Blizzard Store is still open for ordering. However, the deliveries will be on hold from December 30th to January 5th. We wish you happy holidays!

We are pleased to announce that Blizzard Entertainment corporate website is now available in Russian. You will find at http://eu.blizzard.com/ru our latest news, official press releases, employment opportunities, contact information, reviews, company profile and much more. Welcome!

Since the launch of Wrath of the Lich King last month, millions of players around the world have stormed the shores of Borean Tundra and Howling Fjord. In fact, more than 4 million copies of the new expansion were sold in the first month of release – a new record for PC-game sales.

To go along with that record, World of Warcraft's global community has now grown to more than 11.5 million subscribers. Read more about these latest achievements in the official press release, and from all of us at Blizzard Entertainment, happy holidays, thank you for taking World of Warcraft to new heights, and enjoy your time in Northrend!

Account security is very important to us. As we have recently seen a rise in the number of compromised World of Warcraft accounts, we recommend you to take a few moments to read these tips to help protect your privacy and ensure your security.

• Verify that your email address in Account Management is current. You can see your address on the right side of the Account Management page and change it with the “Change Contact Info” button.
• Make sure your operating system, web browser, and other software is up-to-date with the latest patches and security updates.
• Scan your computer for viruses, Trojans, and key loggers.
• After doing this, we highly recommend changing the password on the account to a brand-new, unique one, and making sure to keep this password private.

Last days to think about your Christmas presents! Blizzard Store goes on holidays from December 24th, 2008 to January 4th, 2009.

You have until December 23th, inclusive, to purchase Blizzard-themed gifts and gadgets: from t-shirts, caps and books through to action figures and board games. You can buy boxed copies of World of Warcraft, The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King. Digital downloads are available for Diablo II, StarCraft, and Warcraft III along with their expansion sets. Linking these to your Blizzard Account means that you can download them anywhere, with the CD keys conveniently attached to your Blizzard Account.
The Blizzard Store also stocks the Blizzard Authenticator, a supplemental authentication method for your World of Warcraft account, providing you with even more security to keep your characters and items safe.

As usual, all your buyings will be delivered straight to your door. Enjoy your Blizzard shopping and see you back on January 5th!

The Public Test Realms are now open! Check out the patch notes for more information. If you have any questions or concerns, please post in our Public Test Realm forum.

Prepare yourself to face one of the darkest villains in the Warcraft universe – the Lich King Arthas! Sign up now to play a trial version of the latest expansion to World of Warcraft – Wrath of the Lich King – for 10 days free. If you've upgraded to The Burning Crusade and have yet to experience the new content Wrath of the Lich King has to offer, head over to the free-trial page now and try it today.

During your 10-day free trial, you'll explore the frozen wastes of Northrend, wield the necromantic powers of the new death knight Hero class, take control of massive siege vehicles in the new open-world PvP zone of Wintergrasp, and much more*.

In order to install and play the Wrath of the Lich King Trial, full versions of World of Warcraft and The Burning Crusade must be installed on your computer, and you must have upgraded to The Burning Crusade. More information on the 10-day free trial is available in our FAQ. Your journey awaits!

*Northrend is recommended for characters level 68 and higher. Death knights can only be created by players who already have a character at level 55 or higher.

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!

To learn more about this event, check out the updated Feast of Winter Veil game guide page. And to get into the holiday spirit, make sure to check out The Night Before Winter Veil, the Blizzard holiday skit.

Every year, the world of Azeroth celebrates the Feast of Winter Veil and Greatfather Winter makes an appearance in the cities -- courtesy of Smokeywood Pastures. He spreads cheer and good will to all the orcs, humans, and other denizens of Azeroth (including gnomes).

But will you get that one thing you've always wanted? Will Smokeywood Pastures give you delicious treats? Will Greatfather Winter give you that Hogger action toy with kung fu grip, or will you get a snowball instead? Write your letter to Greatfather Winter now and let your wishes be known!

Ready for a new look in World of Warcraft, but the barbershop's just not cutting it? You can now change a character's gender, face, skin color, and other cosmetic features (such as tauren horn styles or a night elf's facial markings) using the brand-new Character Re-Customization service.
Available at the Account Management page for a flat fee of 15€/£12, Character Re-Customization covers all available cosmetic options for a single character and includes an optional name change to go with your new look.

For more information, see the FAQ -- or log in to the Character Re-Customization page now to begin the process of reinventing the new you!

North, in the snowy plains of Dragonblight, within sight of the Temple the dragonflights have made their own, lies the black gate of Angrathar, the Wrath Gate. Its saronite teeth grin darkly upon the pure white snow just as the skeletal faces of the Scourge grin with a mockery of life upon the living. Beyond, Icecrown, and the Lich King, await.

Faced with the threat of the annhilation of all life, the Alliance forces under Highlord Bolvar and the Horde forces under Saurfang the Younger have set aside their differences in Dragonblight. Working together, each faction taking on its own assignment, they have contained the threats of Azjol-Nerub and Naxxramas, preventing either from taking them from behind as they confront the source of the Scourge: the Lich King himself, at the Wrath Gate.

How will the battle fare? Will the temporary cease-fire between blood enemies hold? Will the Lich King be brought, at long last, to justice? Learn more by visiting our new page dedicated to one of Wrath of the Lich King's most enthralling quests: The Wrath Gate.

*Please note that this cinematic contains story spoilers.

We've added Marea's latest creation, The Rise of the Undead to the Blizzard Fan Art gallery. Prepare to flee in fear as this draenei death knight unleashes his ghoulish minions upon you!

We're always looking for new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

Wrath of the Lich King has been on shelves for close to a month now, and the reviews from most major gaming media outlets are in. Check them out to see what people are saying about the newest addition to World of Warcraft:

• Eurogamer (10/10)
• GameTrailers (9.2/10)
• GameSpot (9.0/10)
• IGN (9.0/10)
• Slashdot (9/10)
• GameSpy (4.5/5)
• Variety
• YouGamers (96/100)
• GamePlanet (9.5/10)
• GameZone (9.5/10)
• Atomic Gamer (93%)
• ActionTrip (9.1/10)
• Videogamer (9/10)
• Giant Bomb (5/5)
• Wired (9/10)
• Yahoo! (4.5/5)
• The Escapist ("Bottom Line: WoW has never been better.")
• Gameplayer (9.5/10)
• Play.tm (92%)
• Nothing But Software (A+)

Our latest addition to our World of Warcraft wallpapers section is another offering taken from the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game. You can adorn your desktop with this feral tauren druid, calling upon the power of nature to strike her enemies down!

Head over to the Upper Deck Entertainment website now to learn more about the game, see more art, or even download some demo decks.

With Christmas just around the corner, it's the perfect time to shop for exclusive gifts at our Blizzard Store. The home for Blizzard-themed merchandise of all kinds, from t-shirts, caps and novels through to action figures and board games. The Blizzard Store also stocks the Blizzard Authenticator, providing even more security to keep your characters and items safe.

Digital downloads are available for Diablo II, StarCraft, and Warcraft III along with their expansion sets and linking these to your Blizzard Account means that you can download them anywhere, with the CD keys conveniently attached to your Blizzard Account. You can also buy boxed copies of World of Warcraft, The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King and – as with the many other collectibles, books and games you can buy- they'll be delivered straight to your door!

It's not just Ozzy Osbourne and Steve van Zandt who are asking ‘What's your game?' France's favourite knight, Alexandre Astier, and German hiphop stars Thomas D. and Smudo are also checking out your World of Warcraft credentials in the latest series of television commercials to be shown across Europe this winter. In addition we have an exclusive insight from Alexandre Astier, available only on the Web. Take a look at how these icons play the game… it's not exactly how you might have imagined.

The Armory, our online database of the characters, guilds, and items of World of Warcraft, has received upgrades to its design and functionality with the release of Wrath of the Lich King.

• Achievements and Statistics: Player achievements and statistics are now viewable on Armory character profiles. These new pages are designed to appear and function much like their corresponding interface in-game, with additional functionality such as being able to compare up to four characters across all realms.
• Armory Design Changes: The Armory has been updated with a sleek new look, logins that persist for two weeks, the ability to bookmark multiple character profiles, a news feed on the front page, and more.

Blizzard and Steelseries have teamed up for a contest which is sure to make your seasonal festivities just a little more … Warcraft. Make an original World of Warcraft-themed Christmas decoration, send us a photo of it, and you could win cool gaming gear from Steelseries. Check out our Steelseries Contest page to get all the details.

DreamHack Winter is back, and Blizzard Entertainment will be there! We've partnered with TeliaSonera to give this year's attendees a chance to play Blizzard's upcoming StarCraft II and the recently released World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King.

You'll find us next to the DreamArena, where Blizzard representatives will be on hand to answer questions, chat with players, and demonstrate the games. We'll also be running several contests featuring great prizes, including the Lich King's legendary sword Frostmourne -- though don't be surprised if Arthas himself shows up to try to stop you from winning.

This year's DreamHack Winter takes place from 27 to 30 November at Elmia in Jönköping, Sweden. For more information on the event, visit the DreamHack website. We look forward to seeing you there!

We've added Ozric's latest creation, Where Did He Go? to the Blizzard Fan Art gallery. Help this mighty tauren brave find his missing captive! After all, gnomes are so hard to spot.

We're always looking for new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

Our latest addition to our World of Warcraft wallpapers section is another offering taken from the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game. You can adorn your desktop with this mighty troll warrior, her axe raised and ready to strike!

Head over to the Upper Deck Entertainment website now to learn more about the game, see more art, or even download some demo decks.

From November 21st to 23rd the American Continental Finals of the Intel Extreme Masters took place. The tour stop took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where three spots for the Global Finals and $30,000 in prize money were up for grabs. Trade Chat All Stars took 1st place and the $15,000 prize followed by GotGame East with $6,000 and Evil Geniuses on 3rd place with $3,600. All three teams qualified for the Global finals.

The Extreme Masters will now hold a winter break until February 2009 when the European Continental Finals will be held in Hamburg, Germany.

Blizzard Entertainment today announced that World of Warcraft's second expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, has sold more than 2.8 million copies in its first 24 hours of availability, making it the fastest-selling PC game of all time. This eclipses the previous record of nearly 2.4 million copies sold in 24 hours, set in January 2007 by Blizzard's first World of Warcraft expansion, The Burning Crusade. To learn more, click here.

Ozzy Osbourne's been the Prince of Darkness since 1979 -- too bad Arthas is poised to steal the throne. In a series of ads televised across North America (some of which are soon to arrive in Europe), Ozzy and Steve van Zandt want to know: 'What's your #!@? Game?' Check the spots out here before they hit the airwaves and be sure to press the "Watch in High Quality" option (bottom right of the picture) for the best results:
Ozzy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT8maUTzE48
Steve Van Zandt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXeyYdGoLCU

Stay tuned here as we will be revealing more ads specially made for Europe in the coming days!

The Asian Continental Finals in Seoul last weekend saw the defeat of Korean team 'kill e A' by local rivals 'H O N'. The next round of the Intel Extreme Masters Global Challenge will be located in Philadelphia, USA from the 21st to the 23rd of November for the American Continental Finals. The best American 3v3 arena teams will be battling it out for a share in a $30,000 prize pool.

The Electronic Sports League's official coverage page contains all the details on team profiles, rules and a free non-stop video stream of the matches as they're played with live commentary in English.

Chilled from your adventures through the ice and snow of Northrend? Looking for the perfect way to keep yourself warm as you rush to stop the Lich King's mad designs? Then you'll be happy to hear about our new World of Warcraft-themed Epic Collection oversized mugs from 3 Point Entertainment! With these in your inventory, you'll never feel cold again. Fill them up with your favorite beverage and carry them with you as you make your way to Icecrown and the final confrontation!

Click here to learn more!

In the sixth epic episode of BlizzCast, we spend a day with a developer and find out what life is like for World of Warcraft Lead Tools Programmer Monte Krol. Next, we take a look at StarCraft II unit design from concept to creation with Senior Art Director Samwise Didier and Lead Game Designer Dustin Browder. In our third segment, Bashiok spends some time with Anthony Rivero, senior artist for Diablo III, and discusses “bridging the gap” in the series' character design. Bornakk wraps the episode up by answering some questions from the community.

Listen to the show now or check out the transcript to see all the featured artwork.

We've added D. Oyebo's latest creation, A Minute's Rest to the Blizzard Fan Art gallery. While you catch your breath between quests in Northrend, know that you're in good company with this tauren warrior!

We're always looking for new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

The Blizzard iTunes page has been updated to include the official World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Soundtrack. The iTunes edition of the soundtrack contains a total of 21 tracks, including three exclusives -- "Path of the Lifewarden," "Shadow Web Caverns," and "Obsidian Sanctum" -- different from the three exclusive tracks found on the Collector's Edition soundtrack CD. Individual tracks are available on iTunes for 0.99 € each, or you can buy the entire album at once for 9.99 €.

Click here to check out the soundtrack on iTunes, or head to the Blizzard iTunes page for more information -- and while you're there, check out the other Blizzard musical offerings, including soundtracks to Diablo II, StarCraft, and World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade.

We are aware that many of our Russian speaking players, European account owners, upgrading to World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King have purchased the retail boxes that only work with Russian accounts. Therefore, we have decided to make the European to Russian account conversion process available again until 16 December (inclusive). However players that would like to keep their European accounts will be able to contact our Billing team to arrange this. For all the details, please refer to the forums.

You should transfer your characters before converting your account. Thus, the free character migration from European to Russian realms has also been extended until 16 December. Please check our character migration FAQ for further information.

Ready to venture forth into the frozen north and explore the vast new continent of Northrend? Buy and download the Wrath of the Lich King directly through our Electronic Upgrade and in just a few, simple steps, you can be on your way!

All you need to do is:

1. Login to the Wrath of the Lich King Electronic Upgrade page.
2. Select your payment method and enter your billing details.
3. Follow the link to download the Wrath of the Lich King game client.

You can learn more about what challenges await adventurers in the frozen wastes of the north on our Wrath of the Lich King features page. If you've already bought a retail box of Wrath of the Lich King, you can directly access our upgrade account page and enter your Authentication Key. We look forward to seeing you in Northrend!

We are happy to announce that we have begun offering the latest expansion to World of Warcraft, Wrath of the Lich King, in our Blizzard Online Store! If you've been waiting for the chance to have Northrend shipped directly to your home, now's your chance to achieve your goal.

Also, while you wait for the expansion to arrive at your door, you can check out the new features which await you in Wrath of the Lich King!

November 13 marked the release of Wrath of the Lich King, the second expansion of World of Warcraft, and, in true Blizzard style, it was a night to remember. Players gathered at various locations around the world to enjoy the special midnight openings held for the release, and, thanks to them, it was a wonderful success!

If you weren't able to make it to the midnight openings, check out our photo gallery to have a little taste of what it was like!

The Intel Extreme Masters Global Challenge tour is taking place at Seoul in Korea this weekend, November 14-16. Many of the Asia's top Arena teams will be competing in this event for a piece of the $30,000 prize pool. During the competition, the Electronic Sports League will provide a non-stop free video stream, so everyone worldwide will be able to watch all of the matches live with English commentary. For more details, including team profiles, rules, and the video stream, head on over to ESL's official Seoul Coverage page.

For years, the heroes of the Alliance and Horde have fought against the evils in Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms, against the demons of the Burning Legion in Outland, and against each other -- all the while unaware that a threat more dangerous than any they had yet encountered was preparing to make its move in the icy continent of Northrend. Now the Lich King, Arthas Menethil, has emerged from Icecrown Citadel to claim the world as his own. Heroes of the Alliance and Horde gather in Northrend to make a stand against the malevolent being that dares to declare himself Azeroth's one true king... and seeks to scour all life from the world.

