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September 5th 2008
Blizzard Account and Blizzard Authenticators
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.
Blizzard Soundtracks Now On iTunes
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.
September 4th 2008
European and North American Warcraft Finals – September 6-7
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.
September 4th 2008
Site Updates: Diablo Timeline, Artwork
We just added the Diablo Timeline to the Diablo III website. This page provides a chronological background for the history of Sanctuary. If you're interested in learning more about the lore of the Diablo universe, look no further.
We've also expanded the media galleries with four new pieces of artwork and four new screenshots. Take a look!
September 3rd 2008
StarCraft II Monthly Comic Contest
Send us your StarCraft-themed comics and we'll choose the funniest or most interesting to be showcased on a special gallery page. Remember, we're looking for the best StarCraft humor out there. You can submit comics created in any medium, just make sure they're relevant to StarCraft II, original, and make us laugh.
For the first month, our winner will receive an 8GB Blizzard Branded iPod Nano, a copy of the StarCraft board game, a StarCraft Battle Chest, a shirt, and a copy of the StarCraft cinematics DVD. Two runners-up will also receive prize packages. See the official contest page here.
August 28th 2008
BlizzCon Ticket Drawing Winners Selected
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.
August 27th 2008
Blizzard Downloads for Your Phone
Now you can keep your favourite Blizzard game close to your heart, and your ear, with our new themed wallpapers and ringtones for your mobile 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 from World of Warcraft, StarCraft and Diablo, as well as wallpapers featuring character artwork, logos, and more. Visit the new Mobile Ringtones and Wallpapers page for more information.
August 27th 2008
BlizzCast Episode 5: Special WWI Edition Now Available
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.
August 25th 2008
BlizzCon Ticket Drawing Opt-In Period Ends
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.
August 22nd 2008
Games Convention – Day One
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.
August 21st 2008
Wrath of the Lich King Opening Cinematic Unveiled
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!
August 20th 2008
Games Convention Update
We have even more for you at this year’s Games Convention. Along with 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.
August 20th 2008
BlizzCon 2008 Ticket Drawing Opt-In Begins
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.
August 19th 2008
BlizzCon 2008 Ticket Drawing Information
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.
August 19th 2008
Partnership With ATI
Making sure our games provide a high-quality experience on a wide range of hardware configurations is always a priority for Blizzard Entertainment. As part of that goal, we’re pleased to state that we’re working closely with ATI, which has just announced its partnership with us. ATI is serving as a sponsor of BlizzCon 2008, and we’re also continuing our existing technical collaboration, which provides us early access to the latest graphical technology and is intended to ensure that our games and ATI’s drivers are optimized to provide a polished, seamless experience for our players who choose their products.
August 14th 2008
BlizzCon: Statement from Mike Morhaime
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.
August 14th 2008
Blizzard at the Games Convention 2008
We’re excited to be able to showcase some of Blizzard’s games at this year’s Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany, 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.
Many of you have participated in our “I <3 SC” Mosaic competition and now even more of you have the chance to become part of the exclusive “I <3 SC” club. Print out your “I <3 SC” signs or take out your t-shirts and join us at the Games Convention in Leipzig for the an official “I <3 SC” group picture at the Blizzard Booth. Meet up with other StarCraft fans at 16:00 on Friday, August 22.
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.
August 11th 2008
BlizzCon Tickets Now On Sale!
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 #4 Live!
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.
August 8th 2008
BlizzCon 2008 Website Launched
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!
August 6th 2008
World of Warcraft Released in Russian
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.
August 1st 2008
Diablo III “Overthrown” Premium Statue Unveiled
Commemorating the exciting announcement of Diablo III, Blizzard Entertainment and Sideshow Collectibles are proud to introduce the Diablo III Premium Statue series with its epic first release. Unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con 2008, “Overthrown” depicts a mighty barbarian atop the conquered Diablo, shouting towards the high heavens in vicious triumph. Standing a massive 18" (457.2mm) high, hand-cast in high-quality polystone and meticulously painted to exacting standards, each piece is individually finished with a unique edition number. To see some pictures or to pre-order the piece, head on over to Sideshow’s website and check out the regular edition or the Sideshow exclusive edition (includes alternate helmeted head).
