Content Update Notes

In the frigid wastes of Northrend, the final battle against the merciless Lich King ended in victory for Azeroth's defenders. Upon returning home, veterans of the unforgiving conflict against the Scourge were showered with praise for their valiant sacrifices, while the honorable dead were mourned. Yet as hope flared anew in the wake of the Lich King's fall, Azeroth's native elemental spirits grew confused and erratic, setting off a series of deadly natural disasters. Horde and Alliance leaders scrambled for clues about the troubling state of the world, but nothing could have prepared them for what was to come.

We're very excited to share the news that the 2010 Spike Video Game Awards have nominated Blizzard as STUDIO OF THE YEAR in  honor of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty.

Blizzard Entertainment and DC Comics are proud to announce the newest miniseries in the bestselling World of Warcraft comic line: World of Warcraft: Curse of the Worgen.

We have some tasty leftovers from our community comic contest to share. Check out the full gallery here.

BlizzCon presents an opportunity for real-life tailors and engineers to take up their needle and thread, their cardboard and spray paint, to create amazingly realistic recreations of their favorite Blizzard characters and creatures. After this year’s costume contest, we invited the winners to write an article on the art of costume-craft for us to share with the community. Here’s the first of three, written by Christina, who won first place for her astonishingly accurate portrayal of the female monk from Diablo III.

We’re pleased to announce that we’ll be hosting several official Cataclysm launch events starting on the night of Dec. 6 at retail locations around the world. In North America, the events will take place in Southern California and Toronto, Canada,and will feature World of Warcraft DANCE CONTESTS with great prizes for the winning competitors. We look forward to seeing everyone at the events, and we hope you come prepared to get down with your bad self.

Azeroth's capital cities, once bastions of trade and commerce, are now under siege by forces from the Elemental Planes. While faction leaders have recently established Evacuation Portals throughout each city, allowing concerned denizens to safely escape before the next full-scale invasion occurs, we understand that accidents can still happen. In the event of an emergency, for example, you may become trapped, separated from your evacuation party, or be otherwise unable to reach a secure location. To ensure that you're adequately prepared for this worst-case scenario and can survive until reinforcements arrive, we've created a list of items to include in an Invasion Survival Kit to help you withstand the wrath of the elements.

As you're all aware by now, the shattering of Azeroth will drastically and permanently alter the continents of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms. In the wake of Deathwing's devastation, adventurers will be summoned to embark on new quests from levels 1 to 60 in these transformed territories -- and with so much new content to be found on these original two continents, many original quests will no longer be available after the shattering occurs.

Pull up a chair, grab a sizable helping of your favorite food, and prepare to reflect on the year's good tidings -- you're invited to Pilgrim's Bounty! The festivities start this Sunday, November 21, and continue all the way through next Saturday, November 27. Try your hand at cooking, hunt down a wild turkey with friends, or throw tradition to the wind and participate in an all-out food fight. There's fun for everyone, so we hope to see you there!

We just wanted to remind you that our Cataclysm YouTube Video Contest and Print Ad Contest will be ending in less than a week, on November 23. If you'd like to put your talents to the test -- and possibly win some great prizes in the process -- head over to the individual contest pages for more information on what we’re looking for, the full rules, prizes, and how to get your entry in.

You may have heard that healing in Cataclysm is going to feel different. The role will be more challenging, particularly in terms of resource management. This won’t be news to a lot of regular forum readers, but I see enough “why nerf healers?” concerns that I thought it was still a worthwhile topic for an inaugural developer blog.

The ground trembles beneath your feet and sinister cultists speak of impending doom. Loved ones have gone missing and the appearance of angered elementals only adds to the confusion. What does the future hold for Azeroth's heroes? What fortune awaits within Sayge’s cards? Visit the Darkmoon Faire and shed light on these mysteries.