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King is now live and available at a store near you. Featuring a massive new continent, the brand-new death knight Hero class, unique dungeons, an open-world PvP zone with siege vehicles and destructible buildings, and hundreds of brand-new quests, Wrath of the Lich King provides a huge variety of content for solo and group players. The expansion is available in both a standard and Collector's Edition; find out more about the latter in our Wrath of the Lich King Collector's Edition Preview. To learn more about what awaits you in Northrend, visit our Wrath of the Lich King Features Page and check out the primer to get you started.

During installation of the expansion, you'll be able to upgrade the World of Warcraft account you play to allow access to Wrath of the Lich King. You can click here to upgrade as well.

In order to provide the best support possible for adventurers as they make their way through the frozen north, we will be extending our Technical and Billing Support hours. Technical Support will be available from midnight Wednesday, November 12 to midnight Thursday, November 13. After that, they will be available from 9 am until midnight every day except Sunday until the night of Friday, November 21. Billing Support will be available from 9 am Thursday, November 13 to midnight every day except Sunday until the night of Friday, November 21.

Are you an avid reader of Titan's World of Warcraft comic? If so, then here's a contest for you! Simply select the correct answers to these nine questions and you could get the chance to win a hardcover edition of the World of Warcraft Comic Book signed by Jim Lee! Check out the Terms and Conditions before entering.

Good luck to all our participants!

If you have finished packing and that you are ready to be part of the official launch of Wrath of the Lich King that will take place in Paris, Rotterdam, Madrid, London, Berlin and Stockholm on the night between November, 12th and 13th, make sure you do not forget to bring your camera! The Baby Murloc Adoption Committee has decided to reward the players who capture the best pictures during this fabulous evening. The winners of this contest will get the opportunity to look after the famous Gurky. Do not miss the chance to make friends with this rare game mascot.

Submit your photographs of the Midnight Opening Events here! You can also read the Terms and Conditions of this contest here.

Saturday and Sunday passed quickly for those who had braved the long queues to become among the first Russian-speaking players to feel the frozen breath of Northrend on their skin. The beta portal to the Lich King's domain was wide open at Blizzard's booth at the IgroMir game convention in Moscow from 7 to 9 November. Due to huge popularity the Death Knight leveling contest was held three times on Saturday and the winners were rewarded with various World of Warcraft products, from mouse pads to hardware.

Those that attended were enthusiastic both about the upcoming releases of Starcraft II and Diablo III, and about the imminent release of Wrath of the Lich King. Those experiencing their first hands-on look at this second expansion for World of Warcraft said that they were now even more eager to adventure further in the worlds of Azeroth and Outland.

The Blizzard Jobs booth was also very busy with people bringing their CVs along in order to apply for the many Russian-speaking positions advertised at Blizzard.

Many thanks to everyone who was able to join us at the booth!

We have just published a page covering some of the many events that will be available to those who attend the Midnight Openings across Europe! Beyond just getting your copy of Wrath of the Lich King, you can:

• Get your game box signed by Blizzard producers and executives
• Win a prize for the best costume
• Get special goodies for being among the first in line
• Participate in on-the-spot contests for cool prizes
• And much, much more...

Today the Blizzard booth opened for public at the IgroMir convention - a major event for all the Russian lovers of interactive entertainment. Many visitors came to us to check out the latest expansion of World of Warcraft - Wrath of the Lich King, which launches across Europe on November 13. Visitors were impressed by the new hero class, the Death Knight, and with all the inhabitants of Azeroth and Outland now speaking Russian.

Our Community Team also had prepared many fun events for the visitors. Apart from playing the Russian Wrath of the Lich King beta, attendees had an opportunity to take part in contests: a quiz contest based on the Warcraft universe and a Death Knight power-leveling contest. Players could chill their ardor by taking pictures of themselves sitting on the Frozen Throne.

Don´t forget that the show is also open on Saturday and Sunday! Intriguing adventures in Northrend and more surprises await you. Lastly, remember to take your CV with you; there may be a place for you in the Blizzard family!

In preparation for Wrath of the Lich King, we will be performing an 8 hour Armory maintenance beginning on November 10, at 3 PM, Paris time (CET). The extensive changes and feature additions in Wrath of the Lich King mean that we also have to update the Armory to reflect those changes. As part of the maintenance, all character data will be reset, and character profiles will be repopulated as players log into World of Warcraft. We thank you for your patience during the maintenance.

Further information will be posted in this thread.

If you're interested in high-level competitive Arena play, then check out The Named Arena tournament, which is taking place now in Korea, with the finals scheduled for this weekend on November 8 (KST). English broadcasts of this final will be available on the GOMTV website November 23 at noon (KST). Be sure to check both the live stream and videos on demand to catch all of the action as the season concludes.

The Russian gaming convention, IgroMir, began today in Moscow! We would be happy to welcome our Russian players to our booth on the convention floor. Representatives from Blizzard will be on hand there to answer questions, chat, and help with demonstrations from November 7-9. We look forward to seeing you!

Stay tuned for more details in the coming days!

During the tour stop in Montreal, players from SK Gaming EU defeated the US team Gravitas Gaming in what turned out to be very intense finals. The Intel Extreme Masters Global Challenge is now crossing the ocean and will be located in Seoul, Korea from the 13th to the 16th of November!

This time, the best Asian arena teams of World of Warcraft will compete during the continental finals and trying to get a share of the $30,000 prize pool.

During the competition, the Electronic Sports League will provide a free non-stop video stream, so everyone worldwide will be able to watch all of the matches live with commentary in English. For more details, including team profiles, rules, and the video stream, head on over to the official Seoul coverage page.

An arctic chill will soon reach Azeroth and all worthy adventurers will have the opportunity to journey to Northrend to challenge the Lich King! Already, these brave souls have had several months to prepare for the expedition. Their talbuk boots, reinforced armor, rabbit fur-lined gloves should be ready… Still, one major issue remains: have you decided what you would do first when Wrath of the Lich King is out?

Tell us all in this survey and see you soon in Northrend!

We've added Svartberg's latest creation, Priestess to the Blizzard Fan Art gallery. Take a moment to gaze over this mysterious, alluring devotée of the Light!

We're always looking for new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

If you want your journey into Northrend to get a truly epic start, why not head to one of the many stores holding midnight openings to celebrate the launch of the latest expansion of World of Warcraft, Wrath of the Lich King? Not only can you obtain a copy of the game on the stroke of midnight, you can also mix with other World of Warcraft fans and many stores are holding special events prior to the midnight release. This list of stores should provide you with the starting point for an extra dash of icy coolness, and we'll be adding more locations as they become 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 – which also includes general assistance on in-game topics and new content.

All of Azeroth will feel the Wrath of the Lich King in just a couple of weeks, when the second World of Warcraft expansion officially launches. If you want to be among the first to get your hands on the game, thousands of retailers around the world are hosting special midnight store openings to celebrate the release, and will start selling the game at 12:00 a.m. (local time) on November 13. In addition, Blizzard Entertainment developers and executives will be on hand to sign copies and meet players at several locations throughout Europe: Paris, London, Stockholm, Berlin, Madrid and Rotterdam. A full list of stores will be available in the coming days, so check back for updates regularly.

The Drums of War can be heard in the distance, ushering in the third year of the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game on October 28. This latest set shows off the brand new Location card type, three new Loot items, and a Black Warbear mount. Head over to WoWTCG.com to find out more about Drums of War and other World of Warcraft Trading Card Game products.

The highly anticipated World of Warcraft Miniatures Game will be available in Europe beginning on November 11. Check with your local World of Warcraft Trading Card Game retailer for more information about when they will be available in your area. For those interested in learning more, head over to WoWMinis.com. You can sign up to receive updates, including sneak preview pictures of the minis, details about gameplay, and downloadable demos.

We've added Michael's latest creation, Moonkin to the Blizzard Fan Art gallery. Take a moment to gaze over this proud defender of Nature!

We're always looking for new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

The community of World of Warcraft players around the world continues to grow, recently hitting a new high of 11 million subscribers. We just wanted to take a moment to share the news and say thank you to all the current, new, and returning players around the world whose enthusiasm and support have made this milestone possible.

We’ve recently added 10 new Blizzard Entertainment-themed mobile-phone downloads to the Mobile Ringtones and Wallpapers store, including a variety of new unit sounds from StarCraft; new wallpapers of the terran, protoss, and zerg from StarCraft II; and a chilling portrait of the Lich King Arthas Menethil from the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion. You can purchase these and more than 50 other Diablo, StarCraft, and Warcraft wallpapers and ringtones here.

Our latest addition to our World of Warcraft wallpapers section is another offering taken from the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game. You can adorn your desktop with this Blood Elf Shadow Priestess frozen in the middle of her dark incantation, pierced by a deadly arrow.

Head over to the Upper Deck Entertainment website now to learn more about the game, see more art, or even download some demo decks.

We are delighted to invite everybody to the Blizzard booth at Igromir (site in Russian only), the major gaming event which will be taking place in Moscow on November 6-9 (open to the public on 7-9 November). You will be able to play the beta of the forthcoming World of Warcraft expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, and take part in competitions. Don’t forget to check our Jobs page for information on a career with Blizzard, and bring your CV with you to the event as we could be looking for someone just like you!

Two new realms will be opened today for the English Community in the Ruin battlegroup. The Terokkar and Azuremyst realms are brand new realms and are not open to migration for 90 days. The Ahn'Qiraj gates will be closed on these realms and the opening event can be started by players. If you're looking for a place to reroll before Wrath of the Lich King, one of these two could be your new home.

We have just updated the Wrath of the Lich King official website with an update about the frozen battleground of Lake Wintergrasp.

Overlooking the frozen plains of the Great Dragonblight and the inhospitable wastes of Borean Tundra lies a region known to the denizens of Northrend as Wintergrasp. Seated atop a high plateau, Wintergrasp has remained undisturbed for ages, its icy winds howling unheard amongst the ancient titan fortifications that dot the landscape…

Visit our Wrath of the Lich King site to read more about this new region of Northrend, bringing a whole new kind of open-world PvP to World of Warcraft

If you’re looking for a way to stand out from the crowd and show your guild spirit in the real world, then take a look at the just-released World of Warcraft custom apparel program. Several varieties of shirt designs and colors are available, and each is custom-printed with character information and a guild tabard emblem. Head over to Warcraft.SwagDog.com now to see some examples and get more information on the available options.

Following the vast majority of their population having moved to the Russian language realms, the realms Molten Core, Shadowmoon, Stonemaul and Warsong will be closed on Wednesday 29 October. The Free Character Migration to allow players on these realms to join larger realm communities will remain open until 11 November, after which remaining characters will be moved automatically.

For more information about this migration, please read this thread.

A strange letter was found in Eric Farrington's decaying diary. This foreboding omen was found in the dead and tainted city of Andorhal. Here is an excerpt from what we believe to be Eric's final words:

Help me, I've been bitten!
I can already feel the disease taking me. May the light bless me as I go to be with my family and friends once again. I'm not sure how much longer I can keep my sanity. I am weak. I hunger, and must eat...
Eat...
Brains...

Adventurers of Azeroth, if you want to survive the deadly return of the Scourge, we encourage you to read the safety precautions provided by your local Argent Dawn agent. The Scourge must not be allowed to advance again!

We've added some improvements to the Armory, including support for the player calendar feature introduced in the recent Echoes of Doom patch. The Armory version of the calendar lets players browse events the same way that they can in the game. It also lets players respond to events and invitations from other players, which then become effective in-game. To access the Armory calendar, click the new "Calendar" tab in the profile of one of the characters you play. If you're not already logged in, you will be prompted for the World of Warcraft account name and password associated with the character. You might notice that we've made some changes and improvements to the Armory login process and interface, too, including the ability to bookmark multiple character profiles for easy access. For more information, refer to our Armory calendar features list, Armory calendar FAQ, or updated Armory login FAQ.

We've added Topsytwinkle's latest creation, Bubladin to the Blizzard Fan Art gallery. Check out this charming and whimsical piece now!

We're always looking for new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

This Hallow's End, adventurers will face the return of the Headless Horseman! This fearsome creature will unleash destruction upon towns across Azeroth and create opportunities for adventure and a little fire fighting. 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.

The Public Test Realms are now open! Check out the patch notes for more information. If you have any questions or concerns, please post in our Public Test Realm forum.

The Intel Extreme Masters Global Challenge tour is taking place at the Montreal Olympic Stadium in Canada this weekend, October 17-19. Many of the world's top Arena teams will be competing in this event and representing their respective countries for a piece of the $30,000 prize pool. During the competition, the Electronic Sports League will provide a non-stop free video stream, so everyone worldwide will be able to watch all of the matches live with English commentary. For more details, including team profiles, rules, and the video stream, head on over to the official Montreal coverage page.

The Named Arena tournament invites the most famous World of Warcraft players in Korea to compete in a series of PvP competitions to determine the best players in the country. They recently started their second season, and their English broadcasts will start on October 19 at noon (KST). Two types of broadcasts will be available on the GOMTV website for your viewing pleasure. Be sure to check both the live stream and videos on demand to catch all of the action.

The thundering Echoes of Doom content patch has arrived in Azeroth, howling down from the far north, bringing with it the new Inscription profession, barbershops, two new arenas, a new achievements system, player calendars, and much, much more! Check out our Echoes of Doom page or the patchnotes for more information!

Also, our dedicated technical support team is on hand to help with any difficulties encountered with patching. Check out their FAQ on patching if you need help!

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 – which also includes general assistance on in-game topics and new content.

BlizzCon has come to a close! We'd like to thank everyone who helped make BlizzCon 2008 such a success! And, while the convention may be over, there's still more to come at BlizzCon.com!

BlizzCon is officially underway! Gamers from around the world have come to Anaheim to join us for this two-day celebration of Blizzard Entertainment games and the passionate communities of players surrounding them. We'll be updating BlizzCon.com regularly throughout the show with news and photos from the floor, as well as from the various contests, developer panels, and other events we've planned. We'll also be broadcasting streaming video of the 2008 StarCraft Invitational and other tournaments -- so be sure to check back often over the next couple of days.

Over the past two weeks, we have interviewed the runners-up and the winners of the European Regional Finals, Nihilum Plasma and x6tence, respectively. Today, you can read our overview of the teams from around the world which Nihilum Plasma and x6tence will be facing in their journey to the top spot of the BlizzCon World of Warcraft Arena Tournament. To learn more, check out our tournament page.

Blizzard Entertainment is pleased to present the brand new Oswald statue, to be presented to the best-in-category machinima submissions at BlizzCon 2008. The winners will be showered in prestige, and will write the first chapter in the history of our annual Oswald award.

Oswald recipients will be selected based on three categories for outstanding machinima production:

• Action/Adventure
• Comedy
• Drama/Romance

Due to the enthusiasm of the Russian players in converting to the localized Russian World of Warcraft, we have decided to make the European to Russian account conversion process available again from 8 to 28 October (inclusive).

You should transfer your characters before converting your account. Thus, the free character migration from European to Russian realms has also been extended until 28 October. Please check our character migration FAQ for further information.

We've added Soilworker's latest creation, Blood Elf Portrait to the Blizzard Fan Art gallery. Gaze upon the haunting, dark beauty of one of the sin'dorei!

We're always looking for new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

Our latest addition to our World of Warcraft wallpapers section is another offering taken from the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game. You can adorn your desktop with the dark power surrounding Kael'thas, lord of the sin'dorei, and Al'ar, his phoenix.

