-mail' button.

Once you have entered your new e-mail address, an automated e-mail will be sent to your old address with a confirmation link which you will need to click to activate the change. Don't worry though if you haven't got access to both your old and new e-mail addresses - our Billing team can help you update your address.

The Cenarion Circle's main expeditionary force in Outland is known as the Cenarion Expedition. Though it began as a small venture controlled directly by the Cenarion Circle, the expedition has become a large and fairly autonomous body. The expedition is based at Cenarion Refuge in the far east of Zangarmarsh, immediately west of Thornfang Hill in Hellfire Peninsula. You can view the rewards, as well as learn a little more about this Burning Crusade faction here. We will be updating our Factions section frequently with new rewards and faction pages so check back often!

We are happy to announce the winners of the World of Warcraft Two Year Anniversary Contests!

For the Lore Contest, congratulations to T. Rach, P. Chamant, F. Fein, S. Thegelkamp, and N. Cahn, all of whom have won Alienware gaming PCs.

For the Wallpaper Contest, congratulations to our first place winners: P. Aragones, A. Wolber, D. Slavinskas, J. Haikonen, and S. Mourot, who have won Alienware gaming PCs.

Congratulations also to the second place winners of our Wallpaper Contest: V. Sanchez, A. Junker, J. Falck, C. Brucelle, R. Reed, R. Francois, O. Hornsletten, D. Lacy, C. Zahn, and J. Maurel, all of whom have won Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTX graphics cards.

You can view the winning entries for both contests here. Congratulations again!

World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade has established a new sales record for PC games, with approximately 3.5 million copies sold within its first month. Keeping pace with the expansion's sales, World of Warcraft's worldwide subscriber base now exceeds 8.5 million. You can read more about these achievements in our latest press release. We send our sincere thanks out to the players across the globe who have continued to help us bring Azeroth, and now Outland, to life, and we look forward to adding more great content to explore -- and seeing how the arena tournament plays out -- in the months ahead.

Introduced with The Burning Crusade, socketed items open new ways to customize your equipment to your liking. A socketed item that has magic properties can be further specialized depending on the types of gems it is socketed with. Learn more in our Socketed Items Guide, which answers some common questions and includes tips on how to get the most out of your socketed items.

Eternal glory awaits those who would prevail in the arena – but if you're looking for some more tangible benefits, you'll likely be pleased with the selection of powerful rewards available to the mightiest gladiators. With the arena season officially underway, we've compiled the arena's armor and weapon rewards for your perusal.

Blizzard is proud to unveil the beta test stage of the World of Warcraft Armory, the next big step in the evolution of the official European World of Warcraft website. Located at http://eu.wowarmory.com, this beta version of our new dynamic site offers some brand-new features using information taken directly from the World of Warcraft game database:

• Character Profiles: View the equipment, stats, skills, reputation, and talent build of every character above level ten with the in-depth Character Profiles. You can check out your own characters, or check out those of your friends and guild mates – all characters from all realms are listed in the armory.
• Guild Profiles: Access information about any guild, including the guild's roster and a detailed statistical breakdown of the guild's race, class, gender, and level combination with the Guild Profiles.
• Arena Team Profiles: See how your team is doing or check out the competition with the Arena Team Profiles. These profiles provide you with some very valuable information about your team, like your team rating, your standing, win/loss history, and team membership.
• Arena Ladders: Always stay up-to-date on which team holds the top spot, which teams are quickly climbing up the ranks, and the players to watch out for, with the PvP Arena Ladder.

You can also browse the USA armory and compare yourself with other future Arena tournament competitors.

Head over to the brand-new World of Warcraft Armory beta website now, and make sure to add http://eu.wowarmory.com to your bookmarks. If you have any Armory feedback or suggestions, don't hesitate to post in the forum thread and let us know what you think.

We hope you'll enjoy this new site!

