PlayStation gamers, prepare to confront the Lord of Terror! Select retailers are now taking preorders for the PS3 version of Diablo III. Check out the full announcement and visit the official website for more information, including details on the exclusive preorder bonus: the Infernal Helm.

It’s the perfect time to recruit your friends to join you on your adventures in Azeroth—because right now, the World of Warcraft Battle Chest is just 10€.
This sale ends April 22, 2013.

In collaboration with the world’s premier eSports organizations, we’re rolling out a brand-new World Championship Series this year that establishes a unified global ranking system for StarCraft II eSports. What does this mean for players and eSports fans?

Head over to our blog or check out the official press release to learn more.

We took the wrapper off a little something new today at PAX East. It's called Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, a free-to-play strategy card game for PC and iPad that will be extremely easy to pick up and play . . . and maybe a little hard to put down ;). Check out the press release for today's announcement, and then head over to www.playhearthstone.com to learn more.

Kerrigan has returned, and her brood has begun creeping planet earth. In the wake of a massive midnight launch event spanning thousands of stores across five continents, the global zerg invasion has commenced. Players around the world are now streaming back into the Koprulu sector to start the epic new chapter in the saga of StarCraft II. Check out the press release for all the details, and prepare to join the Swarm.

Starting now and for a limited time, you can save 50% on StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. The first StarCraft II expansion, Heart of the Swarm, launches March 12 — so if you’ve been meaning to play Wings of Liberty but were just waiting for the right moment, this is it!

Hurry, though—this deal on Wings of Liberty ends on Monday, March 11!

*Promotion price is 19.99€, £16.99 and 299 roubles.

The minions of Hell grow stronger.

We're excited to announce that Diablo III is being developed for the Sony PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. We'll also be adapting the award-winning action–role-playing game for Sony's newly announced platform: the PlayStation® 4!

Sit Down, Relax, and Kill Some Demons

Diablo III for the PS3™/PS4™ will be based on the core PC game and feature all the latest updates, including Paragon levels, the Infernal Machine event, Monster Power, Brawling, and more. This version is also being tailored with customized controls, a new user interface, and a dynamic camera perspective to provide an awesome Diablo III experience for PlayStation gamers.

Players will be able to wage war against the Burning Hells on their own in single-player games as well as team up and destroy countless demons with their fellow Nephalem in multiplayer games. For multiplayer, players will have the option to choose between four-player online (complete with matchmaking) and four-player local co-op modes for their couch-based warfare.

Follow the Falling Star to Boston, MA

The PS3 version of Diablo III will make its public debut at PAX East in the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center from March 22–24, and attendees of the convention will be some of the first to defend the world of Sanctuary via handheld controllers.

We call upon all heroes to join us at the official Blizzard booth, where you can enjoy some fast-paced hack-and-slash, participate in fun contests and giveaways, and learn more about the game. (Community managers will also be on-site, and they look forward to answering your questions and slaying some of Diablo's many malevolent minions with you.)

For more information, be sure to check out the official press release, and stay tuned to Diablo3.com for future updates.

BLIZZCON!!!1!1 The seventh BlizzCon is coming to the Anaheim Convention Center Friday, November 8 and Saturday, November 9, 2013. Those who join us for this epic community gathering will experience two solid days of hands-on time with the latest Blizzard games, in-depth developer discussion panels, intense eSports action featuring some of the top players in the world, and a variety of other exciting activities and events. Further details on the show, including ticket pricing and availability, will be posted here on BlizzCon.com at a later date. In the meantime, check out the press release for more info and prepare to help us blow Anaheim's mind.

The Thunder King’s return looms on the horizon, and to prepare for the storm, Blizzard has just slashed prices on all World of Warcraft games by up to a 70%! Now is the time to recruit your friends to begin their epic quest in Azeroth. But hurry—this deal ends February 25.

Price in pound sterling is £4 for Battle Chest, £6 for Cataclysm and £15 for Mists of Pandaria.

We’ve just launched our official Heart of the Swarm launch event website. You can head right over to it and start preparing for the global launch party that will be taking place on March 12.

All around the world, we’re hosting launch events that will include unique eSports showmatches, box signings, special guests, and surprises that we don’t want to spoil just yet. We’re really looking forward to seeing you on March 12 as we celebrate the launch of Heart of the Swarm.