Head over to the Upper Deck Entertainment website now to learn more about the game, see more art, or even download some demo decks.

Last week we interviewed the runners-up of the European Regional Finals, Nihilum Plasma, about their journey on the road to BlizzCon. Today, you can read our interviews with the winners of the European Regional Finals, x6tence. X6stence will be joining Nihilum Plasma at BlizzCon in the battle for supremacy against the best teams from the U.S. and Korea. For more details about this team, check out our tournament page.

The upcoming Echoes of Doom patch will set the stage for the November release of World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King -- and to help you prepare for your first foray into Northrend. Check out our Under Development page for more details.

We've added Khad's latest creation, Death From Above to the Blizzard Fan Art gallery. Watch out for the silent, stalking killer who springs at her targets from on high!

We're always looking for new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

The European Regional finals may be over but for the triumphant teams, the hardest journey is still to come. X6stence and Nihilum Plasma will be heading to BlizzCon to face the best World of Warcraft Arena teams from the US and Korea in a battle for world supremacy. We take a closer look at our two European finalists and talk to them about their experiences in and out of the Arena to find out what it takes to play at this highest level of competition. Our first interview is with the runners up of the European finals: Nihilum Plasma. Check out our tournament page for more details.

Our latest addition to our World of Warcraft wallpapers section is another offering taken from the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game. You can adorn your desktop with the blazing fury of this human wielder of arcane power.

Head over to the Upper Deck Entertainment website now to learn more about the game, see more art, or even download some demo decks.

We are delighted to announce that the Paid Character Name Change service is now available for Russian-account owners. If your character's name does not fit your nature anymore, feel free to use the wonders of gnomish engineering to change it!

The brackets for the StarCraft, Warcraft III, and World of Warcraft Arena tournaments at BlizzCon are now live. These brackets show the starting matches and also provide some information about the contestants who will be competing in this year's BlizzCon tournaments. We will be updating these brackets during BlizzCon, so make sure to check back to see the latest tournament results and replays.

Check out the brackets here: StarCraft, Warcraft III, World of Warcraft Arena Tournament

The submission window for the BlizzCon 2008 Movie, Original Song, and Motivational Poster contests has now closed. We thank everyone for the wide array of creative entries we've seen.

BlizzCon attendees have until September 30th to enter for the /Silly, Dance, and Costume contests, and until October 3rd to submit pictures for the Diorama contest.

We are in the process of reviewing all applications and submissions as we receive them and look forward to seeing more!

We've added M. Zuccarello and A. Caramanica's latest creation, a vivid rendition of an epic duel between Illidan and Zul'jin entitled Death and Resurrection to the Blizzard Fan Art gallery. Take a moment to glance at this masterwork!

We're always looking for new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

Illidan and his corrupted followers lie in wait within the dark depths of the Black Temple -- and now World of Warcraft Trading Card Game (TCG) players are able to venture into the Betrayer's stronghold themselves. The new Black Temple Raid Deck builds on the Traitor feature introduced in the Servants of the Betrayer TCG expansion with potent new abilities and allies, while the fixed 12-card treasure pack ensures that everyone will get their hands on some powerful loot -- including Illidan's legendary twin Warglaives of Azzinoth. Plus, for the first time ever, certain Raid Deck cards are playable in constructed decks. Head over to www.wowtcg.com to pick up the Black Temple Raid Deck or find out more about the best-selling TCG.

Our latest addition to our World of Warcraft wallpapers section is another offering taken from the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game. You can adorn your desktop with the cool regard and sanctified power of this forsaken wielder of the darkest arts.

Head over to the Upper Deck Entertainment website now to learn more about the game, see more art, or even download some demo decks.

The sounds of rams and kodos scurrying about, their riders carrying special deliveries and bringing news to Ironforge and Orgrimmar, is in the air. That can mean only one thing: Brewfest has begun! Join in the merriment outside any of the capital cities, defend the fest from the Dark Iron dwarves who try to ruin the fun for everyone, and help make the event a success. Accolades and rewards await those who lend a helping hand in defending and promoting this event. Check out our Brewfest page to learn more!

If you haven't had the chance to check out the Blizzard Store, now is the perfect time to do so. Blizzard-themed merchandise of all kinds is available for the discerning fan, from t-shirts and caps through to action figures and board games. The Blizzard Store also stocks the Blizzard Authenticator, a supplemental authentication method for your World of Warcraft account, providing you with even more security to keep your characters and items safe.

Digital downloads are also available for Diablo II, StarCraft, and Warcraft III along with their respective expansion sets. Linking these to your Blizzard Account means that you can download them anywhere, with the CD keys conveniently attached to your Blizzard Account.

Yarrrr matey, it be Pirates' Day! Commoners wearing pirate garb have appeared in all the world's cities with the news that the Dread Captain DeMeza and her crew have landed in Booty Bay and declared it Pirates' Day! If you are brave enough to share a drink with her, you may have what it takes to become an honorary crew member for the day. To learn more about this event, check out our new Pirates' Day page!

We have just published an interactive map of the zones of Northrend. Now you can click and learn more about the levels of each region, the cities and dungeons housed therein. Visit our Wrath of the Lich King site to check out the new zones adventurers can explore when the expansion arrives!

Due to the popularity of the free character transfer from European to Russian realms, we are re-opening this service. To begin the transfer process for any of your characters, please visit your Account Management page. If you missed out the first time around, here's another chance to make the move – but be swift, as this service is only open until October 14th.

We are happy to announce that players in four more countries are now eligible to use the Scroll of Resurrection service. Players in Russia, the Ukraine, Latvia, and Lithuania may now help their friends or be helped by their friends in reviving their World of Warcraft accounts. By reviving an account with this service, you can play with an old character for 10 days, free! Please check our updated Scroll of Resurrection FAQ for more information about this feature.

We've added Effix's latest creation, a colorful mage to the Blizzard Fan Art gallery. Take a moment to look into the swirling, chaotic powers controlled by a wielder of the arcane.

We're always looking for new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

We have just added a new wallpaper to our World of Warcraft wallpapers section. This wallpaper features 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.

This week's wallpaper features a dwarven hunter, his trusty pet at his back, preparing to unload upon his enemies.

In the frozen wastes of the north, the Lich King Arthas Menethil rallies his undead army and schemes to bring an end to all life on Azeroth -- and in a couple of months, you'll begin your epic journey into Northrend to confront the Lich King and his minions yourself. Blizzard Entertainment's second expansion to World of Warcraft -- Wrath of the Lich King -- will be in stores on November 13 in Europe, Russia, North America, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile, and on November 14 in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia. The expansion will be available in Korea and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau on November 18, and the launch timing for China will be announced at a later date. For more information, read the press release or visit the Wrath of the Lich King website.

Wrath of the Lich King will be available in both a standard edition and a special Collector's Edition (in select areas). The Collector's Edition will contain an art book, behind-the-scenes DVD, exclusive in-game pet, and more. For pictures and a complete list of contents, check out the Collector's Edition page.

Retailers in Europe are currently taking pre-orders for the game. Reserve your copy now!

The Public Test Realms are now open! Here is your chance to download the client and test some of the changes coming in advance of Wrath of the Lich King such as the new talents, the player calendar, achievements, and the Inscription profession! Check out the patch notes for more information! If you have any questions or concerns, please post in our Public Test Realm forum.

We are delighted to announce that the Scroll of Resurrection service is now available for Russian-account owners. Invite a former player of World of Warcraft to try the latest game content for 10 days free and get 30 days of free game time yourself if they renew their subscription. With a Russian or a European account, you can extend this invitation to all eligible former players of World of Warcraft. To access this service, please go to the Account Management page.

Providing a smooth and enjoyable experience for all players is always a priority for us, and we are continually re-evaluating our policies and programs to do so. As the state of the game has matured substantially since the inception of Paid Character Transfers, we will now be allowing PvE-to-PvP transfers on a full-time basis to provide players with more mobility and freedom to easily play with their friends.

Keep in mind that all of the other standard cooldowns and restrictions will continue to apply; we're just opening the option to transfer characters on Normal realms to Player-vs.-Player realms. Please review the Paid Character Transfer FAQ if you have any questions on how this service works.

You can use this service at any time by visiting your Account Management page and selecting the “Paid Character Transfer” button.

We've added Juna's latest creation, a steely-eyed gnome warrior to the Blizzard Fan Art gallery. Take a moment to look into the deep, violet eyes of certain death.

We're always looking for new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

This past weekend brought the Warcraft Regional Finals for the World of Warcraft Arenas and Warcraft III to Madrid, Spain. The Blizzard Europe Community team has posted coverage of the two day event for anyone who could not make it to enjoy! Take a moment to check out the Regional Finals Day One and Day Two coverage on our forums. We have also posted the results of the World of Warcraft Arena Tournaments and Warcraft III on our Regional Finals site.

Thanks to everyone who showed up and made the Regional Finals such a great event! Also, good luck to the Arena Regional Finalists, X6tence and Nihilum Plasma and to the Warcraft III Regional Finalists, Happy, SaSe, and LucifroN7, all of whom will be competing in the Tournament Finals at BlizzCon in October!

We have just added a new wallpaper to our World of Warcraft wallpapers section. This wallpaper features 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.

This week's wallpaper features an orc warlock contemplating the putrid puissance of his demonic powers.

We are now accepting entries for our BlizzCon online contests, including our Diorama, Motivational Poster, and Movie contests. Whether you have tickets to BlizzCon or not, your application is welcome. Simply fill out the Submission form and be prepared to demonstrate your creative talents! For more contest information visit our BlizzCon Contests page.

For those BlizzCon attendees looking to show off graceful dance moves, fill the convention center halls with laughs, or come dressed as your favorite Warcraft, StarCraft, or Diablo characters, the Submission form for all applicants is now available! For more contest information visit our BlizzCon Contests page.

Summer draws to a close and the leaves of the trees begin to turn from vibrant green to rusty red, reminiscent of the blood of fallen heroes. The Harvest Festival has arrived and adventurers from all over Azeroth are gathering in Stormwind and Orgrimmar to remember those who have passed on into the Light over the fading year. Processions wind their way to Uther the Lightbringer's tomb and to Grom Hellscream's memorial as both the Horde and Alliance take a moment to pause, reflect, and remember the great ones.

To learn more about this festival, please check out our Harvest Festival page.

If you don't already have your very own Blizzard Account, now is the perfect time to create one. A Blizzard Account allows you to keep all your Blizzard registration keys (WarCraft III, StarCraft, Diablo II…) in one handy place, and to download your registered games when you need them from any computer you are using. The Blizzard Account gives you access to the Online Store, where you can buy Blizzard games and other products, including the Blizzard Authenticator.

Our new stock of Authenticators is expected to arrive mid to late September, and should be available for purchase on the Online Store at this time.

If you enjoy the music from Blizzard Entertainment games and have ever thought about ordering the soundtracks, doing so just got more convenient. Six soundtrack albums have just been added to a new Blizzard hub page within the iTunes music store, and are available for purchase and download. The StarCraft, Diablo II, Warcraft III, World of Warcraft, and The Burning Crusade soundtracks are all there, as is the Taverns of Azeroth album, which had been exclusively sold at BlizzCon 2007. For more information, check out the official announcement, or head over to the Blizzard iTunes page.

The 2008 European and North American Warcraft Finals will be taking place this weekend, September 6-7. These events will feature the top eight qualifiers from the 2008 World of Warcraft Arena and Warcraft III tournaments for their respective regions. Attendees will also have the opportunity to try out demos of Wrath of the Lich King and StarCraft II on-site. Admission is free, so come by and check it out if you're in the area. Check out our European Regional Tournament site for more details and coverage. You can also learn the details concerning the North American Regional Finals here.

Now is your chance to become a member of Blizzard. Our Game Masters are looking for talented individuals with excellent teamwork skills to expand our Russian In-Game Support 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. Please note that candidates who already have permission to work within the European Union will be considered favorably.

Today we are planning to open a new Russian speaking PvP realm: Grom. This realm will be destination for migrations from all European realms, and will have character creation disabled for now.

Note: Any migration may be closed at any point without previous notice due to population concerns. Please read this thread (in Russian) for more information about this migration.

The free character migration to allow players on Molten Core, Shadowmoon, Stonemaul and Warsong to join larger realm communities has been opened. The destination realms for each are the following:

Molten Core --> Burning Steppes, Deathwing, Dentarg
Shadowmoon --> Boulderfist, Spinebreaker, Xavius
Stonemaul --> Ahn'Qiraj, Burning Blade, Jaedenar
Warsong --> Auchindoun, Bladefist, Haomarush

For more information about this migration, please read this thread.

We have just added a new wallpaper to our World of Warcraft wallpapers section. This wallpaper features 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.

This week's wallpaper features an undead warlock roaring in defiance as she prepares to hurl fel powers on her enemies.

Additional free migration has been opened for the Booty Bay and Thermoplugg realms to Deathguard. The free migration from Ashenvale and Soulflayer to Deathguard will remain open for the time being.

In addition a new Russian language realm will be opened today for character creation - Lich King (Король-лич).

More information can be found on the Russian forums.

Following the very successful launch of the Russian localization, the vast majority of Russian-speaking players have migrated over to the new Russian-language realms. Four English-language PvP realms in particular were largely populated by Russian-speaking players, so these realms now have low remaining populations. As such, we've decided to offer free character migration off these realms to join larger English-language communities. Once the migrations are complete, these realms will be brought down and prepped for the Wrath of the Lich King launch.

More information can be found on the forums.

The winners of the BlizzCon 2008 Ticket Drawing have been chosen. We’ve sent emails to 1,500 randomly selected eligible Blizzard Account holders containing instructions for purchasing up to two tickets to the show. For your security, please note that in this email we are not asking winners to email us credit card information directly, nor are we asking winners to call Blizzard for any reason.

If we still have tickets remaining after this initial round, we will select more winners from the original opt-in pool. We will make an announcement on our websites once all tickets available have been sold. For more information, refer to the BlizzCon Ticket Drawing FAQ.

Carry a little piece of Azeroth wherever your real-world travels take you with our new World of Warcraft-themed wallpapers and ringtones for your phone. They’re part of a new service that lets you download content related to your favorite Blizzard Entertainment games to supported mobile phones.

Over 50 pieces of content are currently available, including ringtones of World of Warcraft’s capital city themes and the distinctive murloc gurgle, as well as wallpapers featuring character artwork, class and faction emblems, and more. Visit the new Mobile Ringtones and Wallpapers page for more information -- and while you’re there, be sure to check out our StarCraft and Diablo mobile content, too.

This special Worldwide Invitational wrap-up edition of BlizzCast begins with a brief chat between RTS Community Manager Karune, World of Warcraft Community Manager Nethaera, and Diablo III Community Manager Bashiok about their WWI experiences. Bashiok then takes you into the mind of Diablo III Lead Designer Jay Wilson, and the two discuss some recent hot issues surrounding the game. Listen to the show now or check out the transcript to see all the featured artwork.

We've added Dênakê's portrait "Lena" to the Blizzard Fan Art gallery to share this moody piece with you.

We're always looking for new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

We have just updated the Wrath of the Lich King official website with a new creature: the Wendigo.

Though rarely seen, the wendigo's existence is evidenced by the fierce, primal roars that echo across Northrend's mist-shrouded peaks. Many believe these reclusive, cannibalistic creatures are the primordial cousins of the wendigo that populate the mountains of Dun Morogh...

Check out the Bestiary to learn more!

