Welcome to the Explorers' League Journal, our weekly recap of news and events from around Azeroth. Each week we'll cover a variety of topics including patch notes, hotfixes, contests, helpful guides, and recent blue posts to keep you up-to-date on the latest game and community developments. Find out what happened this week inside. If you missed our last entry, you can check it out here.

The first World of Warcraft: Cataclysm patch of the year is in development and now available for testing on the Public Test Realms. This minor patch includes several updates that we were unable to apply via hotfixes, including the recently discussed class balance changes, assorted bug fixes, and more.

The third issue of Curse of the Worgen, the newest miniseries in the bestselling World of Warcraft comic line is now available in stores and online!

In the three months that the new World of Warcraft community site has been live, we've received a lot of feedback from you about its features and the content we've been highlighting.  That feedback has been great, but now we want to know a little bit more about how you use the site. Specifically, what do you normally check out first when you arrive? After you answer that question, we’d also like to hear about how you get to our site to begin with. Do you type in the URL, use a bookmark, or rely on a search engine? Or are you typically guided here by your favorite news site, Twitter, or  Facebook?

Over one million people are following our Warcraft Facebook page! In a little over a year we've shared thousands of news stories, images, and movies with the Facebook community. To celebrate this milestone, we've released a new desktop wallpaper depicting an epic eight-person raid on Magtheridon. Head over to our wallpaper gallery to download it for yourself, or to check out the rest of our wallpaper art. If you aren't already following us on Facebook, be sure to visit the official Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, and Blizzard pages.

We're kicking off a Core Hound Pup adoption campaign and we need your help! Simply send us funny, cute, or just plain epic screenshots featuring your fiery two-headed buddy. We'll be picking two of the most memorable images each month in 2011 and awarding the winners with a brand new iPad. Adopt a puppy! Protect your loots! Win an iPad! Read the contest rules for details and eligibility requirements, and happy screenshotting!

Here you will find a list of hotfixes that address various issues related to the release of patch 4.0.3a and World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. While many have already been deployed on all realms, some may not be implemented until the next time your realm is restarted. We will continue to update this thread in the days ahead as additional hotfixes are applied.

We challenged you to submit your comic creations to the Blizzard Comic Contest, and your entries never fail to amuse and amaze us. We've been picking deserving winners every two months and we're ready to announce the most recent winning comics. Please enjoy these comics and join us in congratulating the winners! The creator of each winning entry will receive a same-as-cash gift card for their artistic efforts, and you can too! The Blizzard Comic Contest is an ongoing event, so if you fancy yourself a master of mirth, we invite you to sketch up a comic of your own (or split the reward with someone who can). You can find the contest rules here.

The members of our creative development department, headed up by Chris Metzen, are the creators, keepers, and librarians of our game lore and story. These caretakers work closely with the authors who write our licensed books and comics (or sometimes write 'em themselves), and collaborate with the game developers to ensure cohesive and correct use of characters and lore (Red Shirt Guys notwithstanding). Now they're ready to once again answer your Warcraft lore questions!

New Player Tips is a recurring feature in which we ask World of Warcraft veterans to share their thoughts and advice for new adventurers on a variety of in-game topics. This week's topic is: "If I knew then what I know now."

In this week's Explorers' League Journal, we take a look back at the latest hotfixes, PTR patch note updates, contest winners, raid guides, epic machinima videos, popular forum discussions, and more.

Guilds have existed in World of Warcraft from day one, but we've always wanted players who were in guilds to have some progression to work toward with their friends and guildmates beyond simply downing bosses, as well as a way to better recognize their accomplishments and show them off.  In Cataclysm we've added some features to support that goal in the form of a new guild UI, levels, perks, achievements, reputation, and rewards.   Jump inside for the deetz.

From the twisted hillsides of the Twilight Highlands to the sunken depths of Vashj'ir, the new level 80-85 zones in Cataclysm offer a wide variety of content for seasoned veterans to explore. There are harrowing escapes, daring rescues, questionable laboratory experiments, and, of course, droves of creatures to kill without mercy. For those of you who have had the opportunity to play through the new high-level zones, which one was your favorite, and why? Did you enjoy a particular quest or storyline? Was it the landscapes that drew you in? Let us know!

