Fresh off the presses is the latest edition of the Gadgetzan Times! Featuring unique stories for each language and all new content, the Gadgetzan Times brings together some of the best stories from the World of Warcraft community. Take a moment to check it out!

Today we continue our class Q&A series with Greg "Ghostcrawler" Street and the development team, in which we’re taking a look at each class and answering some of the top questions brought forward by their communities. Next up, we take a look at the most asked questions from the warlock class and find out more about the design philosophy behind this class, the expectations for the class, and what may lie in store for it in the future.

Be sure to read the new Q&A.

Last Sunday, the 28th of June, the 2009 Warcraft Regional Finals for Warcraft III:The Frozen Throne and World of Warcraft in Cologne, Germany came to an end. We have prepared for you a video page with an overview of all the matches that were played during the event. We have also updated our Gallery with more photos from the event. Make sure to check it out here!

Please check back frequently over the next few days as we will be updating this site with after-event footage and commentaries on the matches.

We’ve added Heavencry’s latest creation, a self-portrait entitled Heavencry. Dark and foreboding, this self-portrait shows a death knight mounted upon a frightful nightmare of a beast, surveying the dark landscape below him.

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.

Fields of Honor, the latest expansion to the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, has been released! With all new loot cards, hero cards, and resource cards based around the World of Warcraft battlegrounds. This expansion also includes weapon and armor cards for the Death Knight hero class. Head over to Upper Deck’s World of Warcraft Trading Card Game site to learn more!

We are pleased to announce the winning entries to the Win A Trip To BlizzCon Costume Contest. Congratulations to our grand prize winner, S. Quindt, who has won a trip to BlizzCon in August! Congratulations also to A. Oslén, E. Cochuyt, H. Cogan, M. Deconstanzi, and H. Coy who have won great loot from our partners SteelSeries, Panini, and Upper Deck!

Check out the winning entries now!

We have just added a new wallpaper to our World of Warcraft Wallpaper Gallery featuring a Wood Giant from Northrend. Take a moment to check it out!

The 2009 Warcraft Regional Finals have come to an end! We shared exciting moments and thrilling matches with our visitors and viewers here at the venue in Cologne, Germany. Fast matches, breathtaking scenes and top performances shown by the participants of this tournament heated up the air in the halls of the KOMED venue during all three days.

The last day finished with the North American finals for both Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne and World of Warcraft. In the final rounds of Warcraft III, LongWalk defeated SonKiE a second and final time with 2:1, taking back home $5000.00 and a spot at the Grand Finals in Anaheim for his impressive performance during this event.

Set to fight it out in the Lower Bracket finals for World of Warcraft were TSG and EG. The match was played out relatively quickly as each team won every second round, making good use of all five potential rounds. In the fifth round, we found TSG playing very aggressively and cooldowns such as BladeStorm were used straight off the bat in order to put that extra little bit of pressure on EG. The tactic proved successful as they managed to drop Azael after a well-coordinated target-swap, securing their spot in the Grand Finals.

Waiting for TSG in the Grand Finals was SK Gaming US who considered themselves very well-prepared for TSG despite having never faced them in a tournament before. The rounds went by quickly as SK Gaming justified their high level of confidence by winning the match 3-1 in some very fast-paced rounds. Their use of Mass Dispel against Zilea's bubble won them the round as they proved to the world that they are currently the best American team in the world , receiving a reward of $15.000.00 for their title.

Finally we would like to thank all players, visitors, and spectators for their dedication and commitment. We hope that everybody had as much fun as we did on this great event here in Cologne. Make sure to check out our Regional Finals page here. Don’t miss the latest live coverage for this last tournament day on our forum thread for today. Additionally we have updated our gallery with more pictures showing impressions and emotions we were able to catch here for you.

The second day of the Regional Finals in Cologne, Germany is over with plenty of fast-paced and thrilling games and matches. During the first half of the day, the last four games of the EU Regional Finals took place and we were able to see the champions for both Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne – LucifroN -- as well as for World of Warcraft -- team x6tence from Spain -- who managed to come back from the lower brackets and take the title once again.