We are pleased to present the opening cinematic for StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm in full HD glory!

The Queen of Blades is gone. On the hellish planet Char, Jim Raynor harnessed the power of an ancient Xel’Naga artifact in a desperate bid to stop the Zerg Swarm from overrunning the Koprulu sector, and the artifact restored Sarah Kerrigan to her human form. Without their queen to guide and unify them, the Swarm has fractured into several broods scattered throughout the Koprulu sector. One of the greatest threats to the galaxy has been neutralized... or so it seems.

On March 12, 2013, the release of StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm will answer many questions for players around the world, but many more questions remain.

Sarah Kerrigan is on the loose. Even without the terrible powers of the Queen of Blades or the might of the Swarm at her command, the former Ghost remains a foe not to be taken lightly. But if the artifact really did set her free, then why is Kerrigan seeking out Zerg broods scattered throughout the Koprulu sector? Is she still pursuing her quest for vengeance, or has her transformation given Kerrigan a new purpose?

We are pleased to present the opening cinematic for StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm in full HD glory. Whether you ultimately choose to play as Protoss, Terran, or Zerg, you simply must ask yourself one question:

Who is Sarah Kerrigan?

StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm arrives March 12. Avoid the (Zerg) rush on launch day and pre-purchase the game digitally on Battle.net now. 

Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of World of Warcraft players around the world who purchased the Cinder Kitten pet, we’ve raised a total of more than $2.3 million USD to support the American Red Cross’s ongoing Superstorm Sandy relief efforts. In December, we announced that for every Cinder Kitten purchased by December 31, 2012, 100% of the adoption fee would be going to assist victims of this disaster -- and the community embraced this fiery feline in droves, helping out a great cause in the process. Thanks again to everyone who helped make a difference.

Looking for great stocking stuffers for your friends or guildmates? Blizzard’s got you covered. For a limited time only, you can snag the following holiday deals in Battle.net and the online Blizzard Store:

• World of Warcraft Battle Chest for 5€ (£4) -- more than 60% Savings
• Cataclysm for 10€ (£8) -- more than 65% Savings
• Mists of Pandaria for 20€ (£17) -- more than 40% Savings
• Select World of Warcraft pets for 5€ (£4.50) -- 50% Savings (Offer includes all Blizzard Pet Store pets except the new Cinder Kitten charity pet...but you should probably adopt a Cinder Kitten anyway since 100% of the purchasing price goes to a great cause).

Be sure to get your Winter Veil shopping done soon, though -- these deals end January 1. 2013.

Still haven’t ventured to the shores of Pandaria? Snag a super deal and save up to 40% on World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria. That’s a discount of 15€, making this a great opportunity to upgrade your Cataclysm account... , or—if you’re already braving the Heart of Fear—take this opportunity to invite a former guildmate back to your weekly raid night.

Don’t delay—this offer ends Monday, December 3rd.

*Standard Edition promotion price of 19.99 € and Deluxe Edition at 34.99 €. Price in pound sterling is £16.99 and £26.99 for the Deluxe Edition.

Treat yourself to some epic gifts this November! This week only, you can save 20 €* each on Diablo III and StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty on Battle.net, meaning there’s no better time to save the world of Sanctuary from demonic annihilation, or battle to bring down the nefarious Dominion.

Hurry, though— offer ends Tuesday, November 27!

*Promotion price in pound sterling is £16.99 for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty and £32.99 for Diablo III.

The Battle.net World Championship kicks off at 3:00 a.m. CET this Saturday, November 17, and you can catch all the action live, FREE, and in HD over at battle.net/bwc. Tune in to watch the epic finale of the StarCraft II World Championship Series and the World of Warcraft Arena Global Finals, as some of the world’s best pro gamers battle it out for glory, cash prizes, and the coveted title of world champion. Read all about it in our latest press release, and we’ll see you online!

Prepare for the approaching Swarm... On March 12, 2013, StarCraft® II: Heart of the Swarm™ launches around the world, igniting an intergalactic storm of intense strategic combat and opening a savage new chapter in the war between terran, protoss, and zerg. You can pre-purchase the expansion NOW directly through Battle.net® and be ready to play the moment it goes live.