The opt-in period for the BlizzCon 2008 Ticket Drawing is now over. We will be randomly selecting winners within the next few days and will announce when selections have been made on our websites. If you are chosen, you will receive an email from Blizzard containing information about how to purchase up to two tickets to BlizzCon 2008. If you haven’t done so already, please go to Blizzard Account Management and update your contact information. For more details, see the FAQ.

We’ve updated our Games Convention site with coverage and photos from the first day of this year’s event, held once again in Leipzig, Germany. To find out what’s happening at the Blizzard booth, read all about it here.

Five years have passed since Arthas released Ner’zhul from his icy prison and merged with him, claiming the Frozen Throne of Icecrown. Now the heir of Lordaeron has risen again, and soon the world will learn what it means to incur the wrath of its one true king....

The opening cinematic for World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King is now available for download or streaming from the official Wrath of the Lich King website. Check it out now!

We have even more for you at this year’s Games Convention. As well as playable demos of StarCraft II and Wrath of the Lich King, SK-Gaming will be conducting a Live Raid on the Sunwell Plateau, and we’ll be showing a brand new cinematic trailer for Wrath of the Lich King.

To find out more, you can check out the Games Convention site for more information.

The BlizzCon 2008 Ticket Drawing opt-in is now live. People with eligible Blizzard Accounts who wish to enter the drawing can now do so by logging in to Blizzard Account Management. The opt-in period will last until 08:59 a.m. CET on Monday, August 25. After it ends, we will select 1,500 people from the opt-in pool and offer them a chance to purchase up to two tickets to BlizzCon 2008.

This is a random drawing -- everyone with an eligible Blizzard Account who opts in any time during the opt-in period will have the same chance to win. Please make sure your Blizzard Account contact information (email and phone number) is up to date. For more information, read our FAQ.

This week's addition to the Blizzard Europe Fan Art Gallery is a humorous piece from our talented artist Kness. This submission displays the trials and tribulations of a young gnome seeking out the perfect group for her adventures.

We're always interested in new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

As discussed last week, we’re preparing a drawing to offer 3,000 more BlizzCon 2008 tickets for sale. We’re finalizing the process now, and you’ll be able to enter the drawing soon -- in the meantime, please check the BlizzCon site for more information on how the drawing will work.

Please note that a Blizzard Account is an account created for the Blizzard Online Store -- as opposed to an account created for a Blizzard game, such as World of Warcraft. If you have any questions regarding Blizzard Accounts, please read our Blizzard Account FAQ. We will announce when the drawing opt-in period begins on our website soon. For more information, please refer to our BlizzCon 2008 Ticket Drawing FAQ.

Tickets for BlizzCon 2008 were sold out rapidly on Monday and Tuesday and Mike Morhaime, President of Blizzard Entertainment, has issued a statement regarding this situation. More information about the ticket sales and a solution can be found on the BlizzCon site here.

We’re excited to be able to showcase some of Blizzard’s games at this year’s Games Convention in Leipzig from 21 to 24 August. We’ll be providing playable demos of StarCraft II and Wrath of the Lich King, running quizzes and providing some extra excitement with a Live Raid.

Looking for a job at Blizzard? Our Game Masters will be at the booth ready to answer your questions about recruitment and working at Blizzard. Bring your CV along and talk to us about how you can start your career at Blizzard.

We look forward to seeing you at the Games Convention, in Hall 5 at booth number D01!

Today at 14:00 Moscow time we are planning to open a new Russian speaking PvP realm: Свежеватель Душ (Soulflayer). This realm will be destination for migrations from all European realms, and will have character creation disabled for now.

Free Character migration will be available from Гордунни (Gordunni) to Свежеватель Душ (Soulflayer) to allow those friends and guilds who may no longer join up on Гордунни (Gordunni) to do so on Свежеватель Душ (Soulflayer) instead if they wish.

Note: Any migration may be closed at any point without previous notice due to population concerns.

This week's addition to the Blizzard Europe Fan Art Gallery is a very cute piece of work! This week's submission comes from our talented artist Galana. This submission features Galana, a draenei hunter, and her best friend Torke, enjoying a nice picnic lunch.

We're always interested in new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

We have just added a new FAQ for our Russian-speaking players. Please take a moment to check out the Russian Payment Methods FAQ for more detailed information on the various Russian-specific payment methods available for World of Warcraft, as well as information on the new WebMoney Transfer.

Tickets for BlizzCon 2008 are now available for USD $100 each. BlizzCon will take place October 10-11 in Anaheim, California -- head over to the official site for more information or to place your BlizzCon ticket order. We look forward to meeting some of you at the show!

Update: We have appreciated everyone’s patience as we've worked to address issues with the BlizzCon ticket sales today. To avoid having people stay up into the early hours attempting to make ticket purchases, we will take ticket sales down and continue implementing optimizations throughout the day.

There are still plenty of tickets available, so if you weren't able to purchase tickets today, please check back later today. We'll continue to provide updates on the North American World of Warcraft forums here.

BlizzCast episode 4 brings us several new perspectives on World of Warcraft. Starting us off is an interview with Russell Brower, director of audio and video, about the process of creating music for World of Warcraft to be a part of an evolving, epic experience in the world of Azeroth. Next we interview World of Warcraft game designer Jonathan LeCraft about professions, covering both what we have learned from them in the past and where they are going in Wrath of the Lich King. We finish up the episode with our Q&A segment, which features developers answering a variety of questions from our communities. Listen to the show now, or check out the transcript to see all the featured artwork.

We just released the official BlizzCon 2008 website. You can now find new information about this year's panels, contests, and tournaments. Make sure to check back regularly as the site will be updated with new event information such as event schedules, floor plans, store info, and much, much more.

If you’d like to see a sample of what it is like to participate in a live Blizzard event, check out our Blizzard Worldwide Invitational Videos page to see developer panels, contests, and tournaments from our event in Paris, France, in June 2008!

The free migration to Russian realms thus far has been a great success. To cope with the influx of players, we have opened a new PvP realm for migration, Gordunni. As for the other migration realms, character creation on Gordunni will be temporally disabled.

From today, Gordunni will be open for migrations from European realms and also, exclusively, for free character transfers from Ashenvale, to allow those friends and guilds who are no longer able to join up on Ashenvale to do so on Gordunni instead if they wish.

For the moment, the only realms opened for character creation are Thermaplugg and Eversong.

We continue to monitor your feedback and the migration and population numbers closely and will keep you updated on any further actions to make sure everybody has a great playing experience on the Russian-language realms.

As a special treat for our Italian readers we are able to present a preview of Panini’s new comics based on World of Warcraft. Fully translated into Italian, these comics capture the action and excitement of Azeroth. You can read the preview in Italian in our comics section.

Every two years, the Spirits of Competition grow especially fervent and draw close to the mortal realm. During such times, members of both the Alliance and Horde can honor the spirits and earn Competitor's Tabards by seeking to defeat one another in the battlegrounds. This new event runs from August 8 to August 24. Refer to our Spirit of Competition page for more details, including the event's in-game rewards.

Due to the high demand for the Blizzard Authenticators, they are currently sold out in the Online Store. We expect to get new stock in mid August, and will restock regularly as demand for the Authenticators continues. Thank you for your patience.

This week's addition to the Blizzard Europe Fan Art Gallery is a dark and mysterious piece of work! This week's submission comes from our talented artist Jove. This submission features Arzon, a Forsaken mage gazing down from a high tower, the ashes of battle wafting in the air.

We're always interested in new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

We are delighted to announce the release of World of Warcraft and World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade in Russian, available today. As well as being able to experience the worlds of Azeroth and Outland in Russian, players now also have access to full Russian language support and a range of payment options in roubles.

For existing players, you can convert your account to a Russian account, by following the procedure outlined here. Once your account is converted, you will be able to pay for the account in roubles. Some restrictions apply and you can read all about the distinctions here. A free migration option is available for a limited time for transfers from existing European realms to Russian language realms, to allow you to take immediate advantage of Russian language in-game support.

New players can create a Russian account here, and find out more about the benefits of these accounts here. Two new Russian language realms have been opened today for new character creation only.

A free trial is also available, allowing you to experience the World of Warcraft for ten days, absolutely free.

We extend a warm welcome to all our current and future Russian speaking players, and hope that they will now enjoy World of Warcraft even more.

We are pleased to announce the launch of our fully dedicated Russian Technical and Billing Customer Support teams. Billing support will be available via our webform or by a free telephone call.

We will be expanding support in the coming weeks to include a dedicated telephone line for Technical Support. For now you can contact Technical Support via our webform or via our forum.

Our new Recruit-a-Friend offer rewards you even more for bringing your friends to Azeroth and, what’s more, they can get some great in-game benefits too!

For each friend you invite you could get:

• An exclusive ZHEVRA in-game mount when your friend pays for 60 days of game time.
• 30 Days of FREE WoW gametime when your friend pays for 30 days of game time.

We’ve updated our Region Level page with the zones comprising Northrend, the new continent in Wrath of the Lich King. This is the first of many Wrath of the Lich King updates planned for the World of Warcraft Game Guide.

We just added a new wallpaper to our World of Warcraft wallpapers section. This wallpaper features 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.

This week's wallpaper features the famous Spirit Healer, an angelic creature, hovering above a graveyard as she waits to guide souls back on to their destined paths.

The free migration to Russian-language realms is now open. Players wishing to play with the Russian-language client can migrate one or more of their characters for free to those realms that have been used as Russian alpha and beta test realms. You can find more details in the Russian migration thread on the General forum.

We’re now only two days away from the launch of the Russian-language version of World of Warcraft. Following the weekly maintenance new Russian-language realms will be available for new players and others wishing to start on realms without high-level characters. More information can be found in the Russian Migration FAQ.

We have just published three more videos from some of the developer panels at the 2008 Worldwide Invitational. Check out our Videos page to watch Blizzard developers discuss the art of the StarCraft universe, the design behind Diablo, and listen to answers to many questions attendees had about World of Warcraft.

The 2008 World of Warcraft Arena Tournament Taiwan Regional Final will be taking place this weekend, August 2-3, at the World Trade Center in Taipei, Taiwan. This event will feature the top eight teams who advanced from the online qualifiers. The eight teams that will be competing are:

We’re pleased to announce that on August 6, the Russian-language version of World of Warcraft will launch and our dedicated Russian realms will go live in Europe. Current European players will be able to download a language pack from www.warcraft.ru and transfer characters to the new realms. For more information, check out the media alert and FAQ.

This week's addition to the Blizzard Europe Fan Art Gallery is a quite a piece of work! This week's submission comes from our talented artist Fossa. This submission is so funny, you might want to be careful not to have a drink at hand!

We're always interested in new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

For anyone considering a trip to this year’s BlizzCon (October 10-11 in Anaheim, California), tickets will go on sale worldwide on Monday, August 11 for $100 USD each through our website. BlizzCon is a celebration of the communities surrounding all of our games, and features discussion panels, hands-on play, contests, tournaments, and more; we look forward to meeting some of you there!

Additionally, we’re exploring potential partnerships with television providers throughout the world to offer a pay-per-view package of event coverage. For more information on BlizzCon ticket sales, check out the official announcement, and stay tuned to this site for news and updates as the convention approaches.

We’re happy to be able to share with you a short video which shows the highlights of the costume and dance contests from the Worldwide Invitational. If you want to find out whose moves wowed the crowd, or which costume was voted the most awesome, check out the official Worldwide Invitational site for our latest video addition.

We have just updated our Fan Art Wallpapers section with a wallpaper featuring the Arthas Menethil facing off against a fiery opponent. Take a moment to check it out!

We're always interested in new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here.

We have just published videos from some of the developer panels at the 2008 Worldwide Invitational. Check out our Videos page to watch Blizzard developers discuss the evolving design process behind StarCraft II, the world lore and environment of Diablo III, and the present and future of the classes in World of Warcraft.

We will be adding more panels so check back often!

We have just updated the Armor Sets page with the Brutal Gladiator sets available now with the opening of Arena Season 4. These new sets will make any opponent shiver in fear when he faces off against a Brutal Gladiator in the Arena. Take a moment to check them out!

This week's addition to the Blizzard Europe Fan Art Gallery depicts a group of friends and enemies hanging around the rogues' favorite hideout: Ravenholdt! This week's submission comes from our talented artist Elhebore. This submission is so active, it will make you want to break out in dance!

We're always interested in new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

Are you curious about the changes and additions in store for class talents in Wrath of the Lich King? The new interactive talent trees for every class are now live on our talent calculators. Please note that all talent information is not yet finalized, and is subject to significant change during the testing process. Talent calculator stats may differ from those seen in the Wrath of the Lich King beta, as they may reflect more current information.

If you missed the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational, or if you were there and you want to relive the highlights, we have an awesome 6 minute video recap of the event, showing elements from the various panels, contests and displays available during the event.

You can see this recap video, and our other coverage videos on the official Invitational website. And there are more to come!

While Wrath of the Lich King will improve many of World of Warcraft’s existing features, it will also introduce plenty of brand-new ones to keep the game fresh and interesting. One of these new features is sure to suit a wide range of play styles: achievements. These self-contained goals will offer new challenges, satisfy goal-oriented players, and allow others to see your accomplishments in World of Warcraft. Take a moment to read our page about this cool new feature!

We are pleased to announce the winners of our Frostmourne Fan Art Contest! Congratulations to our grand prize winner, Charlotte Pardy, who will be able to challenge the Lich King in the Wrath of the Lich King beta with her very own Frostmourne Replica sword from Epic Weapons! We’d also like to congratulate our second prize winners: Ivan Alexander Loguin and Siarhei Yermalayeu who will also be receiving beta keys for the Wrath of the Lich King beta. You can view the winning entries on our Frostmourne Fan Art Contest Winners page!

Congratulations once more and thanks to all who participated!

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.

After several weeks of intense competition, the 2008 World of Warcraft Arena Tournament’s second qualification round has come to an end. The qualifying teams from the second qualifier will join those from the first to face off in their respective regional finals. Regional finals will be held in the coming months in Boston, Madrid, Seoul, and Taipei. For more information on the tournament, please visit our Arena Tournament information page. Thank you to all of the participants, and good luck to everyone who qualified for the regional finals!

We are delighted to be able to present the Russian World of Warcraft site. Our newest language site for World of Warcraft contains information about the game localized for our Russian speaking players, and will be kept up to date with news and Community information. At this time the website is a work of art in progress, but new content will be added regularly so be sure to check there often for new information. You can check out the Russian World of Warcraft site here.

Upper Deck Entertainment Europe Darkmoon Faire series of World of Warcraft TCG events will be making a stop in Antwerp, Belgium on the 19th July 2008.

Antwerp will host a sealed pack tournament featuring the latest year of World of Warcraft TCG releases. In addition to the main tournament, players have the opportunity to play in side tournaments with prizes including Nintendo Wiis, iPods and more. The tournament venue will also offer an on-site store stocked with World of Warcraft TCG products, as well as a bank of computers to log into the online game. Check out the Darkmoon Faire website for full details

We’re excited to announce that our planned team-up with Activision, first made public back in December 2007, is now a reality. All regulatory and shareholder approvals have been granted, meaning Blizzard Entertainment -- along with the other companies that made up Vivendi Games -- is now part of a new organization called Activision Blizzard. While this transition doesn’t impact our games, websites, personnel, day-to-day operations, or development philosophies, the combined resources of Activision Blizzard will make it easier than ever for us to deliver the best games possible to our players around the world.

At the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational we held several contests. Now it's time to reveal some of the winning entries! On our contest winner page you can view the winning submissions of the fan art contest and the machinima movie and TV ad contests! Additionally, we have provided the best fan arts as high-res pictures for download. Check them out now!