The second half of the day, the 2009 US Regional Finals started, bringing us a lot of exciting and fast-paced matches. For Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne SonKiE and LongWalk reached the semi-final of the upper bracket while ShrieK and CrunCher are fighting their way through the lower bracket. The upper bracket of World of Warcraft was dominated by the teams EG and the tournament veterans SK Gaming US while in the lower bracket the teams TSG and eMg managed to beat their opponents.

We also saw several contests down in the free gaming area and signing sessions with Tom Chilton. The venue was crowded with spectators cheering for their favorite players while following the breathtaking fights which took place live on stage.

Today, however, we will be watching the last set of US matches. Expectations are high as we are left with the above-mentioned players and teams to duke it out not only for the title of North American regional champions, but for a chance to visit BlizzCon and participate in the Grand Finals of 2009 in Anaheim, California.

Be sure to check out our Regional Finals page here. Don't miss the live coverage for this last tournament day on our forum thread for today and stay tuned for more exciting coverage and additional images in our Regional Finals gallery.

The second day of the 2009 Warcraft Regional Finals here in Cologne has already started and we already know the teams and players who won a safe place for the Grand Finals this year in Anaheim, California.

For WarCraft III: The Frozen Throne LucifroN, Nicker, and Grubby won their spots for the Grand Finals, while for World of Warcraft team Woah and x6tence, who just defeated eDawgs in the lower bracket semi-final, earned their tickets to BlizzCon in Anaheim where the Grand Finals will be held.

Today Grubby showed his strength in the EU Warcraft Regional Finals, defeating Nicker, a night elf player, quite quickly in the first game. After a fight between two huge armies in the second game as well, Grubby emerged victorious as well. Later on team x6tence, the winners of last year’s EU Regional Finals, crushed the eDawgs RMP team in three very fast and exiting matches in the lower bracket World of Warcraft Semi-Finals with 3:0, leaving eDawgs in the dust.

The Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne was staged between the two famous players LucifroN, winner of yesterday’s upper bracket, and Grubby, who got his chance for revenge after losing against LucifroN yesterday morning in the first Warcraft III game of the day. Grubby started strong and was able to beat LucifroN on the first map. LucifroN recovered quickly and showed his superior skills, defeating Grubby with 2:1 on the last two maps to become the winner of the Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne 2009 Regional Finals, taking home $5000.00 as a prize.

Spanish domination kept on going when team x6tence was able to defeat team Woah -- led by the famous Inflame -- in two breathtaking rounds, winning both times 3:2. A thrilling moment was the match where Woah lost their druid but still kept on going, finally resulting in the defeat of team x6tence in that round. After two rounds, x6tence won the World of Warcraft Regional Finals and received a $15,000 check from Tom Chilton.

Stay tuned and continue watching the beginning of the 2009 North American Regional Finals which will start in a few minutes with more exciting matches on our website for the Regional Finals and make sure to check out the live coverage on our forum thread.

The first day of the 2009 Regional Finals has seen plenty of action loaded matches for Warcraft III and World of Warcraft. European players Grubby and LucifroN and teams Woah and eDawgs have fought and won their first round matches in this amazing tournament here in Cologne, Germany.

One of the most energetic matches in WCIII’s first round was shown to us by Grubby, losing the first game against Happy (download the replay), struggling in the second, but recovering amazingly to eventually defeat Happy 2:1 thus keeping his title "King of the Orcs".

On the World of Warcraft Arena side, “Rest in many pieces” lost against eDawgs in an awesome second round battle featuring two RMP (Rogue Mage Priest) teams, a popular class composition for the European competitors. In the second game, both spectators and Blizzard staff watched breathlessly while the two surviving mages hunted each other with DaisyD from “Rest in many pieces” finally triumphing over his counterpart, Saori of eDawgs.