In addition to the Standard Edition and retail-exclusive Collector’s Edition packed with bonus items, you’ll also have the option to upgrade a Standard Edition to the Digital Deluxe Edition, which comes equipped with all the in-game content from the physical Collector’s Edition, including a Torrasque skin for your zerg Ultralisks in Heart of the Swarm multiplayer, unique Swarm-infested portraits for your StarCraft II character profile, a Baneling pet for your World of Warcraft® characters, and a set of zerg-ified blade wings for your heroes in Diablo® III.

Whether you plan to tear a path of destruction through the all-new Kerrigan-focused single-player campaign or jump right into the multiplayer action with the devastating new units under your command, it’s never too early to begin preparing for your Heart of the Swarm experience. Simply log in to your Battle.net® account and pre-purchase Heart of the Swarm, and you’ll be flagged to automatically download the expansion content prior to launch.

Learn more about Heart of the Swarm

Learn more about the Digital Deluxe Edition

Learn more about the Collector’s Edition

For more details on the March 12 launch of StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm, head to the Heart of the Swarm game page to learn more about the expansion and pre-purchase your digital copy.

*When you pre-purchase StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm, you will be able to download an encrypted version of the game once it’s available, prior to the game’s release. This content will be unlocked and available for play when the expansion launches on March 12, 2013.

On November 17 & 18, join millions of other eSports fans across the globe to experience the epic conclusion of the Battle.net World Championship Series . . . and see who will take home the trophy and be crowned World Champion in StarCraft II and World of Warcraft Arena. The sold-out live event takes place in Shanghai, China and will feature a free, six-channel HD broadcast hosted on www.battle.net/bwc

In honor of Hallow’s End, Lil’ K.T., the undead companion pet, has risen from the buried depths of the Blizzard Store, where he is now on sale for just 5€. That’s 50% off the regular price, making this a great time to fill your guildmates’ trick-or-treat bags (or round out your own pet collection) with a tiny, adorable version of the maniacal Archlich, hell-bent on freezing nearby critters.

Hurry, though—this offer ends November, 5 2012 

Epic savings await as this week only, the World of Warcraft Battle Chest is available for just 5€ in the Blizzard Store. That’s 66% off the regular price!

Recently upgraded to include the Wrath of the Lich King expansion set, the newly updated Battle Chest is a great way to bring a friend to World of Warcraft, or to upgrade an existing Starter Edition account with thousands of additional quests and advancement all the way to level 80. The Battle Chest includes access to hours and hours of award-winning content, opening up the continents of Outland and Northrend for exploration.

Don’t delay—this epic deal on the Battle Chest ends Monday, October 29.

Prepare for liftoff! For one week only, you can get the World of Warcraft Winged Guardian flying mount for half price in the online Blizzard Store. Whether you want to hook up a guildmate with a “thanks for healing my raid!” gift or simply want to expand your own mount collection, this feathered, ferocious feline will help any hero stand out in the skies of Pandaria.

The Winged Guardian windfall won’t last long -- this offer ends Monday, October 15, 2012.

The battle for Pandaria has only just begun, but already millions of World of Warcraft players around the world have signed up to join the fray. Today we announced that Mists of Pandaria sold through approximately 2.7 million copies during the first week of its launch, and World of Warcraft’s global player base passed the 10 million subscriber mark. Read the press release for more information, head to the Mists of Pandaria website to learn more about the latest expansion, and check the World of Warcraft community site regularly to find out what’s in store for the heroes of the Horde and Alliance as the fight for Pandaria progresses.

World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria is now live and available in a store near you! You can also click here to upgrade to the digital version directly through Blizzard. Featuring a new playable race (the pandaren), a new character class (the monk), and an exotic new continent to explore, the new expansion offers a huge variety of content for new and returning players. Read the press release or visit the Mists of Pandaria info page to learn more.

Haven’t yet ventured to the frozen reaches of Northrend? Beginning today, September 19, players will be able to get the original World of Warcraft, The Burning Crusade, and Wrath of the Lich King for only €14.99 as part of the newly upgraded digital Battle Chest, available now on Battle.net. In addition, all World of Warcraft subscribers will now automatically have access to all of the content and features of both The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King, even if they never purchased either expansion, at no additional cost.