This week's addition to the Blizzard Europe Fan Art Gallery is one of Warcraft's guardians of nature! This week's submission comes from our talented artist Eyael. This submission is so expressive, you'll never look at a tree the same way again!

We're always interested in new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

Are you ready to embark on the final battle for the fate of Outland? The World of Warcraft Trading Card Game's sixth full set, The Hunt for Illidan, caps off the game's second year with exciting new game mechanics and new Loot cards. The Hunt for Illidan introduces six new demon heroes who grant players brave enough to use them powerful new deckbuilding possibilities. Exciting new Loot cards let players walk in the Path of Illidan, throw a party with their own D.I.S.C.O. Machine, and engage the services of an Ethereal Soul Trader who gives access to ten unique cosmetic items in exchange for harvested souls. The Hunt for Illidan is in stores now, so hit up your local games retailer or head over to WoWTCG.com for more information.

If you missed any of the tournaments at the 2008 Worldwide Invitational now is your chance to get a piece of the action. The Tournaments page of the official Worldwide Invitational site now features a “playback” option which will allow you to watch the match of your choice. Just click on the green ‘play’ arrow to witness the devastation and destruction wrought by the world’s best StarCraft, Warcraft III and World of Warcraft Arena players. Enjoy the carnage!

We have just updated our Fan Art Wallpapers section with a wallpaper featuring a lone female blood elf looking out over the vast spaces of Outland. Take a moment to check it out!

We're always interested in new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here.

Many players are just happy with role-playing for a couple of hours. Some others go a little bit further, and enjoy meeting new friends while they play, creating gaming groups to have even more fun. Patrick, the artist we feature in our Spotlight, goes even further as, after enjoying unforgettable moments with his friends, he has gotten many laughs from his readers with the craziest and most politically incorrect characters: the Fuzztoons!

If you missed the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational, or if you were there and you want to relive the highlights, we have an awesome video recap of the event, showing elements from the various panels, contests and displays available during the event.

You can see this recap video, and our other coverage videos on the official Invitational website. And there are more to come!

Today we opened the Wrath of the Lich King Beta Opt-In program, which gives players a chance to win an invitation to the upcoming Wrath of the Lich King beta. For The Burning Crusade beta, we randomly invited players from the entire World of Warcraft community. With the Opt-In, our goal is to strengthen the beta-testing process by inviting only those players who have expressed active interest in participating.

Keep in mind that opting in doesn't guarantee you'll be selected for the beta.

To opt in to the Wrath of the Lich King beta, visit the Beta Opt-In page!

We are proud to announce the release of the brand-new Blizzard Store! The Blizzard Store allows you to purchase Blizzard Entertainment games and other merchandise directly from the source. Here are some of the features of the new Blizzard Store:

• User-friendly interface makes your shopping fast and convenient.
• Search and browse products by major franchise categories as well as product type.
• Convenient online shopping tools such as saving payment methods and shipping addresses for future reference.
• Digital downloads: now you can purchase select Blizzard Entertainment titles as direct downloads, with immediate access upon payment.

The identity of the in-game World of Warcraft pet exclusive to visitors of the 2008 Worldwide Invitational has been revealed: It will be a miniature version of the Archangel Tyrael of Diablo 2 fame who will travel with you on all your grand adventures in Azeroth! The code that was provided in the goodie bag at the 2008 Worldwide Invitational will be usable after patch 2.4.3 is released in the near future. We will also keep you updated in our forums!

This week's addition to the Blizzard Europe Fan Art Gallery is a very photogenic image of the zergling from StarCraft! This week's submission comes from our talented artist Shader. This submission is so realistic, it will make you look around wondering if you're about to suffer an infestation!

We're always interested in new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

We are delighted to open the Russian forums, an important stage of our localization of World of Warcraft into Russian. On these new forums, fully localized into Russian, players will be able to provide feedback about the Russian Technical Alpha, and discuss issues with other Russian-speaking players.

The forums can be found here, and contain additional information about the Technical Alpha, including how to obtain the localized Russian client for World of Warcraft.

To all our Russian-speaking players, we'd like to wish you a warm welcome to the Russian forums.

The weekend of June 28th and 29th saw the 2008 Blizzard Worldwide Invitational come to Paris, France – the first major Blizzard event to be held in Europe. Visitors from all over the world attended to participate in the developer panel discussions and various community contests, to meet and chat with the developers and to be treated to the announcement of Diablo III. The atmosphere at the event was filled with energy and enthusiasm as visitors had the chance to play the newest versions of StarCraft II, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, and to sample the activities and events hosted by our partners.

Throughout the event, attendees could watch the Worldwide Invitational tournaments and see the strategies and tactics favored by some of the world's best RTS players. Visitors could also watch the top-ranking World of Warcraft Arena teams from all over the world duke it out for the first place position. Nihilum held a live raid on-stage where those not quite ready to take on Kil'jaeden could watch as one of the world's top raiding guilds tried to put an end to the general of the Burning Legion.

The event closed on Sunday night with a concert featuring themes from Blizzard games performed by Video Games Live. The concert opened with Blizzard's own Level 70 Elite Tauren Chieftain who, leveling up throughout their performance, managed to ding 80! Grats, guys! When the lights finally went down on the event, the crowds seemed to be glad to have come to Paris and to be looking forward to BlizzCon in Anaheim this October.

If you want to know more about the event, check out our coverage page and have a look at the picture gallery!

We have just updated our World of Warcraft Wallpapers section with a wallpaper featuring the brooding lord of Outland and his naga allies, Illidian Stormrage, the Betrayer. Take a moment to check it out!

Twenty years have passed since the cataclysmic events of Diablo II. Mephisto, Diablo, and Baal have been defeated, but the Worldstone, which once shielded the world of Sanctuary from the forces of both the High Heavens and the Burning Hells, has been destroyed, and evil once again stirs in Tristram....

Following the unveiling of Diablo III today at the Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational, we've launched the game's official website, with information about the places, characters, monsters, and adventures awaiting you upon your return to the world of Sanctuary. Some of the site's highlights include:

• The cinematic teaser trailer shown at the 2008 Worldwide Invitational
• A 20-minute gameplay demo video
• More than 60 screenshots and pieces of concept art
• Deckard Cain's journal, narrated by Deckard Cain himself -- stay a while and listen!
• And much, much more

Thousands of people from all around the world were present today at the opening of the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational. Welcomed by the Blizzard Europe's Managing Director, Fred Menou, and Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of the Blizzard Entertainment, the attendees were treated to the announcement of Blizzard's newest project, Diablo III.

With a stunning trailer, and a gameplay video to whet their appetites, attendees will have the chance over the next two days to attend panels about the development and design of this latest installment of the Diablo universe. Everyone who didn't make it to the event in person can now watch our live stream instead!

We have just updated the Wrath of the Lich King Bestiary with a new creature: the Flesh Giant.

The same dark sorcery used to command the Scourge's powerful abominations is utilized to even greater effect in the harsh and distant realm of Northrend. Here the Lich King has focused his malefic powers on flesh giants...

Check out the Bestiary to learn more!

We are delighted to announce the World of Warcraft Russian Technical Alpha, commencing next week.

All our Russian-speaking players are invited to participate in this first phase of testing which focuses only on the technical aspects of the game. We would especially appreciate your reports regarding any connection and latency issues you may experience.

The second phase, the Localization Beta, will begin with patch 2.4.3 and will focus on the localization of World of Warcraft.

To coincide with the release of the Russian Technical Alpha, the Russian forums will also be launched, giving our players a place to discuss the functionality of the game in Russian. A list of known issues will be featured here for the launch of the first phase of testing.

You can read this announcement in Russian here.

The forums will go live next week and we look forward to seeing you there!

To help players avoid unauthorized account access, we're introducing the Blizzard Authenticator, a keychain token that generates codes that must be entered when signing in to the linked World of Warcraft account. The Blizzard Authenticator will be available as a world premiere at the Worldwide Invitational 2008 held in Paris, France, this weekend. For full details, please check out the official announcement or visit the FAQ page.

As the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational approaches, we are excited to announce that the Opening Ceremony (starting at 11:45, Central European Summer Time on Saturday, June 28th), the various tournaments, and the Closing Ceremony featuring Level 70 Elite Tauren Chieftain and Video Games Live concerts will be streamed live during the event on the official Worldwide Invitational website.

Visit our live stream page now to ensure you have all the necessary software installed on your computer.

If you can't be there in person, don't miss out on this chance to witness exciting tournament competition, live Blizzard-themed music, and more!

We will also be offering live coverage throughout the event, including news reports, articles, and live updates on the tournaments. Visit the website for more information!

The 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational, packed with tournaments, discussion panels, and other exciting events, is taking place this Saturday and Sunday, June 28-29 in Paris, France. If you're attending, have a safe trip and enjoy the show. If you couldn't make it this year, you can follow coverage throughout the weekend on our official Worldwide Invitational site.

We are pleased to announce that visitors of the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational will be able to witness members of the well-known European raiding guild Nihilum enter the Sunwell Plateau and fight some of the most dangerous enemies in the World of Warcraft. Nihilum, best known for their world-first defeats of many World of Warcraft bosses, will be present with three players and one shoutcaster on both days of the Worldwide Invitational. Check out our website to read more!

As the event's name suggests, the invitational tournaments are one of the major attractions of the Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational. Once again, some of the world's best and most renowned players will gather to compete for honor, glory and over $100,000 USD in cash prizes. Our competitive Warcraft, StarCraft and World of Warcraft Arena tournaments are spread over both days of the 2008 Worldwide Invitational, with the finals taking place on Sunday.

On our website you can see an overview of the professional players taking part in our invitational tournaments.

Arena Season 4 has now officially begun, and players can immediately begin competing for the new Brutal Gladiator and Guardian PvP item sets. Players will now also be able to purchase Arena Season 2 items using the honor system. Please note that we have reset all Arena team and personal ratings, though players retain their Arena points and teams. The team and personal rating have simply been reset to the default 1500, allowing all teams to once again compete for top honors with a fresh start. Also, with the end of the third season, players on the top teams from each battlegroup will be receiving their end-of-season rewards approximately one week from today. These include Arena-specific titles that they can display proudly until the end of the new season, and, for the best of the best, an Armored Nether Drake.

This week we celebrate our 100th Fan Art posting to the Blizzard Europe Fan Art Gallery! This week's submission comes from our talented artist Lomadia. Today, you can see the deadly warlock Hannah poised for the strike, prepared to hurl dark fire upon any challengers in our fan art gallery safely. Only in 'still life' would you have the chance to see such a mighty assassin without also seeing your life flash before your eyes.

We're always interested in new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

We have just updated our World of Warcraft Wallpapers section with a wallpaper featuring the Villains of Outland: the serpentine Lady Vashj, the conniving Kael'thas Sunstrider, and, of course, Illidian Stormrage, the Betrayer. Take a moment to check it out!

Each summer, the arrival of the Midsummer Fire Festival signals 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. This year (beginning tomorrow and continuing until July 5), the festival features some brand-new events, quests, and prizes, including a special summoned boss for groups of high-level players. Learn more about the new Midsummer Fire Festival content in our updated page!

We are happy to announce the results of the Level 70 Elite Tauren Chieftain Music Video contest! Congratulations to Ian Thoume, Lens Guido, and Tom Hope-Parry who took first place and have won a Logitech G51 5.1 Surround Sound speaker set! Taking second place and the Logitech Digital Precision Gaming headsets were Simon Batchelor, Benjamin Cummins, Ole Thomas Ihler Evensen, Joeffrey Koening, and Bodo Möller!

There were many creative, funny, and interesting entries but these are the cream of the crop! You can check out the winning videos in streaming Flash on our Contest Winners page!

We are extending the deadline for registration to the Worldwide Invitational Dance and Costume contests! Dancers and tailors will have until the end of Wednesday, June 25th to get their registrations to us!

Check out the contest information page to learn more!

Beginning tonight at midnight, Paris time (CEST), and running until 10:00 Paris time June 20th, all web services will be undergoing maintenance. Therefore, access to services such as Account Creation, Account Management, Subscription Renewal, Paid Character Transfer, Paid Character Name Change, the European World of Warcraft forums, the Armory, and WoW-Europe.com may be disrupted during this time.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

We are extending the deadline for submissions for the Movie and TV advertisement contests! Movie-makers have until the end of Sunday, June 22nd to get their submissions to us!

Check out the contest information page to learn more!

His daggers wet with the blood of his enemies, this powerful and stealthy rogue can be viewed in our fan art gallery safely. Only in 'still life' would you have the chance to see such a mighty assassin without also seeing your life flash before your eyes.

We're always interested in new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

Phase 2 of the 2008 World of Warcraft Arena Tournament's second qualification round has begun. Tournament participants have had ample time during the practice phase to hone their strategies, try various team compositions, and gain experience playing with their team. It's now time for the real games to begin again for the last chance to qualify for the live regionals. To track the progress of your team and competition, please visit the World of Warcraft Armory and select the Coliseum 1 battlegroup. For more information on the tournament please visit our Arena Tournament information page. Good luck to all competitors!

So you want to show off your skills to the world by participating in one of the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational contests? From Monday June 16th until June 20th, you can register to participate in the Dance and Costume contests that will take place at the Worldwide Invitational on June 28th. Just head over to the Contest Registration webform and let us know you'll be joining in! Also, if you would like to get advice or opinions on your costume, of if you simply want to show off your work in progress, don't hesitate to share your creation with the community in this thread.

Also, we are extending the deadline for submissions for the Fan Art and Machinima contests! Artists and movie-makers have until the end of Wednesday, June 18th to get their submissions to us! Check out the contest information page to learn more!

A note to our movie-makers: any music included in your submissions must either be your own original work or from a Blizzard product. Use of copyrighted music is grounds for disqualification.

We have just updated the Wrath of the Lich King Bestiary with a new creature: the Jormungar.

The fiercely aggressive jormungar are a marvel of evolution, possessing rows of chisel-like teeth capable of boring through solid rock, as well as muscular, flattened bodies well adapted to rapid underground navigation.

Check out the Bestiary to learn more!

From the twisting mists of the Nether, Heïdel weaves his deadly magic against any who would take on this undead hero. "Heïdel," our latest submission can be viewed in our fan art gallery safely. Only in 'still life' would you have the chance to see such a puissant caster without also seeing your life flash before your eyes.

We're always interested in new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

So you want to show off your skills to the world by participating in one of the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational contests? From Tuesday June 10th and onwards, you will be able to submit your creations via our contest registration web forms for the Machinima (movie and TV ad) and Fan Art contests. Registration is only open until 17th of June, so be sure to submit your entry in time!

For the dance and costume contests, registration will be open from June 16th until June 20th. If you would like to get advice or opinions on your costume, of if you simply want to show off your work in progress, don't hesitate to share your creation with the community in this thread.

Join our Community Team going behind the scenes to experience the world of Blizzard game-making in the third installment of our Blizzard Podcast – BlizzCast.

In each episode we'll be interviewing your favorite Blizzard developers and staff, giving you a glimpse of what it's like from their perspective to make the games you love.

Episode 3 of BlizzCast will take us deeper into the development of both StarCraft II and Wrath of the Lich King. We start out interviewing Dustin Browder, Lead Designer of StarCraft II, in our ‘Zerg Evolution into StarCraft II' interview. Next, we interview Lead Designer of World of Warcraft, Jeff Kaplan, about dungeon and raid design for both World of Warcraft and its upcoming expansion, Wrath of the Lich King. Following, we bring on Joeyray Hall, Manager of Video Production, to chat with us about the magic that goes into the development of Machinima for World of Warcraft. To finish up, we have various insightful questions from the community answered by the Blizzard devs.