Players including Happy, SaSe, VortiX and Nicker as well as teams Rest in many pieces, SK Gaming EU, x6tence and aAa will continue battling each other in the Lower Bracket of this tournament, fighting for a chance to reach the finals.

We’ve updated our photo gallery for the Regional Finals with many awesome pictures. Check out our gallery to get an impression of the tournament location, visitors, shoutcasters and of course the players on stage. Be sure to continue following the exciting action in real-time from our Regional Finals live Internet stream. You can also check out the live coverage on our Forum thread for Day 1.

Stay tuned for further exciting coverage from the 2009 Regional Finals!

Today, Friday the 26th of June, the 2009 Regional Finals for World of Warcraft Arena and Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne will open its gates to both pro-gamers and visitors looking forward to the start of the competition. The expectations are high, plenty of well-known players and teams have gathered in Cologne to fight for the European and North American Regional Finals title for 2009.

The first matches are slated to start at 14:00 PM CEST. Be sure to check out our information page for a detailed schedule and also our live updated brackets page for both World of Warcraft and Warcraft III.

Additionally we will provide you with live, up-to-date coverage on the Community Forums. Each day, we will be creating one forum thread and providing coverage, commentary, and perhaps a few responses to questions that come up over the days. See the Day One thread where we’re gathering some initial impressions from our pre-event coverage for your reading pleasure.

This year, for the first time, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy a live Internet stream of BlizzCon coverage from the comfort of your own home. The production consists of over 16 hours of video, including interviews and commentary, main stage presentations, and tournament coverage. It’s now available to order for $39.95 (29,95 €), and purchasers will also receive the BlizzCon 2009-exclusive in-game pet, Grunty the Murloc Marine (not available in all regions). Head over to the BlizzCon 2009 Live Stream website to get more information, to test video playback on your system, or to place an order.

Starting this Friday, the 2009 Regional Finals featuring World of Warcraft Arena and Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, will take place in Cologne, Germany. The best players and teams from the US and the EU will compete to determine which of them will win a much sought-after spot at the Grand Finals at BlizzCon in Anaheim, California.

Watch the action in-person by joining us at the KOMED Meeting Centre in Cologne's MediaPark or follow the action from wherever you are through our official Regional Finals website. Additionally, we've prepared for you a brackets page with all participants, which will be updated throughout the event. The newly added tournament schedule available from the Information Page will help you follow the action and our Community team will keep you updated during the entire event from our Forums.

Stay tuned for more information about this exciting event and we hope to see you there!

Today we continue our class Q&A series with Greg "Ghostcrawler" Street and the development team, in which we’re taking a look at each class and answering some of the top questions brought forward by their communities. Next up, we take a look at the most asked questions from the death knight class and find out more about the design philosophy behind the first Hero class, the expectations for the class, and what may lie in store for it in the future.

Be sure to read the new Q&A.

As of today, FigurePrints is expanding their services to offer limited-edition pets to go along with their custom character statues, and manufactured using the same high-tech 3D printing process. To begin with, three pets are available: Clockwork Rocket Bot, Speedy the turtle, and Stinky the skunk. These pets are only available until July 31, after which they will not be produced again. You can purchase them individually for €27.95 or get the whole set for €68.85, and with any FigurePets order, you’ll also earn a 10% discount on a FigurePrints character statue.

For more information or to place an order, head over to www.figureprints.com.

We’ve added Killaone’s latest creation, Death Knight's Awakening. This once-brave and noble warrior awakens from the sleep of death as a servant of the Scourge!

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.

In the past few weeks, we’ve made several announcements concerning the changes coming up in the next major content patch, Call of the Crusade. In case you’ve missed any, here’s what we have in store for you:

• Crusaders’ Coliseum
• Isle of Conquest
• Argent Tournament Updates
• New druid cat and bear skins
• Mage and Shaman Class Q&As
• Battlegrounds Q&A with Cory Stockton

We have just added a new wallpaper to our World of Warcraft Wallpaper Gallery featuring River's Heart in Sholazar Basin. Take a moment to check it out!

