We've just uploaded new intel to the StarCraft II website. This latest transmission sheds new light on the goings-on in the Koprulu sector and highlights key persons of interest associated with recent anti-Dominion activity. In particular, this content drop includes:

• Short Story: Changeling - Just because the years following the Brood War have so far been relatively uneventful, that doesn't mean it's safe out there in the cold vastness of space. Zeta Squad is about to find this out, the hard way.
• Singleplayer Storytelling - Discover the ways in which StarCraft II will build on and expand the storytelling techniques of previous Blizzard titles, awaits you in this article.
• Multiplayer Mapmaking - Ever wonder what design considerations and decisions go into the many multiplayer maps of StarCraft II? Check out this article to learn more!
• Character Biographies: Tychus, Zeratul, Raynor - The character biographies for Raynor and Zeratul have been updated with new art and additional info, and you can now also read up on Tychus Findlay, one of Jim Raynor's old comrade-in-arms.
• New Art and Screenshots - Check out more than 20 new screenshots and pieces of concept artwork! We got nukes, we got knives, sharp sticks... check out all the new info now!

You can have a look at the recaps of the both panels on our IgroMir Coverage page:

• World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
• StarCraft II

"You gotta choice, Jack. You can watch Mr. T's new TV commercial…or you can HURT." Mr. T, outraged that any fools would doubt his hacking skills, has returned to World of Warcraft to show off his latest invention in a series of televised ads run in North America. Watch them here first at Blizzard's new World of Warcraft YouTube channel or click here to learn more about the mohawk grenade which can be obtained in Europe starting on November 24!

World of Warcraft is now a part of the new Battle.net! In preparation for the rollout of Battle.net's upcoming communication and community features, as of today, all World of Warcraft accounts must be merged with a free Battle.net account in order to log in to the game. To upgrade to a Battle.net account, please go here. For more info, check out the Battle.net site or read the FAQ.

Today, November 12, 2009, all current World of Warcraft players must merge their World of Warcraft accounts with a Battle.net account in order to log in to the game. As our way to say "thanks" for taking a moment to go through the process, all accounts that upgrade to Battle.net will receive a brand-new penguin in-game pet. On November 12, all World of Warcraft players will need to log in to the game using a Battle.net username and password, and anyone who wishes to create a new World of Warcraft account will need to start with a Battle.net account.

Creating a Battle.net account is simple and free. To merge your existing account with a Battle.net account and receive your penguin in-game pet today, visit https://eu.battle.net/account/management/wow-account-conversion.xml. For more info, check out the Battle.net site or read the FAQ.

To participate, just submit your entries here by 12 p.m. Pacific Time on December 7. We’ll select three winners to receive a prize package full of gaming gear from Razer, along with an official 2009 Blizzard holiday card signed by the artist, Samwise Didier. Be sure to check back after the contest is over, as we’ll be making the winning entries available for use as your very own holiday cards this season. Check out the official rules for more information.

Our guests formed two very long queues to test out the playable demos of two upcoming Blizzard games, World of Warcraft: Cataclysm and StarCraft II. For most of the Russian-speaking community this was their first chance to experience these games.

Quizzes and contests gave attendees their chance to fight for fame and glory. World of Warcraft players were challenged to level up a Goblin or a Worgen in Cataclysm, and StarCraft fans participated in a ‘hot streak’ to prove their multiplayer skills.

Another important event that happened at the Blizzard booth over the weekend was a meeting of the Russian-speaking role play community. People came to meet up not only from different towns but even from different countries. For most of them it was their first real-life gathering.

As at IgroMir 2008, the "Blizzard is hiring" desk drew lots of people. If you missed this opportunity, you can always visit our job page to find the most up-to-date information about positions open right now.

Once again we would like to thank you for visiting our booth. Don't forget to visit our IgroMir web page!

J!NX is unveiling a new store in association with Blizzard, tailored exclusively for Europe!

To celebrate this special occasion the J!NX Europe store will be offering shirts:

• With two new exclusive World of Warcraft: Cataclysm designs
• Constructed from high quality, heavyweight materials with solid craftsmanship
• In distinctive European cuts for both men & women

Stop by the new J!NX European Online Store and find out what exclusive swag awaits you!

Quizzes on World of Warcraft and StarCraft gave those waiting to play the chance to win some nice prizes from our partners if they knew the correct answer to one of the questions asked by our Community manager Кихьяви (Kihjawi). The crowd won lots of great Razer and SteelSeries loot!

Further attractions for the Russian communities were the discussion panels on two hotly anticipated Blizzard games: World of Warcraft: Cataclysm and StarCraft II . Chris Sigaty (lead producer on StarCraft II) and J. Allen Brack (production director on World of Warcraft) visited IgroMir for the first time to tell players about the games that were presented to the Russian audience.