The public test realms are live! Players can now try out some of the changes and additions coming in World of Warcraft's next patch, Patch 2.0.10. Read the test realm patch notes to learn more about these updates. To copy a character and download the test realm game client, visit our Public Test Realm page, after reading our Test Realm F.A.Q.

Having changed hands many times in the course of its tumultuous and bloody history, the Black Temple is most recently home to one Illidan Stormrage. Facing the reigning Lord of Outland in his sanctuary will be a task not undertaken lightly. Read about this upcoming new 25-man raid dungeon in our Under Development page.

The World of Warcraft Arena Tournament is now live -- gather your allies, defeat your enemies, and prove that the prowess and skill of your team are unparalleled. The tournament will allow players to battle through the ranks for a chance to compete at live events, win prizes, and obtain the honor of being the best World of Warcraft PvP team in the world. For more information or questions regarding the tournament, please review the tournament FAQ. Let the games begin!

We're pleased to offer a preview of the first global World of Warcraft Arena Tournament, which is scheduled to begin on Friday, February 16. In this one-of-a-kind competition, Burning Crusade players will have the chance to demonstrate their prowess and vie for the title of best World of Warcraft PvP team on the planet. Click the link above to check out the preview, and be sure to visit the Arena System page for a general overview of Arena combat.

We are happy to announce the winners of our Valentine Card Contest! Congratulations to R. Meijer, W. Tsang, Samanya, N. Heiskanen, Meliora, and C. Schulze, all of whom have won Gurky keys! You can view the winning entries, as well as the many Honorable Mentions, on our Winners page.

On a patch day, we want to remind you that our Technical Support FAQ can help you to set up your firewall, to install your patch, or help you to set up the Blizzard Downloader. You are always welcome to contact our Technical Support team by phone or email.

On the eve of the second anniversary of World of Warcraft in Europe, we wanted to reiterate our gratitude to our European audience for helping us achieve a record-breaking launch with The Burning Crusade. Since the launch, we've already begun looking ahead to the great new content in store for players.

To read all of Lead Producer Shane Dabiri's Letter, check this thread.

Reminder: We informed you last Friday that we had discovered an unforeseen production issue which will require a few extra steps for European World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade Collector's Edition owners to be able to access their exclusive Netherwhelp in-game pet. We ask again that you retain your proof of purchase and the complete contents of your Collector's Edition box, including the content description sheet, after making your purchase.

To learn how to activate this pet, please check our Netherwhelp Redemption Guide.

This issue only concerns the in-game activation of the Netherwhelp pet. All the physical contents of your Collector's Edition are of the quality we strive for in all Blizzard Special Editions. This issue does not affect your ability to upgrade your World of Warcraft account to play The Burning Crusade from 00:01, January 16.

We sincerely appreciate the continued support from the European community, and apologize for the delay in activation of this feature.

The public test realms are live! Players can now try out some of the changes and additions coming in World of Warcraft's next patch, Patch 2.07. Read the test realm patch notes to learn more about these updates. To copy a character and download the test realm game client, visit our Public Test Realm page, after reading our Test Realm F.A.Q.

World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade was recently featured in an interview with lead designer Tom Chilton. This interview will air February 10 and 11, during the Computer Gaming Invitational on Direct TV. Visit the Championship Gaming Series site for more information.

While the gamers in line in California were celebrating the launch with a World of Warcraft-inspired dance-off (as seen in our previous video featurette), The Burning Crusade was already sweeping through Europe. Blizzard developers were on hand at major release events in London, Paris, Berlin, and Stockholm to usher in the expansion together with thousands of European players. View the footage from these events in part two of our Burning Crusade launch video.

We're happy to announce the opening of forums for all Battlegroups. Step inside to share your victories and engage in discussions with other players in your Battlegroup. For an overview of the realms in each Battlegroup visit the Battlegroups page.

Update: To alleviate crowding on some realms, we have opened Free Character Migration for the realms listed below. The migrations below are currently active. Please keep an eye on this thread in the forums for updates.