The time to strike at the heart of the Scourge is drawing close. Clouds blanket the skies of Azeroth and heroes gather beneath battle-worn banners in preparation for the coming storm. They say even the darkest cloud has a silver lining. It is this hope that drives the men and women of the Argent Crusade: hope that the Light will see them through these trying times, hope that good will triumph over evil, hope that a hero blessed by the Light will come forth to put an end to the Lich King's dark reign.

So the Argent Crusade has sent out the call, a call to arms for all heroes far and wide, to meet at the very doorstep of the Lich King's domain and to prove their might in a tournament the likes of which Azeroth has never seen...

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 June 21 and continuing until July 5), the festival features some fun and exciting 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 Midsummer Fire Festival page!

Today we continue our class Q&A series with Greg “Ghostcrawler” Street and the development team, where we’re taking a look at each class and answering some of the top questions brought forward by their communities. Next up, we take a look at the most asked questions from the mage class and find out more about the design philosophy behind the class, the expectations for the class, and what may lie in store for it in the future.

Be sure to read the new Q&A.

We have just posted a Q&A with World of Warcraft developer Cory Stockton concerning the future of the Battlegrounds in World of Warcraft and some behind-the-scenes information on the upcoming battleground, the Isle of Conquest! Take a moment to check it out.

Within the Crusader’s Coliseum only the greatest champions of the Argent Tournament are given entrance. Here they will face new challenges, new foes, and achieve new glory. The coliseum includes new gameplay options for the most hardened of veterans in ten and 25-player Heroic modes as well as a five-player dungeon. Read more about this new addition here.

The Argent Crusade continues to call forth the bold and brave to take up arms against their enemies and overcome the threat of the Lich King. In the upcoming content patch, Call of the Crusade, the Argent Tournament expands into two new points of interest, adding new dailies, new rewards, and new challenges for the heroes of Azeroth. Read more about these new additions.

If you use the Battle.net Mobile Authenticator and intend to update your iPhone or iPod touch to iPhone OS 3.0, we would like to highly recommend that you first back up your iPhone or iPod touch to your computer using iTunes prior to performing the update. By taking this important precaution, you will be able to quickly restore your previous install of the Battle.net Mobile Authenticator if you encounter any issues during the update process.

For more information, refer to the Battle.net Mobile Authenticator FAQ.

We’ve added Blinck’s latest creation, Tree of Life. This compelling guardian of nature stands ready to lend his healing skills to those in need.

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.

Located north of Icecrown, the Isle of Conquest bristles with activity as the Horde and Alliance go head-to-head in a bid to control the resources that could mean their victory against the forces of the Lich King and his Scourge.The upcoming content patch, Call of the Crusade, will introduce the new Isle of Conquest Battleground, where players will be able to battle forty-versus-forty to control this critical location.

To read more about the new Battleground, please visit our preview page.

Although the war against the Burning Legion continues to rage on Outland, the latest front has emerged on Azeroth itself. The Isle of Quel'Danas, located in the Eastern Kingdoms, has become the Legion's most recent target in its ongoing mission of destruction. Kael'thas Sunstrider, former leader of the blood elves, has revealed himself as the Legion's formidable new ally...

Learn more about the events surrounding the Isle of Quel'Danas on our new page!

We have just added dungeon pages with information about Magisters’ Terrace, and the Sunwell Plateau to the Game Guide. Take a moment to check them out!

This week we’re starting our class Q&A series with Greg “Ghostcrawler” Street and the development team. We’ll be taking a look at each class and answering some of the top questions brought forward by their communities. First up, we take a look at the most asked questions from the shaman class and find out more about the design philosophy behind the class, the expectations for the class, and what may lie in store for it in the future.

Be sure to read the new Q&A.

This year’s Warcraft regional finals are approaching fast, with the event set to take place on June 26th-28th in Cologne, Germany. Seeing the best players from Europe and North America battling it out on stage is definitely something you do not want to miss, and if you stop by, not only will you bear witness to the climactic finals, you’ll also be able to attend organised signings with World of Warcraft Game Director Tom "Kalgan" Chilton.