It’s time to sail north, adventurer — the Lich King awaits!

In just one week, World of Warcraft players will be able to explore the long-lost continent of Pandaria. If you can’t make it to one of the official launches taking place on the evening of September 24 in Paris, London, Madrid, Milan, Moscow, Cologne and Stockholm, we will be linking events from around Europe and streaming a live show via YouTube.

The Digital Launch Event, scheduled to start at 22:30 Paris time (CEST), will bring all the excitement of the live events from around Europe into your home. Blizzard artists and developers including Greg “Ghostcrawler” Street will be on hand in each city to offer insight into the latest expansion, and the show will also include spectacular entertainment such as a live orchestra playing music from Mists of Pandaria, MANAO – Drums of China and much, much more.

You can catch the free live stream of the Digital Launch Event at www.youtube.com/warcraft and for more information on all launch activities, visit the dedicated minisite.

Join in the celebration and watch the excitement as it unfolds!

Save big and prepare for Pandaria with a new sidekick. This week only, you can get the Pandaren Monk companion pet for just 5€ / 4.5£. That’s 50% off the regular price, making this a great time to round out your pet collection before the imminent arrival of the Pet Battle System.

Hurry, this offer ends September 17, 2012.

This week only, you can get StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty for €24.99 when you download directly from Blizzard. That’s €15 off the regular price. Kick off the StarCraft II World Championship Series Europe Finals this weekend by inviting a friend to join you in StarCraft II multiplayer, where you can both burn a path of destruction across the Koprulu sector.

Join us to celebrate the opening of World of Warcraft’s newest lands! On the night of September 24, Blizzard will celebrate the launch of World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria. Seven official launch events will take place in cities across Europe: Paris, London, Moscow, Cologne, Madrid, Milan and Stockholm.

Attendees will have the chance to meet developers, get their game boxes signed, take part in quizzes and competitions and witness the entertainment unfold as the clock counts down to the game going on sale that night.

Check out the dedicated website, which will be updated with more information about activities taking place at each location as we get closer to release!

Remember you can still pre-order World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria on the pre-order page.

After five million words and nearly a year of hard work, we’ve reached our final destination. The wait is over: the Italian version of World of Warcraft is now available!

You can now experience World of Warcraft in a whole new light. The Italian language pack will allow you to enjoy all that Azeroth has to offer – completely in Italian. Experience the intriguing quests, hear the new voices of heroes and villains alike, visit your favorite cities, and much more.

Players are now able to download this free language pack and enjoy the fully localized version of World of Warcraft and all its expansions, including The Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King, Cataclysm, and soon Mists of Pandaria.

New Italian-language realms are also now available: Pozzo dell’Eternità (PvE) and Nemesis (PvP). We’re offering Free Character Migration to these two new realms – see below for more information.

We invite you to enjoy the Italian version of World of Warcraft, and we’ll see you on the new Italian realms!

For more information, check out the following resources for Italian speakers:

• You can now contact our Italian customer service team.
• We’re offering Free Character Migration to our two new Italian realms: Pozzo dell’Eternità (PvE) and Nemesis (PvP).
• See how to install the Italian language pack.

We spent an amazing five days at gamescom this year, and we’d again like to thank everyone who visited us at the Blizzard booth! We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

We put on a great show with some incredible activities. Who could forget the world premiere of the stunning World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria opening cinematic? If you missed it, don’t worry – you can watch it online here. Thanks to MANAO – Drums of China for setting the stage for our remarkable cinematic trailer with an impressive drum performance.

Of course gamescom wouldn’t be complete without our famous costume and dance contests. Congratulations to Svetlana Quindt, who took first place in the Blizzard Costume Contest for her handmade barbarian garb from Diablo III. Congratulations also go out to the World of Warcraft Dance Contest winner Sebastian Kothe, who impressed the crowd and the judges with his brave rendition of the Orc dance.

Accolades are also due to the winners of our two Mists of Pandaria leveling contests, Justin Schilling and Mark-Hendrik Moll, who out-raced their competitors by being the fastest to make it to level five in the pandaren starting area.