J. Allen Brack spoke about some of the many changes coming to the world of Azeroth, paying special attention to PvP aspects (Tol Barad, a new outdoor PvP area) and the totally revamped guild management features.

Meanwhile, Chris Sigaty talked not only about the story that drives StarCraft II, but also about the many new Battle.net features that players will experience once the premium online gaming service is relaunched.

A recap of the panels will be published later on our IgroMir site. Please be sure to check it out, and stay tuned for more news from IgroMir 2009!

Just a reminder: As we mentioned a couple weeks back, on November 12, 2009, all current World of Warcraft players must merge their World of Warcraft accounts with a Battle.net account in order to log in to the game. As our way to say "thanks" for taking a moment to go through the process, all accounts that upgrade to Battle.net will receive a brand-new penguin in-game pet. On November 12, all World of Warcraft players will need to log in to the game using a Battle.net username and password, and anyone who wishes to create a new World of Warcraft account will need to start with a Battle.net account.

Creating a Battle.net account is simple and free. To merge your existing account with a Battle.net account and receive your penguin in-game pet today, visit https://eu.battle.net/account/management/wow-account-conversion.xml. For more info, check out the Battle.net site or read the FAQ.

In our eleventh episode of BlizzCast, we have a roundtable discussion with members of the Community Team to recap the major happenings of this year’s BlizzCon. Rob Simpson from the eSports Team leads the session which includes the community team managers Bashiok for Diablo, Karune for StarCraft, and Nethaera for World of Warcraft. Join our discussion as we relive some of our favorite moments from BlizzCon 2009.

Listen to BlizzCast #11 now!

Make a Difference: Pandaren Monk Charity Pet
Enter the Pandaren Monk, a martial-arts expert who's here to help celebrate the upcoming fifth anniversary of World of Warcraft. He may be cute, but he's proof that even the softest of critters can overcome the hardest of circumstances. For every Pandaren Monk that finds its way to a player's side between now and the end of the year (December 31, 2009 at 11:59 PDT (8:59 CET)), we'll donate 50 percent of the $10 purchasing price to the Make-a-Wish Foundation in an effort to brew up a little hope, strength, and joy in a child's life.

Lil' K.T., the Littlest Lich
Lil' K.T. is a miniature lich who bears a striking resemblance to the legendary lord of Naxxramas, Kel'Thuzad. But don't let his diminutive stature fool you: Lil' K.T. has a diabolical laugh and wields true power at his bony fingertips, randomly wreaking icy havoc on critters who dare to cross his path. You can now buy this new pet for €10 on the Blizzard Store.

In order to receive a purchased pet, you'll need to merge your World of Warcraft account with a Battle.net account. For more information on Battle.net, please visit the FAQ. For more information on the new Pet Store, visit the Pet Store FAQ.

We're pleased to announce the return of the monthly StarCraft "Vespene Laughs" Comic Contest! From tasty, crunchy banelings to a brighter, more cheerful Kerrigan, we received a ton of funny and creative entries in our previous contest; now we’re inviting you to make the galaxy laugh once more. To participate in each month's contest, simply submit your entries here by the 28th of the following month. The first-place winner each month will win keys to the upcoming StarCraft II beta. Check out the official rules for more information.

Creating a Battle.net account is simple and free. To merge your existing account with a Battle.net account and receive your penguin in-game pet today, visit https://eu.battle.net/account/management/wow-account-conversion.xml. For more info, check out the Battle.net site or read the FAQ.

Visit our dedicated Igromir webpage for the events schedule, further coverages and pictures... and much more!

Windlass Studios has just introduced a new line of licensed collectibles inspired by World of Warcraft.

The first products of this line are Horde and Alliance-themed tabards and banners, each custom dyed and embroidered with iconic symbols and heraldry from the game. A full-sized latex rubber replica of the runeblade Frostmourne is also coming soon, and other products are in development as well. Check out the new collectibles at the Windlass Studios website.

We're pleased to announce that Blizzard Entertainment will be attending IgroMir 2009, the premier gaming event in Russia, in Moscow this November.

We are delighted to invite everybody to our booth at IgroMir (site in Russian only) when the event is open to the public between the 6th and 8th November. Visitors to our booth will be able to take part in various competitions, and also play two hotly anticipated Blizzard Entertainment games: our real-time strategy title StarCraft II, and the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm expansion.

Our recruiters will be at the booth ready to answer your questions about recruitment and working at Blizzard Entertainment. Blizzard Europe currently has numerous open positions in quality assurance, localization, customer support and other departments in our offices in Velizy, France (near Paris) and Cork, Ireland. We're looking for speakers of various languages including Russian. Bring your CV along and talk to us about our employment opportunities.