We look forward to seeing you there!

We’ve added Bambr’s latest creation, Shaman called Shusha. This mighty orc shaman stands before a blazing bonfire in Orgrimmar as he contemplates the next stage of his journey for the glory of the Horde!

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.

In just two short weeks, the Regional Finals will take place in Cologne! Attendees will be able to see the best teams from around the world compete in the World of Warcraft Arena and the Warcraft III:Frozen Throne tournaments. To help you find your way to this free-to-all event, we have provided travel information over on our new Tournament Information page. We look forward to seeing you there!

There are only thirteen days left until the end of the Blizzard Costume Contest. Snap a photo of yourself wearing your best Blizzard-inspired costume and you could win a grand prize package filled with great loot from our partners Panini, SteelSeries, and Upper Deck as well as an a trip for two to BlizzCon 2009! Check out our contest information page for details. Also, be sure to check the Terms and Conditions for entering.

They say that curiosity killed the cat, but sometimes curiosity can pay off in gold and loot. Countless adventurers have given their lives to seek out more information on the dangers that lurk within the treacherous dungeons of Azeroth. They have set their sights on Ulduar, and have not only provided a map of this titan stronghold, but have also delved into the history of each of the bosses within, producing a quick and easy reference for each.

If you’ve ever been curious as to the lore behind the faces that thwart your dreams of fame and fortune, look no further than our newest site addition, the Bosstiary. Search the map and simply mouse over the boss icons to learn more about each one. Satisfy your curiosity here.

Now that you can merge your World of Warcraft accounts into your Battle.net Account, you can also join in the StarCraft II Beta Opt-In Program! To do so, log into Battle.net using your email address, click on the Beta Profile Settings and create a beta profile. Doing so will give you a chance to participate in the StarCraft II beta when it begins so get your name in now! Don’t forget to head over to the StarCraft II website for the latest news about the game, new units, wallpapers, Battle Reports and videos.

The first Blizzard Entertainment global creative writing contest has been judged and the winning entries chosen. After poring over nearly 17 million words, our judges have decided on one grand prize winner and seven runners-up. Take a moment to enjoy the ideas and creative stories of all the winning entries.

The grand prize winner will visit the company headquarters to meet and eat with the Blizzard Entertainment creative writing staff, and will receive a Frostmourne sword. The seven runners-up will be sent signed copies of the Diablo Archive, Warcraft Archive, StarCraft Archive, and Warcraft War of the Ancients Archive.

Today we bring you a final look at the new art for druids coming in the next major content patch. You can check out the full preview, along with a first look at the textures available for night elf cats.

We’ve added F. Nojumi’s latest creation, Illidan, the Fallen Soul. Illidan, a tragic figure, surveys his surroundings, his demonic wings unfurled behind him.

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're happy to announce that the Battle.net Mobile Authenticator, an extension of the same concept behind our Blizzard Authenticator, is now available in Europe.

An authenticator generates a one-time password, which you use in addition to an account ID and password to log in to World of Warcraft and other Blizzard Entertainment services. The Battle.net Mobile Authenticator performs this function for the recently launched Battle.net accounts -- only instead of a physical token, the application exists on your mobile phone for easy access.

The Battle.net Mobile Authenticator is now available as a free download for the Apple iPhone and iPod touch from the Apple App Store. Versions for other mobile phones are also in the works for the future. Please visit the Battle.net Mobile Authenticator FAQ for more information, or head to the setup page to get started after you've downloaded the application.

In the third installment of our continuing preview of the new druid art for cat and bear forms, we’re taking a look at the textures available for tauren cats. Check it out.

We have just updated the Armor Sets page with some of the sets available with the Secrets of Ulduar patch. If you wish to see the rewards you can gain for braving the titanic prison of Ulduar with nine of your friends, check out our Armor Sets page!