- To be eligible for the BlizzCon ticket drawing, you must (1) have an active Blizzard Account that was created on or before 9:00 p.m. PDT on Tuesday, August 12, 2008, when we first announced BlizzCon 2008 tickets had sold out; (2) be an adult in your country of residence; (3) have not previously purchased BlizzCon 2008 tickets; and (4) live in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, or South Korea.

- Prior to the drawing, we will hold an opt-in period during which you can enter an eligible Blizzard Account into the drawing for a chance to purchase two BlizzCon 2008 tickets. Once the opt-in begins , you’ll see an opt-in feature when you log in to Blizzard Account Management. The opt-in period begins on Wednesday morning and will end the evening of Sunday, August 24. As this is a random drawing, those who opt in early will not have a better chance of being selected than those who opt in later.

- After the opt-in period ends, we will randomly select 1,500 eligible Blizzard Accounts from the opt-in pool to receive the opportunity to purchase up to two BlizzCon 2008 tickets. If selected, you will be notified via email with further information about how to purchase the tickets.

- Prior to the end of the opt-in period, please ensure the contact information (both email address and phone number) associated with the Blizzard Account is accurate and up to date, so that we may contact you if you are selected. To check and update your information, log in to Blizzard Account Management.

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.

August 14, 2008
Diablo III Media Update #2
We have added three new pieces of artwork, two new screenshots, and one new wallpaper.

August 13, 2008
Statement from Mike Morhaime
Blizzard Gamers,

On behalf of everyone at Blizzard, I want to apologize for the challenges and frustrations you experienced while trying to purchase BlizzCon tickets on Monday and Tuesday. BlizzCon is about the positive experiences you all have had with Blizzard games. As a result of this week's events, the excitement that many of you felt about the show has turned into dissatisfaction and disappointment.

Due to these circumstances, we've reevaluated our convention hall space and come up with some solutions that will allow us to offer 3,000 more tickets for sale. We know this will not be enough to satisfy the very high level of demand for tickets this year, but we want to ensure that BlizzCon remains a great experience for those of you who are able to attend. To avoid the issues many of you faced this week, we'll be selling these 3,000 via a lottery. We'll post further details once our plans are finalized. Please note that the lottery will only be open to those with an active Blizzard Account as of 9:00 PM PDT on August 12, the time that the “Sold Out” notice was posted.

I, and everyone else at Blizzard, share the frustration and disappointment that many of you have expressed as a result of this process. We'll do what it takes to avoid this type of situation in the future.

Sincerely,
Mike Morhaime

New Fan Art
The Blizzard Fan Art Section has been updated with new pieces of artwork.

August 12, 2008
BlizzCon 2008 Tickets Sold Out
Tickets to BlizzCon 2008 are now sold out. We'd like to thank everyone once again for their overwhelming interest in this year's show. If you were unable to secure tickets, please keep in mind that DIRECTV will be broadcasting BlizzCon live from the Anaheim Convention Center on October 10 and 11. In the meantime, keep an eye on the BlizzCon 2008 website for updates on panels, exhibits, events, and more. We look forward to meeting some of you at the show!

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 11, 2008
BlizzCast Episode 4 Now Available
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 8, 2008
World of Warcraft Steins Arrive
Toast your victories in style with a collection of World of Warcraft-themed steins. These limited-edition stoneware steins feature panoramic bas-relief illustrations by Blizzard Entertainment artists Samwise Didier and Glenn Rane. The 11”-tall steins are hand-crafted following a 500-year-old tradition, and are topped with an etched pewter lid. For more information, please visit www.3point.com.

August 7, 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, and you can also learn more about DIRECTV's special BlizzCon promotion. 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.

Check out the new site now!

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 6, 2008
New Fan Art
The Blizzard Fan Art Section has been updated with new pieces of artwork.

August 5, 2008
Earn an Exclusive Zhevra Mount with the New Recruit-a-Friend!
With the new Recruit-A-Friend program you can earn an exclusive Zhevra mount, receive a FREE month of game time, and gain access to other exciting in-game benefits. From the moment your friend creates a character and starts playing you'll both earn triple the experience when grouped together and have the ability to summon one another from anywhere in the world. Also, for every two levels of experience your friend earns, they can grant one level of experience to one of your lower-level characters.

To start recruiting your friends click here.

For more details on the new Recruit-A-Friend program please click here.

Blizzard Entertainment at SIGGRAPH
Blizzard Entertainment will be hiring at this year's SIGGRAPH conference in Los Angeles. Do you have the passion to create great games? We're always looking for skilled individuals willing to challenge themselves to achieve excellence. This year at SIGGRAPH, members of Blizzard Entertainment's recruiting and university relations teams will be on hand to answer all of your job- and internship-related questions. Bring your resume, portfolio, or business card -- our team will be happy to receive all your materials and talk to you about opportunities at Blizzard Entertainment.

Look for Blizzard Entertainment in the career fair at booth number 51. We look forward to meeting you!

August 1, 2008
BlizzCon Goody Bag Sneak Preview
For everyone contemplating a trip to this year's BlizzCon (October 10-11 in Anaheim, California), we'd like to give you a glimpse of just a few items you might find in your goody bag when you arrive at the show.

If you've ever been on the verge of finishing off a paladin, only to be foiled at the last second, you'll appreciate the 16” inflatable divine shield ball, complete with a paladin inside in the midst of hearthing away. Half of the goody bags handed out will contain the bubble-hearth ball, while the other half will have...

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.

That's just the beginning, though, as both the goody bags and the on-site store will be stuffed with sample products from our licensed partners and plenty more fun and unique Blizzard-themed trinkets, such as Diablo health and mana stress balls, pandaren brewmaster bottle openers, zerg creep, and much more.

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 treasures waiting to be unearthed from the goody bag, so make your plans now before tickets go on sale August 11.

July 31, 2008
Worldwide Invitational Developer Panel Movies
You can now watch videos of some of the developer panels from the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational. Visit our WWI Videos page to see Blizzard developers discuss the evolving design process of StarCraft II, the world lore and environment of Diablo III, and the present and future of the classes in World of Warcraft.

July 29, 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 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!

Even if you can't make it out in person, though, you can still experience some highlights of the weekend. We've partnered with DIRECTV, a satellite television company whose service is available throughout the US, and they will be offering their subscribers an exclusive package of HD convention coverage as a pay-per-view event.

For more information, check out the official announcement, and stay tuned to this site for news and updates as the convention approaches.

July 28, 2008
Fantasy Flight's World of Warcraft: The Adventure Game Out Now
Fantasy Flight Games has just released World of Warcraft: The Adventure Game, a fast-paced board game of danger, conflict, and heroes. Two to four players engage in a struggle for glory and valor as they travel the Eastern Kingdoms of Azeroth completing quests and battling monsters -- and each other -- in a bid for supremacy.

For more information, including photos and a detailed gameplay description, head to www.fantasyflightgames.com/wow-adventure.

July 25, 2008
Diablo III Media Update
We have added three new pieces of artwork, two new screenshots, and one new wallpaper.

July 24, 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.

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