All of our winners took home some incredible prizes from our partners, including a Schenker XMG P502 PRO Gaming Notebook, SteelSeries gaming gear, and Mega Bloks sets.

In addition to showing their stuff in our contests, our visitors were treated to some inspired entertainment. Blizzard artist Grace Liu was on stage demonstrating her talent during live drawing sessions every day. She amazed our audience with her creations of a witch doctor and the Butcher. We also experienced an amazing eight-piece orchestra play popular songs from World of Warcraft, StarCraft II, and Diablo III.

And of course Blizzard’s presence at gamescom wouldn’t have been complete without some exciting eSports action! We saw some of the best StarCraft II players in the world demonstrate their skills during intense show matches every day. On Thursday: Jang “MC” Min Chul won against Lee “PuMa” Ho Joon; and Kim “SuperNova” Young Jin prevailed over Manuel “Grubby” Schenkhuizen. On Friday: Eugin "Strelok" Oparyshev beat Jared "PiG" Krensel; and Andrew “mOOnGLaDe” Pender came out on top against Tomasz "Tarson" Boron. On Saturday: Aleksey "White-Ra" Krupnyk prevailed over Jérémy "Feast" Vansnick. Finally, on Sunday: it was Kim "SuperNova" Young Jin who prevailed over Pedro "LucifroN" Moreno Duran.

We also saw two of the most well-known European raiding guilds battle elite bosses in live World of Warcraft raids. Members of Method took down the main Cataclysm bosses, followed by an awesome PvP fight, while members of For The Horde raced through Dragon Soul in 25-man Heroic mode.

On Sunday afternoon, we ended this year’s gamescom with the 2012 European World of Warcraft Invitational! We saw the best arena teams in Europe battle it out for a $30,000 USD prize pool and two spots in the Global Finals.

Congratulations to team Yaspresents: Another (Death Knight), Zunniyaki (Priest) and Câra (Paladin) and team I'm just being honest: Swapxy (Shaman), Boetar (Shaman), and Blukstack (Warlock) who’ll be heading to the Battle.net World Championship in Shanghai, China!

Be sure to check out the daily recaps for the details of all our activities at gamescom this year, and our updated photo gallery for pictures from each day of the event.

We hope to see you next year at gamescom!

Prepare for Pandaria with epic savings! This week only, you can get the World of Warcraft Battle Chest for €5 (£4 GBP), Wrath of the Lich King for €5 (£4 GBP), and Cataclysm for €10 (£8 GBP) when you buy directly from Blizzard. That’s up to 75% off the regular prices, making this a great time to set yourself up for the imminent launch of Mists of Pandaria... or to invite a friend to join you in Azeroth.

Hurry, this offer ends August 27, 2012.

Today was the final day of gamescom 2012, and we certainly ended the show with a bang! We started off the day with an exciting World of Warcraft Live Raid, when members of the elite German raiding guild For The Horde took on Cataclysm’s most difficult raid instance: Dragon Soul in 25-man Heroic mode.

The players raced through Wyrmrest Temple and into the Maelstrom for an epic battle with Deathwing.

Next up was Blizzard artist Grace Liu, returning to the stage for her final live drawing session. She wowed the crowd by finishing the picture of the Butcher from Diablo III.

We then saw our final StarCraft II show match of gamescom, shoutcasted by HomerJ. Supernova prevailed over Lucifron, in an intense 2:1 battle.

Following the show match, 18 contestants showed us their moves in the much-anticipated World of Warcraft Dance Contest! The enthusiastic crowd cheered as our brave contestants let down their hair to boogie in the unique dancing styles of a variety of World of Warcraft races, including pandaren, worgen, bloodelfs, orcs, humans, trolls, goblins, and tauren. But the one dancer to really impress the judges and take first place was Sebastian Kothe from Germany, demonstrating the Orcish dance. Sebastian walked away with some awesome prizes from our partners, including an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 6 Series graphics card, a Mega Bloks Goblin Zeppelin Ambush set, and some SteelSeries gaming gear.

We finished off the day in true eSports style with the 2012 European World of Warcraft Invitational. We saw eight of the world’s best arena teams fight through intense battles shoutcasted by well-known PvP player Azael, along with Conradical. The tournament was hosted by ESL at the Turtle Entertainment booth, and the grand final was streamed live onto the big screens at the Blizzard stage.