You can listen to BlizzCast Episode 3 and read the transcript here.

We have just updated the Wrath of the Lich King Bestiary with a new creature: the Magnataur.

Magnataur have the torso of a giant attached to the body of a mammoth. This peculiar appearance has sparked speculation that their race might be related to centaur or even keepers of the grove. Many wonder if these races share a common ancestor, and some have even suggested Cenarius himself.

Phase 1 of the 2008 World of Warcraft Arena Tournament's second qualification round has begun. Tournament participants have two weeks to hone their strategies, experiment with various team compositions, and practice their teamwork. To track the progress of your team and those of your competition, please visit the World of Warcraft Armory and select the Coliseum 1 battlegroup. For more information on the tournament, please visit our Arena Tournament information page. Good luck, and may the best teams be left standing!

Shrouded in darkness, blade to hand, death wears a blue skin. Nokturna's sinister troll rogue can be viewed in our fan art gallery safely. Only in 'still life' would you have the chance to see him without endangering your life.

We're always interested in new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

Members of our staffing team will be present at the World Wide Invitational 2008. Don't miss your chance to discuss jobs at Blizzard and visit our recruitment booth!

At Blizzard Entertainment Europe, you will work with some of the most creative and talented people in the industry, working together to create the best games in the world. If you share our goals, and have the skills, we want to hear from you! Blizzard Entertainment Europe was founded in 2003 and is a constantly growing company. With a current staff of more than 700 employees comprising 24 nationalities, you will work in a highly multicultural and dynamic environment.

A relocation package will be provided for any successful candidate. Blizzard will assist with all the administrative tasks for you to get settled in a foreign country, such as registering for social security, opening a bank account, finding a flat, and setting up amenities.

Don't forget to bring your CV to the event! A list of all current opportunities in the European offices (Velizy, France and Cork, Ireland) can be found here: http://eu.blizzard.com/en-gb/company/careers/.

We just added a new fan wallpaper to our Wrath of the Lich King wallpapers section. This wallpaper features the fearful Lich King, grasping the hilt of Frostmourne, his icy gaze glaring out a challenge at the watcher.

In addition to downloading our new wallpaper, you can learn more about the death knight class, the new areas and dungeons in Northrend, and new creatures coming in the next expansion at our Wrath of the Lich King site!

We're glad to announce the winners of the 2008 World of Warcraft Arena Tournament's first qualification round. These four teams have demonstrated their Arena combat prowess against strong competition.

1. HERCULES
2. True Terror
3. sapped cows cant say moo
4. kata bestils anyweree

The Championship Gaming Series (CGS) has announced its second annual World of Warcraft Arena Tournament. The top 1,000 3-vs.-3 Arena teams from North America and Europe will be invited to participate in an open-ladder competition running June 9 to June 22. The top two teams from each region will compete in a live final in Los Angeles, California for a top prize of $25,000. For more information, please check the FAQ. Good luck to all of the participating teams!

All available tickets for the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational are now sold out! Taking place over Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th of June at the Porte de Versailles Convention Centre in Paris, France, the 2008 Worldwide Invitational looks set to be another exciting Blizzard Entertainment gaming event. Be sure to check the 2008 Worldwide Invitational website often for updates on the panels, showcased content, and other news on what to expect, as well as live coverage during the event!

At the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational, all attendees will have the opportunity to witness some of the world's top StarCraft, Warcraft III and World of Warcraft Arena players compete in exciting matches. In addition to these professional gaming matches, community player tournaments will allow you to show your skills for fun and glory – and some amazing tournament prizes. Read more on how to compete with other members of the community in Blizzard's upcoming World of Warcraft tournaments and use your skills to come out on top! Check out the Community tournaments page for more information.

Tickets for the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational convention and tournament gaming event are now available again on the Worldwide Invitational website.

This year's Blizzard Worldwide Invitational will take place in Paris, France, at the Porte de Versailles Exposition Centre on the 28th and 29th of June. Tickets are priced at €70 / £55 for the two-day event, which will feature hands-on play with the latest versions of World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King and StarCraft II, competitive eSport and casual player tournaments, costume, dance, fan art and machinima contests, live concerts, and much, much more...

The 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational is open to attendees of ages 4 years and above. Please note that any attendee under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a consenting parent, guardian or responsible adult of 18 years or above to attend

Don't miss your chance to experience two days of Blizzard-themed fun in one of Europe's greatest cities! Have a look at our event website and the FAQ for more information and get your ticket now!

A recent vulnerability has been discovered in popular web-content delivery program Adobe Flash Player, and it could potentially be used to target World of Warcraft players and accounts. The newest available version of Adobe Flash Player, version 9.0.124.0, does not contain this vulnerability, and we recommend that everyone upgrade their Flash Player as soon as possible by visiting the Adobe.com download page at the link below.

http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?...

In addition, to avoid exploitation of this vulnerability, we have temporarily disabled the ability to post hyperlinks in our forums. Any links will need to be copied and pasted into a browser. We'll continue to evaluate any potential security threats and take any steps necessary to ensure a safe and fun environment.

For more information on this issue, you can read the announcements from the Adobe security team concerning the threat at the links below.

http://blogs.adobe.com/psirt/2008/05/potential_flash_player_issue.html http://blogs.adobe.com/psirt/2008/05/potential_flash_player_issue_u_1.html

We have big news for everyone looking forward to the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational in June. Additional tickets are going on sale, attendees will be able to enjoy two live concerts during the closing ceremony and a renowned comic book artist will be on hand to sign his work. Read on:

• Additional ticket sales for the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational will begin tomorrow, Thursday, May 29th, at 15:00 (Central European Summer Time). If you haven't yet purchased tickets for the event, follow the “Ticket Sales” link on the official Blizzard Worldwide Invitational website at that time. There will only be a limited number of additional tickets available, so don't delay in buying yours if you plan to attend.


• The renowned video game music orchestra, Video Games Live, and Blizzard Entertainment's own in-house band, Level 70 Elite Tauren Chieftain, have announced that they'll be performing live on stage during the closing ceremony on Sunday, June 29th.


• For those following the World of Warcraft comic series, designer and artist Ludovic Lullabi will be present for signings at the booth of the French World of Warcraft comic publisher, Soleil.

This year's Blizzard Worldwide Invitational will be held here in Europe, at the Porte de Versailles Exposition Centre in Paris, France, on the 28th and 29th of June. Both days of the event will feature a variety of activities including hands-on play with the latest versions of Blizzard Entertainment games, developer discussions and presentations, competitive and casual tournaments, contests, and more.

Tickets are priced at 70 € / £55 for the two-day event and can be purchased by credit or debit card. The Blizzard Worldwide Invitational is open to attendees of ages 4 years and above. Please note that any attendee of 16 years or below must be accompanied by a consenting parent, guardian or responsible adult of 18 years or above to attend.

Don't miss your chance to experience two days of Blizzard-themed fun in one of Europe's greatest cities!

Two hunters in a rare still moment... Bulrok brings us this week's amazing piece of fan art here. If you can tear your eyes away, you can also view our previous fan art entries in the Gallery.

We're always interested in new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

We just added a new fan wallpaper to our World of Warcraft fan wallpapers section. This wallpaper features the dreaded demon lord, Kil'jaeden, facing Illidan, Lady Vashj and Kael'thas.

We're always on the lookout for new fan art and you can submit your work to us here for addition to our Gallery. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

We're pleased to announce that additional tickets for the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational will be available on the Worldwide Invitational website from Thursday 29 May, onwards.

This year's Worldwide Invitational will be held here in Europe, at the Porte de Versailles Exposition Centre in Paris, France, on the 28th and 29th of June. Both days of the event will feature a variety of activities including hands-on play with the latest versions of World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King and StarCraft II, the chance to meet Blizzard executives and developers in discussion panels and signing sessions, participate in community tournaments, dance, costume and machinima contests, watch top eSports competitors from around the world play in exciting invitational tournaments and much more! Tickets are priced at 70 € / £55 for the two-day event and can be purchased by credit or debit card.

You can find additional information about the event on our official website, including a comprehensive F.A.Q. and an interactive map of Paris, France, where the Worldwide Invitational will take place. Don't miss out on your chance to experience two days of Blizzard in one of Europe's most renowned and remarkable cities.

Check back here often to keep yourself updated on the topic.

Please note that you must be 16 years or above to attend the Worldwide Invitational, unless accompanied by a consenting parent, guardian or responsible adult of 18 years or above. The event is open to attendees of ages 4 years and above.

We will hold four different contests before and during the 2008 Worldwide Invitational: the machinima, fan art, costume and dance contests! You will now find information about all of them on our dedicated contest information page, including detailed rules, participation instructions, and prize lists!

Don't miss out on the chance to show your talent to the world and win great prizes!

While the opening of the Dark Portal and the scandalous return of Kael'thas to the Sunwell Plateau might have been good for adventurers all over Azeroth, they haven't been good for the goblins at the Gadgetzan Times. Known for their interest in all things explosive, there has been a significant shortage of reliable, sensible goblins to report on the events and news for this illustrious newspaper. When crisis looms, goblins get creative, and when the first ‘all-purpose automated author' self-destructed, there was only one solution - call in the experts.

We are proud to present the new and improved Gadgetzan Times, containing fan fiction written about the World of Warcraft by the people who know it intimately – the players. Featuring a selection of stories in different languages, it's the perfect place to share your stories with the world. You can find out how to submit your own story to the editors here.

The Gadgetzan Times – now with 100% more adventurer!

Do you think they saw her?

Check out our latest piece of fan art from Lynxia here, and view our previous fan art entries in the Gallery.

We're always interested in new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

After several weeks of fierce competition, the 2008 World of Warcraft Arena Tournament's first qualification round has come to an end. Registration for the second qualification round will soon open, and you can check out the phase schedule for it here. For more information, please visit our Arena Tournament information page. Thank you to all of the participants and good luck to everyone in the second qualifier!

The fearsome death knight, World of Warcraft's first Hero class, is not your average adventurer seeking to prove his or her worth on Azeroth's fields of battle. No longer servants of the Lich King, they begin their new calling as experienced, formidable adversaries, heavily armed and armored and possessing an arsenal of deadly and forbidden magic learned in the Lich King's thrall.

Check out our new articles to uncover some of the death knight's core gameplay mechanics and abilities, and more information about the many gameplay changes going into our next expansion, Wrath of the Lich King!

His staff held high, the very Nether itself twisting at his feet, The Warlock, is our latest submission from talented artist Slinkyonion. You can take a look at this amazing piece, and view our previous fan art pieces in the Gallery.

We're always interested in new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

The Nexus War has begun.

The blue Dragon Aspect, Malygos, was charged ages ago by the titans as the guardian of magic. More than ten millennia ago, he watched in horror as Deathwing all but wiped out the blue flight. Maddened by grief, Malygos withdrew to his lair and paid little heed to the rest of the world, emerging only when it finally seemed possible to avenge Deathwing's terrible crime.

Take a moment to check out our Wrath of the Lich King site to learn more about the Nexus, a new dungeon in Northrend! You can also view a trailer giving you a tour of this exciting new dungeon!

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.

Back by popular demand, and now with 50% more hall space for your convention-going enjoyment, BlizzCon officially returns to the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA, on October 10–11. Join us for another epic celebration -- meet your guildmates and fellow gamers from around the world; spend some quality time with current and upcoming Blizzard games; and partake in the contests, tournaments, and developer discussion panels that make up BlizzCon. Check out the press release to learn more, and stay tuned for further updates.

You've seen the icy, menacing eyes, and gleaming metal and heard the ominous names of Arthas holding Frostmourne. Now we are calling all artists to bring these images to life with their vision of Arthas with Frostmourne!

Starting May 7, 2008, Epic Weapons and Blizzard Entertainment will be looking for the best original pieces of artwork that show the Lich King Arthas Menethil wielding his trusted runeblade Frostmourne and the Grand Prize Winner will receive a full sized 47" long replica of the Frostmourne sword courtesy of Epic Weapons and a guaranteed entry into the beta test of Wrath of the Lich King! Two runner up winners will also be selected for entry into the upcoming Wrath of the Lich King beta test.

We'd like to extend our thanks to Epic Weapons for the generous donation of the Frostmourne replica for this event, and for more information about Frostmourne, you can head over to www.epicweapons.com.

Visit the contest page to learn more about the contest!

Creeping through the shadows to eliminate his mark, Opex the Rogue, is our latest submission from talented artist Opex. You can take a look at this amazing piece, and view our previous fan art pieces in the Gallery.

We're always interested in new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

After two weeks of intense training - not to mention the beginning of the second phase of the qualifiers - registrations for the World of Warcraft 2008 Arena Tournament will be closing soon! Hurry up and register before tomorrow midnight (11:59 CET, May 6) if you want to join other gladiators in this epic battle for fame and fortune!

You will be able to track the progress of your team on the World of Warcraft Armory. Simply select the Coliseum 1 battlegroup. You can also find more information about the tournament on the Arena Tournament information page.

Don't wait until it's too late! Register now!

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! Learn more about this special in-game event and its new rewards on our updated Children's Week information page.

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 providing limited support on Thursday, May 1st. All the realms will be available for play as usual, however our Technical and Billing Support teams will not be able to respond to your queries on this day.

Our Game Masters will be working all day and night, but in a reduced capacity so you may experience a slight delay in the response time to your in-game tickets. We apologize for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your understanding.

Self-assured and able to summon mighty demons to her aid, the human Warlock is our latest submission from talented artist Brachypelman. You can take a look at this amazing piece, and view our previous fan art pieces in the Gallery.

We're always interested in new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

Phase 2 of the 2008 World of Warcraft Arena Tournament's first qualification round has begun. Tournament participants have had ample time during the practice phase to hone their strategies, try various team compositions, and gain experience playing with their team. It's now time for the real games to begin!

To track the progress of your team and competition, please visit the World of Warcraft Armory and select the Coliseum 1 battlegroup. If you haven't signed up yet, registration for the First Qualification Round is still possible until May 6, 2008!

For more information on the tournament please visit our Arena Tournament information page. Good luck to all competitors!

We recently sat down for an interview with World of Warcraft lead producer J. Allen Brack and art director Chris Robinson to discuss some of the ideas that influenced the development of Fury of the Sunwell, the most recent content update for The Burning Crusade. While we were at it, we also picked the development team's brains about the lessons learned from The Burning Crusade and how they're influencing the design approach for Wrath of the Lich King... Check out the full interview here!

This feature originally appeared in the Blizzard Insider. This regular newsletter of all things Blizzard is full of previews, interviews, special features, and other exclusive content. Each issue is delivered to you by email before the content appears elsewhere. View the latest issue, and sign up to receive the free Blizzard Insider.

Strong and primal, this mighty tauren warrior is our latest submission from talented artist Fasit. You can take a look at this amazing piece, and view our previous fan art pieces in the Gallery.

We're always interested in new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

We just added a new wallpaper to our World of Warcraft wallpapers section. This wallpaper features 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.

This week's wallpaper features Graccus, the human paladin, his melancholy gaze surveying the desecrated land around him.

The Level 70 Elite Tauren Chieftains have just released their latest hit: Rogues Do It From Behind! In honor of this occasion, they would like to invite you to create a music video for their newest song. So, grab your movie cameras, head out into the wilds of Azeroth and Outland, and film some sneaky rogue action!

Check out our Level 70 Elite Tauren Chieftain Contest page and our Terms and Conditions for more information!

Darkly appealing, a champion of nature, the Draenei Shaman, is our latest submission from talented artist Lier. You can take a look at this amazing piece, and view our previous fan art pieces in the Gallery.