• Grim Batol to Spinebreaker
• Outland to Spinebreaker
• Warsong to Spinebreaker

The World of Warcraft Trading Card Game will soon be released in Spanish and Italian by Upper Deck Europe. The first Spanish and Italian versions of the TCG will be based on the second set of the World of Warcraft TCG, Through the Dark Portal Starters & Boosters, to launch on April 11th, 2007.

The release of Through the Dark Portal will be followed by the upcoming Molten Core Raid Deck, which will be released on May 16th, 2007 for all the five supported languages: English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian.

To learn more, please read Upper Deck's press releases for Italian and Spanish versions (text in English).

The award-winning* team at the Gnomeregan Gnews Gnetwork covered the Burning Crusade midnight-store-opening events - and once again, they've delivered the goods. In another hard-hitting news feature, the Gnomeregan Gnews Gnetwork team documented the goings-on at multiple events in California and Europe, starting nearly 50 hours before the January 16th launch.

Scenes of spontaneous fun, including a "Races of Azeroth" dance-alike contest, were included along with interviews of the players in line at the events. The sense of anticipation for those in attendance palpably grew as the countdown to the release approached, culminating with the store openings at the stroke of midnight. Shortly after, the Gnomeregan Gnews Gnetwork news team themselves disappeared, most likely already questing in Outland.

*Best Gnomish News Network (2004-2007), Azeroth Media Awards

On February 11th, World of Warcraft will be two years old in Europe! To celebrate the occasion, we are giving out some great loot to the winners of our Two Year Anniversary Contests! The first contest we are hosting is the World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade Lore Contest. Five winners for this contest will receive Alienware Gaming PCs! The second contest is the World of Warcraft Wallpaper Contest. Five first place winners for this contest will receive Alienware Gaming PCs and ten second place winners will receive Nvidia GeForce 7950 GX2 graphics cards!

To learn more about these contests, please check out our Two Year Anniversary Contests page and read the Terms and Conditions. Good luck!

You can now buy and download The Burning Crusade directly through the Account Management section. Just click here to buy and download The Burning Crusade online. Whether you journey through the Dark Portal as a seasoned adventurer, or witness the wonders of Outland as one of the two new playable races- the blood elves and the draenei- The Burning Crusade offers a wealth of exciting new content:

• A huge new continent to explore: Outland
• A multitude of new quests and challenges
• Two new playable races: the blood elves and the draenei
• Flying mounts
• New spells and talents for every class
• An increase in the level cap to 70
• An arena-based Player vs. Player Ladder System
• A new profession: Jewelcrafting
• Selectable Dungeon Difficulty setting

We have just added three new pages about the new PvP Honor Rewards available in game. You can now see the stats for the Level 70 PvP Armor Sets, the new PvP Class Armor Sets, and the new PvP General Rewards. Take a moment to check them out!

We are happy to announce the winners of the Blizzard Christmas Comic Contest. Congratulations to Mr. Michael McCabe of the UK, Mr. Markus Thommessen of Germany, Mr. Manuel García Basanta of Spain, and Mr. Loïc Michaut of France, all of whom have won an iPod Nano! We'd also like to congratulate Mr. Guillaume Bernard of France who is the winner of a Blizzard-themed iPod!

You can view the winning entries here.

The Warcraft III Season 4 Global Finals are being hosted in Cologne, Germany from January 25 to January 28. To celebrate the Season 4 Global Finals, we are hosting a Warcraft III Image Contest! Send us your best Warcraft III picture, and you could win a Battle.net Season 4 poster signed by the Global Finalists and Chris Sigaty!

What kind of image should you send? We're looking for:

• Memorable screenshots from Warcraft III
• Photographs of you dressed up as a character from Warcraft III
• Original fanart featuring creatures, characters, scenes, or themes from Warcraft III

World of Warcraft's arenas are designed to be the ultimate test of teamwork and skill - and more new gladiators are entering the fray each day, eager to prove their prowess in battle. Is your arena team prepared? Our overviews of The Ring of Trials and the Circle of Blood will provide insight to the tactics and approaches that will help you become the last team standing.