Congratulations go out to the top two teams!
First place: Yaspresents (Another, Zunniyaki, Câra)
Second place: I'm just being honest (Swapxy, Boetar, Blukstack)

They’re headed to represent Europe at the Battle.net World Championship in Shanghai, China in November!

It’s been an action-packed final day at gamescom, and an amazing week. We’d like to say thanks to everyone who stopped by the Blizzard booth! Take a look at our photo gallery for pictures from the event, and stay tuned for a full recap tomorrow!

Loads of visitors have already stopped by our booth in Halle 6.1 (B21) of Cologne’s Koelnmesse since gamescom opened its doors to the public on Thursday, and they certainly haven’t been disappointed! Not only have they garnered some fantastic goodies, but they’ve also been epically entertained in true Blizzard style.

Today was the third public day of the event, the highlight of which had to be the Blizzard Costume Contest. A total of 18 contestants roused the crowd with incredibly creative depictions of their favorite Blizzard characters, including a demon hunter from Diablo III, a nightelf druid, Leah from Diablo III, pandaran monch, Sylvanas Windrunner, a troll mage, a wizard from Diablo III, and a goblin hunter. But Svetlana Quindt from Nuernberg, Germany dressed as a barbarian from Diablo III really impressed our judges, taking first place. She worked on the costume for 1.5 years and has a blog where she shows the progress: http://www.komuicosplay.com/2012/07/armor-armor-and-even-more-armor.html.
Svetlana went home with some amazing prizes from our partners: an XMG P502 PRO Gaming Notebook by Schenker, a SteelSeries Diablo® III Mouse, a SteelSeries 7G keyboard, a SteelSeries QcK Diablo® III Edition mouse pad, a SteelSeries Diablo® III Headset, and a Mega Bloks Deathwing’s Stormwind Assault set.

You can still participate in our World of Warcraft Dance Contest tomorrow at 14:30, for the chance to win an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 6 Series graphics card, a Mega Bloks Goblin Zeppelin Ambush set, and some SteelSeries gaming gear.

We also saw an intense StarCraft II show match today, shoutcasted by HomerJ. In this close match, White Ra beat Feast. We’ll have another exciting show match tomorrow at 13:00.

To round-out our eSports activities today, we also hosted our first World of Warcraft Live Raid. The crowd watched as members of the international hardcore raiding guild Method battled the main Cataclysm raid bosses, followed by an awesome PvP fight among guild members.

You can check out tomorrow’s live raid at 10:30, as members of the elite German raiding guild For The Horde complete the Dragon Soul raid in 25-man Heroic mode.

In addition to our costume contest and eSports activities, Blizzard artist Grace Liu showed off her talent once more during a live drawing session, where she created a stunning image of the Butcher from Diablo III. If you’ve missed her work, she’ll be back again once last time tomorrow at 12:00.

Grace was also there with fellow Blizzard developers John Lagrave, Ion Hazzikostas, David Kim, and Kaeo Milker for a final signing session at our booth. Just before the signing session, we saw our final Blizzard orchestral performance of gamescom. The crowd was treated to songs from all three of our franchises played by an eight-piece orchestra.

We’d like to thank everyone who’s stopped by our booth so far, but gamescom isn’t over yet! In addition to tomorrow’s activities mentioned above, you won’t want to miss the 2012 European World of Warcraft Invitational, where Europe’s best arena teams will battle it out. If you can’t make it to gamescom in person, you can watch the live stream of the tournament online. Just click on the image below for details.

Visit the activities page for tomorrow’s full lineup, and see some updated pictures in our photo gallery.

We hope to see you tomorrow on the last day of gamescom 2012!

Today was the second public day of gamescom 2012, and our second Mists of Pandaria Leveling Contest. This time it was Mark-Hendrik Moll who was the first to make it through the pandaren starting zone to level five, taking home an awesome Sindragosa and the Lich King set from Mega Bloks.

Rounding out the morning, StarCraft II fans were treated to some pro tips during StarCraft II Academy. German StarCraft II caster Sebastian “HomerJ” Schenck pulled two amateur StarCraft II players from the crowd on stage to coach their game. This definitely gave spectators some insight into the game and some expert advice on how to get an advantage over their opponents.

