Cataclysm shattered the record for fastest-selling PC game when it was released earlier this month, and we were at the official launch events around the world to capture some of the incredible epic-ness on film. Have a look!
Off the coast of Dun Morogh, beneath the sunlit reaches of the Great Sea, swims the arbiter of the deep. Known to many as simply "the whale shark," this legendary leviathan patrols the sunken ruins of Vashj’ir, casually devouring any inattentive or overzealous adventurers who cross its path. Tales pour in daily from those who have fallen victim to -- or somehow managed to survive -- the whale shark’s wrath. But, how about you? Have you encountered this abyssal beast yet, and if so, how did you fare?
A tank’s job is to protect the group. A big part of that is controlling the enemy. A big part of controlling the enemy is staying alive. Tanks have a lot of tools to stay alive, and mastering those is a major component of learning to play a tank. On the other hand, some of these tools are on long cooldowns, and on some encounters they are intended for use at specific moments in the fight. Furthermore, staying alive isn’t the sole responsibility of the tank, because there will always be one or more healers present whose job it is to keep the tank alive. As such, staying alive can’t be the only thing tanks have to focus on.
Ready for more digging, travelers? Fantastic! There's a plethora of game and community developments this week just waiting to be discovered. Let's dive right in.
We have some tasty leftovers from our community comic contest to share. This comic was submitted by Cruzmissile. Check out the full gallery here.
We’ve updated our Media section with new galleries for Races and Classes. These galleries feature over 100 new pieces of art. For the first time, we've also added artwork from the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game!
The first PvP season of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is underway! Players are now able to compete in level-85 Rated Arenas for top gear, items, and titles -- and for the first time ever, they can enter level-85 Rated Battlegrounds to fight for the same rewards available through Arenas, along with the original World of Warcraft PvP titles.
Beginning with Arena Season 9, we're giving Arena and Battleground teams the option to challenge each other to War Games, a new kind of skirmish that allows teams to practice, set up matches against friends or rivals, or even try out potential recruits. We've prepared a handy FAQ to explain how it works.
Thanks to all of the new, existing, and returning World of Warcraft players out there, World of Warcraft: Cataclysm sold more than 3.3 million copies as of its first 24 hours of release, making it the fastest-selling PC game of all time. That’s a lot of flamebait for Deathwing. Check out the press release for all the details, and thanks again from all of us at Blizzard!
You have until December 16, 2010 to make your submissions. The most impressive entrants will be eligible to win prizes from Razer, as well as signed copies of Blizzard games. Let the cup o' creativity floweth over!
We have just updated our World of Warcraft Wallpapers section with a new wallpaper featuring Grim Batol.
We’d like to take a moment to tell you about the Media section of the new World of Warcraft community site. The Media section features a collection of screenshots, comics, downloadable wallpaper, and videos, all conveniently located in one place. Just click on the media button at the top of the site. Once you’ve reached the main media index page, you can peruse the sections and see when they were last updated.
Worldbreaker, the first World of Warcraft Trading Card Game set to feature Cataclysm content, releases worldwide on December 14, and stores around the worldwill host Worldbreaker Release Parties on the weekend of December 18 and 19. Participants will play Worldbreaker Sealed Pack and take home foil Ruby Enforcers as the participation prize. If you don't know how to play the World of Warcraft TCG, you can visit these locations on the weekend of December 11 and 12 for a free demo. See you there!
When we itemize armor and weapons, we nearly always give them a set amount of Stamina and a set amount of Strength, Agility, or Intellect. We call these the primary stats. The secondary stats include haste, dodge, crit, and mastery, as well as stats with cap targets, like hit and expertise. I'll discuss those, as well as Spirit, a little later.
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is live and many players are coming back to the game, while others are just really pumped to get in and experience the new content. To address the population influx, we're providing some players with Free Character Moves. If you're on one of the source realms listed inside, you can move your characters to the designated destination realm and avoid the queues -- for free!
J!NX is unleashing a slew of new designs. Head over to J!NX to check out the line, which consists of six new t-shirt designs, custom Horde and Alliance sweatshirts and polos, and a murloc zip-up hoodie.
We have some tasty leftovers from our community comic contest to share. This comic was submitted by Bludlemon. Check out the full gallery here.
Welcome to World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, adventurers! Azeroth is positively buzzing with activity, so grab your shovels and let's dig into the latest community and game developments.
As the world's races struggled for survival in the wake of the Cataclysm, details came to light concerning what—or who—had caused the disaster. Prior to the upheaval, the Fury of Earth had cryptically told Thrall that Azeroth's instability had been caused by something good that had turned unnatural. Something that wished to inflict pain and suffering on the entire world.
Join us at 9 p.m. PST on Monday, December 6 at the Fountain Valley Fry’s Electronics in Southern California for the Cataclysm midnight launch.Help us celebrate the dawn of a new age with the powerful music of The Artists Formerly Known as Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain, an epic /dance competition, autographs from the development team, and more.
Welcome to the new World of Warcraft community site! Thanks to your help, we've smashed countless bugs since opening the site for testing and have even added some shiny new toys. Jump inside for an overview of the features we've added so far.
Looking for the perfect holiday gift? Or perhaps you need a not-so-subtle way to show your World of Warcraft enthusiasm at the office (since shouting "For the Horde!" at the top of your lungs during meetings doesn't always go over too well)? Taverncraft has the solution with today's debut of two new massive stoneware mugs. One mug is devoted to the Horde, featuring a panoramic image of Orgrimmar, with the other showcasing the Alliance stronghold Stormwind. Each full-color mug holds a hefty 18 oz. (.53 ltrs.) of your favorite hot or cold beverage, and costs $19.99 plus shipping/handling. The mugs are available now at www.wowsteins.com, with guaranteed holiday delivery within the contiguous United States, while supplies last, if ordered prior to December 15, 2010.
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.
Greetings, travelers! While it's good to see you survived Deathwing's return, there's unfortunately no time for idle chatter. Much has happened these past two weeks, so let's sift through the rubble and explore the latest community developments.
The storm clouds gather. The barkers fall silent and the wagon train begins an eerie procession out of town. Called ever onward to parts unknown, the Darkmoon Faire has come to a close. As Sayge and his strange companions fade into the mist, the revelations he has shared will soon be little more than a troubling memory... for now.