This feature originally appeared in our latest World of Warcraft Insider, a free monthly newsletter containing exclusive content for World of Warcraft subscribers.

Our deckbuilding strategy guide for the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game is devoted to helping you make the all-important decisions that will shape your deck and help you get the most out of your cards. How do you find the most powerful card combinations in your collection, and what ways are there to disrupt your opponent's strategy and create an advantage for yourself? Our guide has the answers to these questions and more.

This feature originally appeared in our latest World of Warcraft Insider, a free monthly newsletter containing exclusive content for World of Warcraft subscribers.

Due to technical issues with the Contest Submission form, we have extended the Valentine's Contest by three days. The contest will now end on February 5. Please read the Valentine Card Contest page and the Terms and Conditions in order to have a better chance of sending in a winning submission. You can submit your entries here.

Thousands of retail stores around the world had their doors open at midnight on January 16 to welcome the crowds that had gathered outside, and within 24 hours of The Burning Crusade's launch that night, nearly 2.4 million players worldwide had purchased the expansion. Further details are available in this media alert.

We again welcome all of the current, new, and returning players to The Burning Crusade. It's been great to see more and more of you take up the cause of the Horde and the Alliance as Blood Elves and Draenei, and to see the most powerful characters in Azeroth venturing deeper into Outland each day.

What better way to share the sights of Outland than to send a friend our cool new World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade E-Card. This new e-card shows the sights of Outland with a bird's eye perspective as you fly over the remains of Draenor. Take a moment to send it to a friend!

Blizzard will be at the Warcraft III Season 4 Global Finals which will be held in Cologne, Germany at Media Park on January 25th and 28th! Members of the German and English Community Team will be present to greet the visitors who come to see sixteen of the world's best Warcraft III players who have earned their places at the Global Finals with top performances at earlier regional finals in Asia, Europe, and the America.

At the Global Finals you also have the opportunity to test The Burning Crusade in a dedicated World of Warcraft - The Burning Crusade Area as well as the chance to participate in one of the daily leveling contests and win great prizes.

Find out more about this tournament at our Battle.net site.

The excitement surrounding the launch of World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade has spurred coverage from a number of publications, as well as recaps of the launch events from around the world. Check out these links, which represent just a small sample of the Burning Crusade coverage that's appeared over the past week.
English:

• BBC News Online
• Gamespot UK
• Guardian Online
• Gamesindustry.biz
• Dagens Nyheter (Swedish)
• FZ (Swedish)
• Dagbladet (Norwegian)
• NRK (Norwegian)

Love is in the air and the sighs of lovers creates a mist of romance all over Azeroth. That can only mean one thing: Valentine's Day is near! To get into the spirit of the occasion, we are hosting a Valentine Card Contest. To participate in the Valentine Card Contest, simply design a Valentine Card showing your love for World of Warcraft and you could win a Gurky key!

You can learn more about this contest at our Valentine Contest page. You should also read the Terms and Conditions for this contest.

The public test realms are live! Players can now try out some of the changes and additions coming in World of Warcraft's next patch, Patch 2.06. Read the test realm patch notes to learn more about these updates. To copy a character and download the test realm game client, visit our Public Test Realm page, after reading our Test Realm F.A.Q.

To alleviate crowding on some realms, we have opened Free Character Migration for the realms listed below. The migrations below are currently active. They're scheduled to close on Monday January 22nd, at 12:00 (noon) CET, but may be closed earlier. Please keep an eye on this thread in the forums for updates.