HomerJ also shoutcasted the StarCraft II show matches, with one immediately following his coaching session. Strelok prevailed after an exciting match with PIG.

In the afternoon, we saw our first Blizzard orchestral performance of gamescom! The crowd was enchanted to hear songs from World of Warcraft, StarCraft II, and Diablo III played by an eight-piece orchestra. If you missed today’s performance, you can see the orchestra again tomorrow at 16:00.

Blizzard developers Grace Liu, John Lagrave, Ion Hazzikostas, David Kim, and Kaeo Milker were signing autographs at the Blizzard booth, and will be back tomorrow at 16:30.

Grace also showed her artistic skills on stage as she created an amazing drawing of a witch doctor during a live drawing session. You can watch her at work again tomorrow and Sunday.

We ended the action-packed day with a second StarCraft II show match between Tarson and Moonglade. In the end Moonglade came out on top after an intense battle.

The fun is far from over! You can check out additional show matches and other activities until the end of the day on Sunday. You won’t want to miss our costume contest tomorrow at 14:30, and it’s not too late to sign up for the dance contest on Sunday! Of course you can still try to win some cool prizes during our quizzes several times daily.

As always, check out our photo gallery for updated pictures and our activities page for a full stage schedule. We hope to see you at the Blizzard booth!

gamescom has opened its doors to the public, and Blizzard Entertainment is right in the middle of all the action!

Today was the first fully public day of the event, and excitement is already mounting at the Blizzard booth. The highlight of the day was definitely the world premiere of the World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria opening cinematic. The enthusiastic crowd was entertained by an exciting drum performance from MANAO – Drums of China, and treated to the unveiling of the latest creation from Blizzard’s cinematics team in both English and German.

But that wasn’t all. In our first Mists of Pandaria Leveling Contest, Justin SCHILLING was the fastest to race through the pandaren starting zone and make it to level five, winning a Sindragosa and the Lich King set from Mega Bloks! It’s not too late to try your luck in tomorrow’s leveling contest.

We also saw a showcase of some amazing fan art, and a live drawing session from Blizzard artist Grace Liu. She stunned the crowd as she created an incredibly detailed drawing of a witch doctor.

Grace was on hand with fellow Blizzard developers John Lagrave, Ion Hazzikostas, David Kim, and Kaeo Milker to sign autographs at the Blizzard booth. But if you missed them, don’t worry – we’ll have more Developer Signing Sessions tomorrow and Saturday!

The crowd was also wowed by two intense StarCraft II show matches. MC came out on top after an intense match with Puma. Supernova prevailed over Grubby. You can check out more pro gamers battling it out during show matches every day of gamescom!

There’s a lot more going on at the Blizzard booth this week, so be sure to stop by. Want some hands-on play time with the World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria beta, the latest StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm multiplayer, and Diablo III? Don’t miss your chance to get in on the action – visit us in Halle 6.1 (B21) at the Koelnmesse in Cologne!

It’s not too late to have some fun and win some fantastic prizes from our partners. Come take part in the Blizzard Costume Contest on Saturday, or the World of Warcraft Dance Contest on Sunday. You can also try your luck during our quizzes several times each day.

Be sure to check out our photo gallery for updated pictures from the Blizzard booth, and visit our activities page for a full schedule of what’s to come.

We hope to see you here at gamescom 2012!

You've ended Deathwing's destructive rampage and saved the dragonflights from extinction. Now you must unlock the mysteries of the lost continent and discover the dark secrets of Pandaria's past. Explore ancient kingdoms hidden since before the Sundering, plunder vast treasures from the depths of the forgotten vaults, and rise to defend Pandaria from the shadow of a long buried evil - before it's too late.

We are pleased to present the opening cinematic for Mists of Pandaria as presented at gamescom 2012. Whether you’re Horde or Alliance, there is one question we all must consider: “Why do we fight?”

The world’s biggest games convention begins this Wednesday, August 15, in Cologne! Be sure to stop by the Blizzard Entertainment booth in Halle 6.1 (B21) at the Koelnmesse for some unforgettable activities and a sneak peek at our newest games.

