Blizzard Entertainment - News Archive: June 2008

June 28th 2008
Diablo® III Unveiled!

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

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

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

Visit the new Diablo III website now to learn more about the game, and make sure to check out the official FAQ and the announcement press release.

June 28th 2008
Worldwide Invitational 2008 Opens

Thousands of people from all around the world were present today at the opening of the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational. Welcomed by the Blizzard Europe�s Managing Director, Fred Menou, and Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of the Blizzard Entertainment, the attendees were treated to the announcement of Blizzard�s newest project, Diablo III. With a stunning trailer, and a gameplay video to whet their appetites, attendees will have the chance over the next two days to attend panels about the development and design of this latest installment of the Diablo universe. Everyone who didn�t make it to the event in person can now watch our live stream instead!

June 26th 2008
More Security With The Blizzard Authenticator

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

Worldwide Invitational: Live Streams Available

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

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

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

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

Worldwide Invitational This Weekend

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

June 18th 2008
Diablo II Ladder Reset and 1.12a Patch

The Diablo II ladder has been reset, wiping the slate clean and beginning the rush to be the first to level 99! In addition to the reset we've also released Diablo II patch 1.12a, which removes the requirement to have your Diablo II CD in the drive while playing. To download the patch either connect to Battle.net or visit our Patch Download page, and be sure to read the Patch Notes for further instructions.

June 17th 2008
New Planet Bio � Char

We have added a new planet bio, Char.

Char was formerly one of the thirteen core worlds of the Confederacy, but it is most notorious as the primary hive planet of the alien zerg. Upon its discovery, Char was found to be an inhospitable volcanic planet with thick ash covering most of its surface and tainting its acrid atmosphere. The hazardous environment is further intensified by extremely high levels of cosmic radiation from Char's volatile pairing of binary stars, a class VI F0 sub dwarf orbiting an M8 irregular variable.

Read more about Char here. We have also added two new pieces of artwork and one new screenshot.

June 10th 2008
Worldwide Invitational Contests Start Today!

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

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

June 5th 2008
Discover BlizzCast 3!

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

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

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

You can listen to BlizzCast Episode 3 here.

I <3 SC Winners Announced!

We would like thank all the participants in our I <3 StarCraft contest. We received submissions from StarCraft fans all over the world and have compiled hundreds of them into an "I <3 StarCraft photo mosaic.

June 3rd 2008
Worldwide Invitiational 2008: Careers At Blizzard!

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

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

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

Don't forget to bring your CV to the event! A list of all current opportunities in the European offices (Velizy, France and Cork, Ireland) can be found here: http://www.blizzard.co.uk/jobs/index.shtml.