• Bloodhoof to Bronze Dragonflight
• Emerald Dream to Bronze Dragonflight
• Thunderhorn to Bronze Dragonflight
• Azjol-Nerub to Anachronos
• Doomhammer to Anachronos
• Turalyon to Anachronos
• Ravencrest to Agamaggan
• Ravencrest to Vek'nilash
• Neptulon to Vek'nilash
• Neptulon to Jaedenar
• Outland to Jaedenar
• Outland to Spinebreaker

Monday's midnight openings across Europe were well-attended as players rushed to get copies of World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade. Some were even lucky enough to talk to our developers in the different cities and get their copy signed. Share the excitement of the release of The Burning Crusade in Europe and have a look at our photos from the various Blizzard signings.

We have just posted a new gameplay trailer for The Burning Crusade. Take a moment to watch the opening of the Dark Portal and catch a glimpse of the adventures that await you in Outland!

Experience the discovery of a brand new world by choosing one of the new realms opened for the Burning Crusade launch:

• Normal: Hellfire, Ghostlands, Nagrand
• Player vs. player (PvP): Karazhan, Auchindoun, Shattered Halls
• Roleplaying: The Sha'tar
• Roleplaying PvP: Sporeggar

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. announced today that World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, the first expansion set for the world's leading subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game, World of Warcraft, is now on sale throughout North America and Europe. World of Warcraft is played by more than 8 million gamers around the world. To learn more, read this press release.

World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade is now available at a store near you! Featuring a massive new world, two new races, several new instanced dungeons, and hundreds of unique new quests, The Burning Crusade provides countless hours of exciting solo and group content. And if you want to go toe-to-toe with human opponents, the expansion's Arena PvP System and the redesigned PvP Honor System will provide the thrills and excitement you seek. There are both a standard and a collector's edition available for The Burning Crusade; you can learn more about the latter in our detailed Burning Crusade Collector's Edition Preview. If you want to learn more about the expansion and all its features, we suggest you check out the Burning Crusade Features Page and also take a look at the Burning Crusade Expansion FAQ.

During installation of the expansion, you'll be able to upgrade your World of Warcraft account access to The Burning Crusade. Alternatively, you can click here to upgrade as well.

A generation has passed since the Dark Portal opened for the first time, unleashing the Orcish Horde upon Azeroth. The wars that followed changed the face of the world forever. Now, the portal between the worlds has been reopened, and the people of Azeroth find themselves in the direct path of the Burning Legion once more. To save the world from destruction, you must do what only few have ever done before: cross through the Dark Portal into the shattered realm of Outland. Prepare for the greatest challenge yet -- the fate of not just one world, but of two, now rests in the hands of mortal heroes.

Beyond the Swamp of Sorrows, deep within the Blasted Lands, the Dark Portal beckons -- and destiny awaits…

The official World of Warcraft website's game guide section will receive a series of content updates to help you get started with World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade. The following list is only the first of several updates, so make sure to visit the website regularly. Here are today's updates:

• Mounts – Check out the new racial, flying, and special mounts in this massive update
• Outdoor PvP – Learn more about the new outdoor PvP objectives of Outland
• Talents – We've updated the talent calculators with the most recent data and upgraded the point total to 61 talent points
• Region Levels – See the new regions and their level ranges
• Races – New race pages for the blood elves and draenei
• Classes – Updated with new race/class combinations

We have discovered an unforeseen production issue that will require a few extra steps for European World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade Collector's Edition owners to access their exclusive Netherwhelp in-game pet. We will update the website with further details on this issue as soon as possible.

In the meantime, we ask that you retain your proof of purchase and the complete contents of your Collector's Edition box set, including the content description sheet, after making your purchase.

This issue concerns only the in-game activation of the Netherwhelp pet. All the physical contents of your Collector's Edition are of the quality we strive for in Blizzard special editions, and the ability to upgrade your World of Warcraft account to play The Burning Crusade from 00:01, January 16 is unaffected in any way.

Please do not contact our billing support team as they do not have any details on this issue, and the extra calls would adversely affect their service to players. More details will come on the website before the launch of The Burning Crusade.

We sincerely appreciate the continued support from the European community, and apologise for the delay in activation of this feature.