Catch the world premiere of the World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria opening cinematic at 14:00 on August 16, the first fully public day of the event. Check out the Mists of Pandaria beta and the latest StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm multiplayer, and relive the excitement of Diablo III. Watch as pro gamers battle it out in exciting StarCraft II show matches, and see how top guilds annihilate bosses in live World of Warcraft raids. Hear the enchanting music from our games performed by an orchestra, view live drawing sessions by a Blizzard artist, or participate in our quizzes.

You could also get your hands on some fabulous prizes from our partners with our contests! It’s not too late to sign up for the Blizzard Costume Contest, World of Warcraft Dance Contest, or Mists of Pandaria Leveling Contest!

Experience all this and much more at the Blizzard booth. Visit our Activities page for full details, and stop by the official gamescom site for info on the event.

We look forward to seeing you at gamescom 2012!

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You’ll definitely want to stop by the Blizzard booth at gamescom 2012 to try out our newest games and witness the array of entertaining activities on our stage. But you’ll also have the chance to participate in our contests and quizzes to win some incredible prizes from our partners!

The lucky winner of the Blizzard Costume Contest will take home an XMG P502 PRO Gaming Notebook from Schenker, some awesome gaming gear from SteelSeries, and a Mega Bloks Deathwing’s Stormwind Assault set. Charm our judges in the World of Warcraft Dance Contest to win an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 6 Series graphics card, a Mega Bloks Goblin Zeppelin Ambush set, and SteelSeries gaming gear. Runners-up for both contests can also look forward to more SteelSeries gear, T-shirts from J!NX, Cryptozoic loot cards, Mega Bloks packs, and more.

The winners of the Mists of Pandaria Leveling Contest will walk away with a Mega Bloks Sindragosa and the Lich King set, while runners-up could also snag some swag from SteelSeries, J!NX, and Mega Bloks.

In addition to our contests, you could also be chosen to participate in the Blizzard quizzes happening several times each day for the chance to win some novels and calendars from Panini, as well as more amazing loot from our partners.

Head to the Blizzard booth to play our games for yourselves, and you can also try out the latest Blizzard licensed peripherals from Razer and SteelSeries.

Visit our Prizes page for details on the goods up for grabs, and check out our Activities page for more information on our contests and a full stage schedule.

We’ll see you next week at gamescom!

It’s nearly time for gamescom 2012, and we hope you’re as excited as we are for the slew of awesome activities we have in store for you at the Blizzard booth!

The world premiere of the World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria opening cinematic will wow the crowds at our booth during the first fully public day of the event, Thursday August 16, at 14:00. We’ll also have a live drum performance from MANAO - Drums of China – the all-female Chinese drumming group that opened and closed the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

You can also participate in our Mists of Pandaria Leveling Contest on Thursday and Friday, or step into the spotlight for the Blizzard Costume Contest and the World of Warcraft Dance Contest, on Saturday and Sunday respectively. Impress our judges and win some amazing prizes from our partners.

Experience the enchanting music from the World of Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo franchises performed by a live orchestra on Friday and Saturday, or watch as Blizzard artist Grace Liu demonstrates her drawing skills live on stage each day of the event. You can also take home autographs from Blizzard developers during developer signing sessions on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

You’ll be able to witness some of the best pro gamers from around the world battle it out for your viewing pleasure in StarCraft II show matches throughout the event, including players from our StarCraft II World Championship Series global tournament. If you’re a noob, fret not – you can attend our StarCraft II Academy session on Friday, where a well-known StarCraft II personality will teach you how to get an edge on your opponent.

Watch as two well-known World of Warcraft guilds annihilate the mightiest enemies during exciting live raids on Saturday and Sunday. You can also witness some of the planet’s best PvP players fight it out in the 2012 European World of Warcraft Invitational Final on Sunday afternoon, streamed live from the Turtle Entertainment booth.

You can also show off your Blizzard knowledge and win some sweet swag during our quizzes, which will happen several times a day. You’ll find all the details for these activities and more on our Activities page.

You can download a printable version of the Blizzard Entertainment gamescom 2012 stage schedule here.

New updates will be posted here as gamescom approaches, so be sure to check back often! We’ll see you at the Koelnmesse in Cologne, Halle 6.1 (B21), August 15-19.