BlizzCon Goody Bag Sneak Preview
For everyone contemplating a trip this year’s BlizzCon (October 10-11 in Anaheim, California), we’d like to give you a glimpse of just a couple items you might find in your goody bag when you arrive at the show.
Frostmourne. The very name of Arthas’s runeblade strikes terror into hearts across Azeroth. Now it comes to you in a more convenient package, and you don’t even have to travel to Icecrown Glacier to get it. As you go about your daily activities, whether they be raising legions of the undead or just brooding on your throne, carrying this 48” inflatable Frostmourne will grant you an extra touch of sinister majesty.
And of course, a new BlizzCon brings with it a lovable murloc to welcome into your heart--but murlocs don’t always come alone. This one has developed a taste for speed, and sits astride an exclusive polar bear mount, waving a BlizzCon flag. It’s the perfect way to cruise Northrend in style.
BlizzCon features an array of contests, tournaments, discussion panels, hands-on playtime, and other events, not to mention plenty more fun and unique treasures waiting to be unearthed from the goody bag, so make your plans now before tickets go on sale August 11.
More WWI Developer Panel Videos Online!
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.
July 30th 2008
Russian Version of World of Warcraft Coming August 6
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.
July 29th 2008
BlizzCon Tickets on Sale August 11
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.
July 28th 2008
WWI Developer Panel Videos Online!
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!
July 24th 2008
New StarCraft II Planet Bio - Mar Sara
We have added a new planet bio, Mar Sara.
The Sara system was initially catalogued by freelance prospectors and colonized by an expedition from Tarsonis several years later. Mar Sara formed the eighth of the thirteen core colonies of the Terran Confederacy. The Sara system was unusual for having two habitable planets, but Mar Sara was always a backwater colony compared to the more prosperous Chau Sara.
Mar Sara was one of the first planets to be infested by the zerg when they appeared in terran space. It was also the first planet on which the Confederates fought the advancing Swarm to any significant extent, although most of the actual fighting was done by local militia forces.
Read more about Mar Sara here. We have also added two new pieces of artwork and six new screenshots.
Diablo III Media Update
We have added three new pieces of artwork, two new screenshots, and one new wallpaper.
July 16th 2008
Frostmourne Fan Art Contest Winners!
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!
July 10th 2008
Activision Blizzard Announcement
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.
July 7th 2008
Warcraft III 2008 Tournament Preview
We're pleased to announce the 2008 Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne Battle.net ladder tournament. The upcoming competition will follow a similar format to the previous ones, using three invitational ladders hosted on the Kalimdor, Northrend, and Azeroth realms, each initially populated on an invitation-only basis by the world's most established and successful Warcraft III players. Each will function as a standard Battle.net solo ladder, with their own rankings displays and map pools. For more information and details on the tournament, please check out the FAQ.
July 4th 2008
Invitational Highlights Video
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!
July 3rd 2008
The Blizzard Store Is Here!
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.
We hope you enjoy the new Blizzard Store!
Returning to Diablo II
With this past weekend's announcement of Diablo III, now is the perfect time to revisit the dark fantasy world of Sanctuary (or check it out for the first time). The Diablo II ladder was recently reset, wiping the slate clean and kicking off a new rush to level 99. In addition, the newly released patch 1.12a lets you play without having the Diablo II CD in the drive. To download the patch, either connect to Battle.net or visit the Patch Download page, and be sure to read the patch notes for further instructions.
Diablo II and its expansion, Lord of Destruction, are also now available for direct download via our online store, making it easy to replace lost CDs or to introduce the game to friends. You can also visit the Arreat Summit for Diablo II resources and information, including detailed item listings, formulae, build templates, and more.
Character Biography: Zeratul
Learn more about StarCraft II's main characters and their complex intertwining stories in the character biography of Zeratul, the second installment of our StarCraft II character biography series. We have also added one new piece of artwork and five new screenshots.
July 1st 2008
The Worldwide Invitational Is Over – For Now
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!
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