We were amazed by the deliriously delicious delights and tantalizing treats you tempted us with! After reviewing all of the entries, we came away more than a little hungry (send cupcakes, pls), but we were finally able to get over our grumbling tummies to select these truly mouthwatering winners. Feast your eyes on these five fantastic finalists, and please join us in congratulating them on their leet baking skills!

The New York Times best-selling novel The Shattering chronicles the heart-pounding events that took place leading up to World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. If you're an aspiring loremaster looking for a chance to add this tome to your library, then we invite you take part in our latest contest. All you have to do is read excerpts from the novel and take a quiz about what transpired for a chance to win one of 20 copies signed by the author, Christie Golden. Ready to enter? Check out the rules, then visit the contest page for all the details.

Prepare yourself for the Cataclysm with the new line of World of Warcraft® gaming gear from SteelSeries. The World of Warcraft®: Cataclysm™ MMO Gaming Mouse, SteelSeries Shift: Cataclysm Gaming Keyboard, SteelSeries Shift Keyset: Cataclysm and three SteelSeries QcK Mouse Pads -- Worgen, Goblin, and Deathwing Editions, are now available for sale at Best Buy, GameStop, Amazon and Future Shop. For more information, please visit www.steelseries.com/cataclysm

We'd like to thank the artists and designers who made our 2010 holiday season just a little warmer by participating in our second annual Blizzard Holiday Card Contest. We asked you to craft festive cards inspired by Warcraft, StarCraft, or Diablo -- and you delivered more holiday cheer than we could have ever imagined! Please join us in congratulating these creative card crafters, and feast your eyes on their awesome entries.

Welcome back, travelers! Friday is upon us once more, so let's take a quick look at all the latest game and community developments.

King Varian Wrynn, Queen Sylvanas Windrunner, King Genn Greymane, and Trade Prince Gallywix—these are just a few of the leaders who continue to shape Azeroth's destiny. They are the embodiments of their races' strongest traits... and at times their greatest failings. In the coming months, Blizzard Entertainment will be releasing short stories that will peer into the hearts of these legendary heroes and offer insight into what new trials might lie ahead as they lead their people in a world forever changed by the Cataclysm.

New Player Tips is a recurring feature in which we ask World of Warcraft veterans to share their thoughts and advice for new adventurers on a variety of in-game topics. This week's topic is: key bindings.

Want to bring the music from the latest World of Warcraft expansion with you anywhere you go? The World of Warcraft: Cataclysm soundtrack is now available as an iTunes LP from the iTunes Store, featuring 17 eminently epic tracks as well as special bonus content including artwork, liner notes, and behind-the-scenes interviews. If you previously purchased a copy of the Cataclysm soundtrack album from iTunes prior to the release of this special LP version, don't worry -- you'll be able to receive the bonus content at no additional charge. For more information or to purchase the Cataclysm soundtrack LP, visit the iTunes Store.

We've seen and heard a lot of discussion about the challenge presented by the Cataclysm Heroic dungeons, and to a lesser extent the raids. I'm not sure this is the kind of issue where we're going to be able to change anyone’s mind on the subject, but I can try to provide more insight into our point of view as well as offer some suggestions for success.

We have just updated our World of Warcraft Wallpapers section with a new wallpaper featuring Deepholm.

Now that Cataclysm is out in the wild, more players are getting geared up and checking out Tol Barad, the new outdoor PvP zone. Today, we wanted to address some of the concerns players have expressed about the zone, including how challenging it can be to win as the attacking team, and provide some insight into our design approach.

Raid your home or office with two new World of Warcraft stoneware mugs now available at www.wowsteins.com! The Undercity mug features a panoramic scene of the Horde's capital of the undead while the Ironforge mug captures the cavernous city of the Alliance's dwarven domain.