We're always interested in new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

We have just updated our Game Guide with a section covering the Dungeons and Raids of the Burning Crusade. From the misty peaks of Mount Hyjal to the burning wasteland of Hellfire Peninsula, you can learn more about the lore, the bosses, and the kinds of things to expect from a visit to any of the dungeons of the Burning Crusade.

Take a moment to check it out!

We just added a new wallpaper to our World of Warcraft wallpapers section. This wallpaper features 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.

This week's wallpaper features Mias, the warlock, preparing to let loose with a lethal spell.

We're pleased to announce that our agreements with The9, our World of Warcraft partner in mainland China, and Soft-World, our World of Warcraft partner in the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau, have been updated to include the localization, operation, and support of Wrath of the Lich King for players in their respective regions. Further news, including release plans for each region, will be announced closer to launch.

Alluring, mysterious, and a wielder of the arcane, the Blood Elf Mage, is our latest submission from talented artist Asunaro. You can take a look at this amazing piece, and view our previous fan art pieces in the Gallery.

We're always interested in new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

On the new dedicated Arena Tournament realms, players can create level 70 characters of any class or race, get free epic equipment, enchantments, gold, and can customize their character's talent build as often as desired. On these realms, the cream of the crop of PVP players can compete for glory, battling it out to claim over $200,000 in prizes!

If you haven't signed up, you still have a chance to register in the 2008 Arena Tournament! For more information, please check out the Arena Tournament page, F.A.Q., or our new dedicated forum!

We just added a new fan wallpaper to our World of Warcraft fan wallpapers section. This wallpaper features some amazing artwork with Akama, the leader of the Ashtongue Deathsworn, as he gloats over the corpse of the fallen Betrayer.

We're always interested in new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

We hope you enjoyed our April Fools' Day events. If you missed them, check out this year's jokes:

• New World of Warcraft Hero Class: Bard
• New StarCraft II Unit: Tauren Marine
• World of Warcraft on a Console
• Diablo Loot Piñata
• Forums: Bears and Buckets and Walruses, Oh My!

The focus of our latest World of Warcraft Spotlight is Blacksmithing, not the profession in-game, but one of the oldest crafts and a major cornerstone in building our modern world. While the profession has been around for a long time it still has much to offer us and a small dedicated group of “real life” armor blacksmiths inspired by the World of Warcraft universe were eager to show the community just how much.

We interviewed a member of the German workshop group BattleHeat, and talked about the creation of a paladin armor set, the challenges they face and their ideas for the future. Discover the heat of the battle and the ancient art of blacksmithing!

The deeds of every great hero inspire countless songs of triumph, virtue, and epic adventure. But although a hero's glory endures in song, the creators of those songs are seldom remembered. After ages spent singing of the heroic exploits of others, the bards of Azeroth are finally stepping into the spotlight on their own terms, proving once and for all that while just about anyone can pick up a sword or cast a spell, only a true hero can vanquish evil with the power of ROCK! Check out this new class here!

Blizzard Entertainment is proud to announce its long-awaited return to console development with Molten Core: Unleashed!, a new console game based on the popular World of Warcraft 40-person raid dungeon. In Molten Core: Unleashed!, players will once again be challenged by the highly complex encounters of Molten Core and battle epic enemies such as Majordomo Executus and Ragnaros. Classic heart-stopping moments such as becoming the living bomb when facing the infamous Baron Geddon will be revitalized in this new version of the Molten Core experience designed exclusively for console systems.

Check out the official press release for more information, and keep your eyes peeled for updates on www.blizzard.co.uk.

The 2008 World of Warcraft Arena Tournament has now officially begun. Players from around the world can compete on our special tournament realms using the new tournament format. We have leveled the playing field by allowing participants to choose and customize their character and equipment and team up with fellow players to clash in 3-vs.-3 Arena battles. For more information on the tournament, including how to register and participate, please visit our Arena Tournament information page.

Please check the dedicated thread in our forums for the latest news with regard to the tournament.

Good luck and good fight!

Bewildered by blood elves? Stunned by the Sunwell? If you need a little extra support for patch 2.4 you can check out our Support Site. Dedicated information about some of the more frequently asked questions can be found to help you make the most of our latest release.

We have just updated the Wrath of the Lich King Bestiary with a new creature: the Taunka.

This tenacious, stoic race knows all too well the rigors of living in the harsh and often deadly wastes of Northrend. Over time, the taunka - whom many believe to be ancestral cousins of the tauren - have adapted, but only by forcing the land and the elements to yield to their will.

Check out the Bestiary to learn more!

In preparation for the start of the 2008 World of Warcraft Arena Tournament, registration is now open. The Arena Tournament focuses on 3-vs.-3 Arena competition, and participants will be given the chance to qualify for live tournaments with cash prizes. By registering you will be granted access to our special tournament realms (which will be opened for the first qualifier on March 31). You will be able to customize your characters with a variety of talents and powerful gear in order to battle with fellow players for prizes and prestige! For more details or to register for the tournament, please visit the Arena Tournament information page. Good luck!

We're pleased to announce that a localized version of World of Warcraft is in development for Latin American players as well as for US/Canada-based Spanish-speaking players. Check out the full announcement for further details, and stay tuned to WorldofWarcraft.com for future updates, including information on country-specific release plans, language-pack testing, and more. Current Spanish-speaking World of Warcraft players based in the US, Canada, or Latin America can head over to the World of Warcraft forums now to discuss the game in Spanish. PLEASE NOTE that an active North American World of Warcraft account is required for posting in the forums.

We're pleased to announce the release of "Fury of the Sunwell," the new content update for World of Warcraft!

Highlights of Fury of the Sunwell include:

Sunwell Isle:
The glorious fount of arcane energy known as the Sunwell empowered the high elves for millennia, until the death knight Arthas laid siege to the elven kingdom and corrupted its sacred energies. Seeing no other alternative, a band of survivors led by Prince Kael'thas destroyed the ancient fount, and over time the surviving elves fell prey to a crippling magical withdrawal.

Now, promising salvation for his people, Kael'thas has returned. Soon the Sunwell will shine once again, but whether the sacred fount will usher in deliverance or destruction remains to be seen.

This area includes:
A new quest hub
Magisters' Terrace -- a 5-player instance
Sunwell Plateau -- a 25-player instance
New badge rewards

New Daily Quests:
The combined forces of Shattrath have launched an attack on the Isle of Quel'Danas to confront Kael'thas and the Legion at the Sunwell and surrounding areas. Players will now be able to gain reputation with the Shattered Sun Offensive and participate in a new set of daily quests.

UI Improvements
The combat log has undergone improvements that allow more robust combat-text filtering, including the ability to define custom colors for enemies and friends, as well as combat text filtering for self and others.

Arena Tournament Introduced
Players will be able to create level-70 characters with epic equipment and compete on special tournament realms in a new global arena tournament. For more information, details, and entry requirements, please visit the official tournament pages.

And more – check out the full patch notes. Also, don't forget to check out our new Fury of the Sunwell website theme!

We are happy to announce the results of our Spectral Safari Screenshot Contest! We received many creative, interesting, humorous, and deadly entries and have selected the best for your viewing pleasure. Please check our Spectral Safari Winners page to see all of the winning entries.

We would like to congratulate all of the winners of this contest, but most especially the eight grand prize winners: S. Haslam, A. Fradelos, J. Dederichs, H. Meißner, C. Combaud, F. Jimmy, G. Martínez Soy, and M. Giner Plaskacz!

Puissant, vengeful, and prepared to curse his enemies, the Undead Warlock, is our latest submission from talented artist Bruticus. You can take a look at this amazing piece, and view our previous fan art pieces in the Gallery.

We're always interested in new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

On Saturday, March 29, 2008, the latest World of Warcraft Trading Card Game expansion, Servants of the Betrayer, will be unveiled at sneak preview events around the globe. You'll finally get a look at the exciting new TCG content, which features Traitor heroes and allies, and you might even snag one of the new Loot cards, such as the first-ever super-common consumable Loot card or the X-51 Nether-Rocket flying mount. Head over to the official Servants of the Betrayer sneak preview website to find a tournament near you, and check out all the preview cards at WoWTCG.com.

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.

We just added a new wallpaper to our World of Warcraft wallpapers section. This wallpaper features 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.

This week's wallpaper features a night elf rogue brewing up a deadly mix.

This Sunday the inhabitants of Azeroth will wake to find that the lords and ladies from the Horde and Alliance have been at work during the night, hiding candies, treasures, and coins throughout the land. Adventurers will find these special treats inside painted eggs strewn about the world!

Happy Noblegarden to all!

We are happy to announce the winners of our World of Warcraft Three Year Anniversary Contests! Congratulations to our grand prize winners, Patrick Marques, Frank Hessefort, and Asko Puurula who have won Dell XPS M1730 notebook computers!

You can view the correct answer to the World of Warcraft Lore Contest questions, as well as the winning Fan Art entries, by checking out our Three Year Winners page!

Congratulations once more!

We have just updated the Wrath of the Lich King Bestiary with a new creature: the Iron Dwarf.

The Explorers' League has scoured the far corners of the world, seeking to uncover the truth behind the origins of the dwarves. Now it seems they may be one step closer to unlocking the secrets of the past.

The latest clues come from ancient dig sites within the Howling Fjord, where the iron dwarves were first encountered…

Check out the Bestiary to learn more!

Tickets for the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational convention and tournament gaming event are now available on the Worldwide Invitational website at http://eu.blizzard.com/wwi08/.

This year's Blizzard Worldwide Invitational will take place in Paris, France, at the Porte de Versailles Exposition Centre on the 28th and 29th of June. Tickets are priced at €70 / £55 for the two-day event, which will feature hands-on play with the latest versions of World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King and StarCraft II, competitive eSport and casual player tournaments, costume, dance and machinima contests, and much, much more…

Please note the event is open to attendees of ages 4 years and above. Due to the nature of some content at the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational, attendees under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or responsible adult (of 18 years and above).

Have a look at our event website and the FAQ for more information and get your ticket now!

Learn more about the features coming in the upcoming content patch by checking out our Fury of the Sunwell page! This preview includes a brand-new gameplay trailer, an official patch wallpaper, a new piece of Sunwell lore, and more.

Brace yourself for the Fury of the Sunwell, the next content patch for World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade. You have traveled through the Dark Portal and braved the perils of Outland; you faced off against the might of the Burning Legion itself, and you prevailed. Now the journey that began with the arrival of the draenei on Azeroth and the blood elves' inclusion into the Horde is about to come full circle as a mighty army gathers to purge evil from one of Azeroth's most important loci of power: the ancient, magical Sunwell...

We are delighted to announce the launch of our Russian World of Warcraft 'light' web page. While we'll be working on bringing a fully localized version of the World of Warcraft website to life in Russian, we'll use this page to keep you updated on progress.

Here you can find information in Russian about recruitment, our press releases and the FAQ (in English here), covering different aspects about the Russian release of World of Warcraft.

We hope you're just as excited as we are about this upcoming release, and recommend you check the page regularly to get the latest news.

"Поехали!" ("Let's go!")

Strong as the earth, blazing like fire, and swift as the wind; the draenei shaman cleaves those who would defile the spirits of nature. You can take a look at this amazing picture of Minak, and view our previous fan art pieces in the Gallery.

We're always interested in new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

Last year, Blizzard gamers from all over the world gathered to attend BlizzCon in Anaheim, California, and the Worldwide Invitational 2007 in Seoul, Korea. Now we are looking forward to sharing another exciting event with all of you at the first Blizzard convention to be held in Europe!

We added a new page to our 2008 Worldwide Invitational information website telling you more about past Blizzard events. Make sure to check out the BlizzCon 2007 Highlights video!

We hope these highlights from last year will give you an impression of the atmosphere at Blizzard events, and we're sure the 2008 Worldwide Invitational will be just as memorable. We look forward to seeing you at the show!

Tickets for the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational convention and tournament gaming event will be available from Thursday, 20th of March on the Worldwide Invitational website at http://eu.blizzard.com/wwi08/.

In addition to invitational tournaments featuring top eSports competitors playing for a total of $100,000 in prizes, the Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational will also host casual tournaments for attendees, costume and dance contests, live musical performances, and more. All attendees will also receive a goody bag of Blizzard Entertainment items including a beta key for an upcoming Blizzard Entertainment game and an exclusive World of Warcraft in-game pet.

Click here to read the full media alert or get more information.

The legendary rune blade Frostmourne was immortalized in Warcraft III, in which it was taken up by Prince Arthas Menethil, corrupting him and leading to his transformation into the Lich King. We've partnered with EPIC Weapons to create a limited edition replica of the blade in all its horrific glory. This artifact of ancient evil is over 119 centimeters long and 32 centimeters wide, weighing a massive 7 kilograms, and is now available for pre-order. For more information, please visit the Frostmourne replica site.

We're pleased to announce that tickets for the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational will be available next week on the Worldwide Invitational website.

This year's Worldwide Invitational will be held here in Europe, at the Porte de Versailles Exposition Centre in Paris, France, on the 28th and 29th of June. Both days of the event will feature a variety of activities including hands-on play with the latest versions of World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King and StarCraft II! You'll also have the chance to meet Blizzard executives and developers in discussion panels and signing sessions, participate in community tournaments, dance, costume and machinima contests, watch top eSports competitors from around the world play in exciting invitational tournaments and much more! Tickets are priced at 70 € / £55 for the two-day event and can be purchased by credit or debit card.

Please note that you must be 16 years or above to attend the Worldwide Invitational, unless accompanied by a consenting parent, guardian or responsible adult of 18 years or above.

For millennia the Great Dragonblight has served as the enduring heart of Northrend.

Here dense forests surround a vast arctic wasteland littered with the massive, gleaming bones of perished dragons. In the center of this frozen expanse lies Wyrmrest Keep, a structure believed to be built by the world-shaping titans shortly after Azeroth's creation. Many legends hold that the five great Dragon Aspects were blessed within this fortress and given their charge to watch over the budding world.

Learn more about this new zone at our Wrath of the Lich King site where you can see screenshots and a fly-by movie of Dragonblight!

The huntress stalks into view in our latest awesome piece of fan art. You can take a look at this amazing picture of Lhyrinija, and view our previous fan art pieces in the Gallery.

We're always interested in new fan art and if you're an artist, you can submit your work to us here. We update the Gallery regularly and encourage you to check regularly to see what new and talented submissions are on display.

We just added a new wallpaper to our World of Warcraft wallpapers section. This wallpaper features 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.

This week's wallpaper features the undead hero, Marka, as she prepares to unleash the shadow on her foes.

Our newest addition to the Fan Art Gallery features a determined sin'dorei fighter. Check out our latest submission from Ancalimon from the French realm "Culte de la Rive noire."

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!

Many of us here at Blizzard got our start in gaming with Dungeons & Dragons or one of its computer adaptations and have fond memories of rolling dice, poring over rulebooks, braving dark caverns and castle keeps, battling kobolds and hill giants. Gary Gygax's work on D&D was an inspiration to us and in many ways helped spark our passion for creating games of our own. As avid D&D players and fellow game developers, we were all saddened by the news of his passing; we feel we've lost a true adventuring companion. Thanks for everything and farewell, Gary. You will be missed.

We just added a new wallpaper to our World of Warcraft wallpapers section. This wallpaper features 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.

This week's wallpaper features the gnome hero, Mazar, as he prepares to hurl fiery death on his enemies.

The new Arena Tournament realm for World of Warcraft is available for testing on the Public Test Realm. Join your fellow players to be first to experience this exciting new form of PvP. Please also provide us any feedback at the PTR Forums. More information can be found at the Arena Tournament information page, item list, and FAQ.