The Burning Crusade Beta test will end tonight at midnight. To properly mark the occasion, starting this evening around 6 pm there will be a special End of Beta event on the Beta Test Realms. We hope you enjoy it and we thank you all for your hard work during The Burning Crusade Beta test. See you in Outland!

Starting next Monday, Blizzard Support Departments will extend their working hours to assist players during the launch of World of Warcraft's first expansion, The Burning Crusade.

• Technical Support: available non-stop from Monday, January 15, 8:00 AM to Friday, January 19, 7:00 PM
• Billing Support: available non-stop from Monday, January 15, 8:00 AM to Saturday, January 20, 8:00 AM

We're proud to announce that World of Warcraft has achieved a new milestone: 8 million players worldwide! You can view the full press release here. This feat would not have been possible without the longstanding support of the World of Warcraft community. Thank you for helping us bring Azeroth to life; we're looking forward to continuing the adventure with you beyond the Dark Portal in just five short days.

Azeroth is under attack! Horrific creatures are swarming from a suddenly active Dark Portal and have rampaged into the Blasted Lands. Defenders from Nethergarde Keep have scrambled to meet the enemy head-on. However, even with the assistance of reinforcements from the ever-vigilant Argent Dawn, the forces of Azeroth need your help!

Not much is known of the invasion at this early stage, but early reports from the battlefront describe wave after wave of demonic attackers charging from the Dark Portal. It is also reported that Lord Kazzak was seen departing through the Dark Portal. In his stead he has left his minion, Highlord Kruul, to sow fear and confusion among the defenders. The time has come at last for the dark forces of the Burning Legion to make themselves known.

Accompanied by a host of infernals, Kruul has been seen near a number of major cities in Azeroth, along with the following outdoor areas:

• Hinterlands
• Eastern Plaguelands
• Winterspring
• Stranglethorn Vale
• Azshara
• Silithus
• Searing Gorge

Not even the elite forces of the Argent Dawn have dared attack Kruul directly. Only a large and well-coordinated group of adventurers might stand a chance of defeating him.

You can read the entire patch notes here.

We have added a new article about one of the features added in our most recent patch, Before the Storm: the In-Game Knowledge Base. This new in-game feature will help you to find solutions to common issues and allow your feedback in the In-Game Support Forum to help other players in their journeys through Azeroth. Take a moment to read through our article on it.

The Burning Legion's renewed assault on Azeroth begins at midnight between January 15th/16th - and Blizzard developers will be on hand at certain stores throughout Europe to celebrate and sign copies of the game:

— World of Warcraft game designer, Jon LeCraft, and Vice President of Business Development, Itzik Ben Bassat will be at HMV on Oxford Street in London.
— You can find John Lagrave, senior producer, and Jeff Chamberlain, Cinematics Project Lead, at the FNAC on the Champs Elysées in Paris.
— Brian Morrisroe, Lead Dungeon Artist for The Burning Crusade, will be attending the midnight opening of Media Markt in Charlottenburg, Berlin.
— Rob Foote, Art Associate Producer, will be at EB Games Gallerian, Stockholm.

If you're interested in getting the Burning Crusade as soon as it is released, please check with your local gaming shop to see if they are planning a midnight opening for January 16.

In InQuest Gamer #141, one of the most famous trading card game magazines, the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game (TCG) was named Best New Game for 2006! Citing a hot property, excellent mechanics, dedicated Organized Play, Loot cards, and the innovative Raid Deck concept, InQuest Gamer sees the World of Warcraft TCG as a product with a huge debut and a bright future.

We have just updated all of our Battleground and PvP Weapon rewards pages. Now you will be able to see how many honor points or battleground tokens you will need in order to purchase the various rewards, as well as getting a sneak peak at some of the upcoming level 70 gear. Check them out!

• PvP Weapon Rewards
• Alterac Valley Rewards
• Arathi Basin Rewards
• Warsong Gulch Rewards