We're glad to unveil the Arena Tournament item list page detailing the items that will be available to players participating in the 2008 Arena Tournament. Please keep in mind that the item list is not finalized and will most likely be changed based on feedback and testing. We wanted to give those interested a sneak preview of the items prior to the public testing phase. Visit our Arena Tournament information page for the latest information regarding the Arena Tournament.

Join our Community Team going behind the scenes to experience the world of Blizzard game making in the second installment of our Blizzard Podcast – BlizzCast.

In each episode we'll be interviewing your favorite Blizzard developers and staff, giving you a glimpse of what it's like from their perspective to make the games you love.

In this episode of the BlizzCast series, we've sat down with the Vice President of Creative Development, Chris Metzen, to discuss the lore behind the different Blizzard franchises. We've also spoken with Geoff Goodman about some of the changes coming to the Magtheridon encounter in the next World of Warcraft patch. Lastly, we have some Q&A with StarCraft lead writer, Andy Chambers and World of Warcraft lead designer Tom Chilton.

You can listen to BlizzCast Episode 2 here.

Due to an issue with the contest webforms, submissions sent from 3 AM Paris time to 3 PM Paris time on February 27 were not received. If you submitted an entry during this time frame, please resubmit it. You can view the active contests by checking our Three Year Anniversary and Spectral Safari contest pages.

Our newest addition to the Fan Art Gallery features a mighty tauren warrior. Check out Force of Nature, our latest submission by Éric Azagury.

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 just added a new wallpaper to our World of Warcraft wallpapers section. This wallpaper features 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.

This week's wallpaper features the gnome warrior hero, Fillet Kneecapper Extraordinaire, as he gazes out over the bodies of his opponents.

In a hunt which will take you further than the jungles of Stranglethorn and the vistas of Nagrand, Blizzard and Upper Deck Entertainment have joined forces to host a truly challenging contest. In conjunction with Upper Deck's TCG Spectral Safari tournament, you can also enter the Spectral Safari Screenshot Contest to win great prizes including your very own Spectral Tiger mount. You can check out details about the Screenshot contest here, and find out more about about Upper Deck's TCG Spectral Safari Beginners Tournament, taking place on March 1st in stores all over Europe, here.

We would like to make a clear statement here about the negative impact of buying gold and using power-leveling services. Every day, we encounter players who have been negatively affected and targeted by companies offering these services. So, we hope to raise awareness about the practices they engage in and the detrimental effects they have on all players, including their own customers, as well as on the game environment as a whole. To learn more, please visit our Gold Selling: Effects and Consequences page.

The tuskarr are a kind-natured nomadic race that roams the southern coastlines of Northrend, guided by the carved cyclopean statues that mark their seasonal fishing routes. The tuskarr's tribal affiliation is evidenced by the sigils inscribed on their tusks, and although they are a peaceful race, they are constantly beset by taunka and local murlocs.

Learn more about this new faction at our Wrath of the Lich King site!

Our newest addition to the Fan Art Gallery shows the deep bond between hunter and pet. Check out Tagren the Hunter, a heart-warming piece by Diana Mezzina.

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!

Update: We have some exciting news to share with the world's most skilled Arena System combatants. This year's regional World of Warcraft Arena Tournaments will feature two sets of qualification rounds played out on special tournament realms in each region. These rounds will culminate in live regional and world finals events, with a mooncloth bag's worth of cash up for grabs…to the tune of a total prize pool of more than $200,000.

If you have (or are able to form) a formidable 3v3 Arena team, and you're not allergic to cash, then we recommend you check out the full announcement, our information page, and the FAQ for further details.

We just added a new wallpaper to our World of Warcraft wallpapers section. This wallpaper features 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.

We have some exciting news to share with the world's most skilled Arena System combatants. This year's regional World of Warcraft Arena Tournaments will feature two sets of qualification rounds played out on special tournament realms in each region. These rounds will culminate in live regional and world finals events, with a mooncloth bag's worth of cash up for grabs…to the tune of a total prize pool of more than $200,000.

If you have (or are able to form) a formidable 3v3 Arena team, and you're not allergic to cash, then we recommend you check out the full announcement and FAQ for further details.

The lush, primordial mountains of the Grizzly Hills are a stark contrast to the snowy peaks that separate it from the Howling Fjord to the south.

In the heart of this wild frontier lies the ancestral home of the furbolgs, Grizzlemaw. For generations the tribal furbolgs have worshipped a colossal prehistoric bear that roams the surrounding wilderness.

Although the gentle furbolgs have grown accustomed to living in relative peace, recent incursions have forced the ancient tribes to engage in battle...

Check out the new Grizzly Hills page up on our Wrath of the Lich King site!

We received many creative, funny, and thoughtful entries this year for our Valentine Card Contest. We are happy to unveil the winners of this contest! Congratulations to L. Carter of Cymmer, M. Vorster of London, L. Atkins of Belfast, K. Hietaharju of Kotka, and M. Nevala of Karvia!

Take a moment to check out the winning entries, as well as some of the runners-up at our Valentine Contest Winners page.

Been lusting after that certain someone, but just not sure of how to let them know? Have your gifts of [Basilisk Hearts] just not been enough to express that special feeling that wells up in your heart at the sight of your true love? Then try sending one of our World of Warcraft Valentine's Day Ecards!

Show that special someone how much you care! Send an ecard today!

We have just updated the Fan Art Gallery with a new submission. You can check out this piece named Lady Vashj, a portrait of the mysterious and powerful naga servant of Illidan. This piece is our latest submission from talented artist Cyril Rolando.

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 just added a new wallpaper to our World of Warcraft wallpapers section. This wallpaper features 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.

This new wallpaper features the slim and deadly Retainer Kedryn, a sneaky sin'dorei rogue.

This year's Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational is coming to the Porte de Versailles Exposition Center in Paris, France on June 28-29. Top StarCraft, Warcraft III, and World of Warcraft players will duke it out for supremacy and cash prizes in eSports tournaments, and all attendees will be able to enjoy discussion panels, signings, musical performances, and more. In addition, StarCraft II and World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King will be playable by everyone on the show floor.

For much more information on the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational, check out the press release and visit the official website. We look forward to seeing you there, but if you're unable to make it out to Paris in June, we'll be providing live coverage on the official website throughout the weekend of the event.

Today we celebrate the third anniversary of the launch of World of Warcraft in Europe! To make this occasion special, we have partnered with Dell to offer three lucky winners a Dell XPS M1730 notebook computer! In addition to this cool prize, we're giving out six months of free World of Warcraft game time and Gurky keys. To participate, simply send us an original Fan Art with the theme “Celebrating Three Years of World of Warcraft” or answer a few simple questions!

Check out our Three Year Anniversary Contests page for more information on how you can win one of these three cool prizes!

Something is in the air in the major cities of Azeroth. Some call it love, and some just call it friendship and admiration. Whichever it is, many guards and townsfolks now spend their days giving and receiving tokens and gifts to other amorous citizens.

Check out our Love Is In The Air page for more information about this romantic event!

Following the success of the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, Upper Deck Entertainment is releasing a World of Warcraft Miniatures Game. Starting this fall, you'll be able to do battle on your tabletop with premium-quality, highly detailed 3D renderings of characters of every race and class, as well as iconic individuals like Warchief Thrall and Leeroy Jenkins.

Each premium pre-painted miniature will be mounted on a uniquely engineered removable base, allowing the figure to serve as a collectible as well as a game piece. The game will feature both head-to-head battles and standalone raid and dungeon scenarios, which players can cooperate to overcome.

Head over to WoWMinis.com to find out more about the game. You can sign up to receive updates, including sneak preview pictures of the minis, details about gameplay, and downloadable demos.

We have just updated the Wrath of the Lich King Bestiary with a new creature: the Shovel Tusk.

The powerful and ferocious shovel tusks are easily identified by the massive curved antler which protrudes from their heads and the twin sloping tusks that extend from their jaw. The moose-like beasts use their tusks primarily to dig for food...

The following Free Character Migration will be available from February 6th to 12th:

From: Al'Akir, Burning Legion, Frostmane, Magtheridon
To: Kor'gall, Mazrigos

Please note that the migration may be closed at any time should a destination realm's population rise too high. See the Free Character Migration thread for additional information.

We have just updated the Fan Art Gallery with a new submission. You can check out this piece named Exorcism, showing a brave and daring paladin casting the Light's judgement upon a vile minion of the Scourge. This piece is our latest submission from talented artist Paul Smith.

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 just added a new wallpaper to our World of Warcraft wallpapers section. This wallpaper features 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.

This new wallpaper features the strong and rugged Rexxar, the Champion of the Horde. The artwork is taken from the Rexxar card, a which has many uses.

Within the sylvan shadows of Moonglade, an ancient menace arises. Adventurers are encouraged to journey, by whatever means necessary, to the druids' stronghold in order to battle against the demi-god Omen! In addition to battling against this maddened monstrosity, adventurers may spend the festival honoring their elders, shooting off fireworks, and much more. Check out our Lunar Festival event page for more information!

Due to population differences between some of the highest and lowest populated PvP realms, the following Free Character Migration will be available January 30th to February 5th:

From: Crushridge, Grim Batol, Outland, Stormscale
To: Vek’nilash, Burning Steppes, Jaedenar

Please note that the migration may be closed at any time should a destination realm's population rise too high. Please see the migration info thread for updates.

We have just updated the Fan Art Gallery with a new submission. You can check out this shady piece named Sayyidna, our latest submission from Lionel Prats.

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 just added a new wallpaper to our World of Warcraft wallpapers section. This wallpaper features 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.

This new wallpaper features a mysterious night elf druid, poised for the strike. The artwork is taken from the Barkskin card, a card which is used to prevent ability, ally, and equipment cards from being interrupted.

Wrath of the Lich King will introduce a vast new land and many new dungeons to the game. A multitude of strange and terrifying creatures inhabit the frozen continent of Northrend, and you can now catch the first glimpses of the denizens of Northrend on our new Wrath of the Lich King Bestiary page. This page contains a sampling of the many new monsters you will encounter as you venture deep into the forgotten lands and desolate wastes of the Lich King's domain. The Bestiary will be updated regularly, so make sure to check back often!

Due to population differences between some of the highest and lowest populated PvP realms, the following Free Character Migration will be available January 23rd to 29th:

From: Drak'thul, Kazzak, Stormreaver, Sylvanas, Twilight's Hammer
To: Daggerspine, Dragonmaw

Please note that the migration may be closed at any time should a destination realm's population rise too high. Please see the migration info thread for updates.

We have just updated the Fan Art Gallery with a new submission. You can check out this dark and foreboding piece named The Day Is Coming, our latest submission from Alexandru Sabo.

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!

World of Warcraft's community continues to grow, recently hitting a new high of 10 million subscribers around the world. In the three years since the game was first released, the way it has been embraced around the world has far surpassed our expectations, and we're grateful to all of the players who made that possible. We just wanted to take a moment to share the news, welcome the many new and returning players who entered the game over the holidays, and thank all of you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm.

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.

We have just added a new selectable theme to our Theme-O-Matic. Take a moment to sample the dark and brooding Black Temple theme featuring Illidan Stormrage, the Betrayer.

Our Theme-O-Matic features several different themes for our website. We are adding new ones frequently so check back often for updates on how you can dress up the World of Warcraft website!

We have just posted the winning entries from the Voice Chat Contest! You can check out the correct answers to the questions and the winning wallpapers here. Congratulations to all of our winners and good luck to all those participating in the Valentine Card Contest!

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.

Following our previous Spotlight on Olibith, we will now investigate one of his fellow highly-talented machinima makers: Baron Soosdon! With dark and moody videos, this gifted Finnish student has won the heart of many World of Warcraft players. He has his own unique style and this interview will help you to discover some of his moviemaking secrets, as well as the importance of working together with other brilliant artists.

Check out our latest Spotlight on this stunning machinima maker now!

It was one year ago, today, that the blood elves and draenei joined the armies of Azeroth, and the Dark Portal was opened to the beautiful and terrifying vistas of Outland. During that time, players have discovered the might of the Burning Legion, fought against the allies of Illidan in Serpentshrine Cavern and Tempest Keep, and even faced down the Betrayer himself in the Black Temple.

On 16 January 2007, The Burning Crusade was released and sold almost 2.4 million copies worldwide in the first 24 hours of release, winning multiple awards from industry representatives. Since that time, World of Warcraft has reached the epic milestone of 9 million subscribers worldwide, with the game soon to be localized for release in Russian.

For those who have not yet had the chance to venture into the perils of Outland, a free trial of the Burning Crusade is available for download. For players yet to experience World of Warcraft, a free trial of the original game is also available.

As the three year anniversary of World of Warcraft approaches, the celebrations are set to continue.

We have just updated the Fan Art Gallery with a new submission. You can check out the shadowy Bleichwinter, our latest submission from René Scheibe.

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!

Join our Community Team going behind the scenes to experience the world of Blizzard game making in the first installment of our new Blizzard Podcast – BlizzCast.

In each episode we'll be interviewing your favorite Blizzard developers and staff, giving you a glimpse of what it's like from their perspective to make the games you love.

To kick off our BlizzCast series, we've decided to begin where every great Blizzard idea begins, at the concept level. To speak with us we have Samwise Didier, our Art Director and concept artist for many of the popular Blizzard icons you've grown to love, such as the Pandaren, Fel Orcs, Dark Templars, Zerglings, and many more. We'll be chatting with Samwise on how he came up with the characters he did, as well as what it is like to work on both the Warcraft and StarCraft franchises.

Check out the new BlizzCast page here.

We've been reading the inspirational and touching stories submitted by World of Warcraft players who have an experience to share that we're sure will be an enjoyable read. After reading many great stories, we are very proud to present you all with two new stories that we hope will touch you just as they touched us.

For further information on our story submission program, please visit our stories page.

The Realm Status page has been updated to include information about current and forthcoming realm maintenance times. You can now check the status of the realms, as well as read information about maintenance and patch deployment here.

We have just updated the Fan Art Gallery with a new submission. You can check out this rugged Blood Elf Paladin, our latest submission from Chloé Tessier.

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 page explaining the guild bank system that was added in the Gods of Zul'Aman patch. If you've been wondering what those cool new decorations at the bank were, here's your chance to learn more!

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.

We've decided to extend our Voice Chat Contests by one week. If you have not already submitted your entry, you can send us your best Winter Veil-themed wallpaper to us and you might win some cool gear from Logitech! You can learn more by checking out our Voice Chat Contest page. The contest ends next Sunday at midnight, so don't delay!

Blizzard Europe is looking to hire a number of outstanding people to fill open positions in such exciting areas as "Localisation and Testing", "Web Design" and "Online Technologies". If you have skills in any of these areas, we'd love to hear from you.

In addition, we are always searching for diligent, customer-focused people to fill a variety of support positions throughout the company. With a current staff of more than 700 employees comprising 24 nationalities, you will work with some of the most creative and talented people in the industry.

Take your skills to the leading edge with Blizzard Europe.

The year 2007 brought us many new, exciting, and fun times beginning with the launch of the Burning Crusade and continuing with the announcements of StarCraft II and Wrath of the Lich King, the release of the Black Temple and Voice Chat, several real life Dark Moon Faires, as well as many additions to holidays within Azeroth. We hope that 2008 will be just as great and would like to thank everyone for the good times we had and wish everyone a happy new year for 2008!

We have just updated the Fan Art Gallery with a new submission. You can check out this gorgeous Lycia, our latest submission from François Valente.

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!