Deathwing's emergence will change much more than the face of Azeroth; it will also introduce new dangers and adventures for the brave heroes who recently triumphed over the Lich King in Northrend. For those of you who have returned victorious from the cold north and are now prepared to battle against Deathwing and the sinister Twilight's Hammer cult under Cho'gall, a difficult choice awaits. Where will you go first in your quest to spare Azeroth from annihilation?

There's a tradition at Blizzard Entertainment of creating a very special holiday treat each year to share the warmth of the season, but with a uniquely Blizzard touch. We invite you to help us spread the holiday cheer this year by entering our second annual Blizzard Holiday Card Contest or our Blizzard Holiday Dessert Contest.

The uneasy armistice between the Horde and Alliance is steadily cracking beneath the strain of Deathwing's devastating return and the Shattering of Azeroth, heralding a new era of bloody conflict. The clash between the factions has also never been so hotly contested:  Battleground brackets now match up teams more evenly.

BlizzCast 15 is now live! In this episode, we bring you in-depth coverage of the upcoming Cataclysm expansion and discuss everything from world creation to class changes to sound design.

We have some tasty leftovers from our community comic contest to share.

We're pleased to announce that the two recently revealed in-game pets, Lil' Ragnaros and the Moonkin Hatchling, are now available in the Pet Store section of the online Blizzard Store at a price of $10 each.

The curious continue to flock to the Darkmoon Faire, hoping to catch a glimpse of their fate from the wise and (some say) frighteningly insightful Sayge. The combined efforts of the Horde and Alliance have brought them to the halfway point of the "Your Fortune Awaits" campaign, unlocking a truly rare treasure. Sit back, relax, and enjoy, "The Making of Cataclysm." We look forward to sharing even more treasures with you!

The Lich King's reign of terror was over. As if to affirm that a bright future would soon dawn on Azeroth, other joyful events occurred across the world. Archdruid Malfurion Stormrage was at last freed from his imprisonment by the shadowy Emerald Nightmare through the efforts of his love, High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind, and her allies. Elsewhere, after years in exile, the highly intelligent gnomes and the fearless Darkspear trolls made gains toward reclaiming their respective homes in Gnomeregan and on the Echo Isles.

Bountiful Tables have been set up with care. Cooking fires blaze brightly in the failing autumn light. And wild turkeys once again roam the shaded pastures outside the Undercity and Elywnn Forest. Pilgrim's Bounty is in full swing. From cooking, to eating, to hunting, to (food) fighting, there are countless ways to celebrate the holiday. But of everything there is to do, which festivity do you enjoy the most?

Epic savings begin now -- for this week only, you can snag World of Warcraft for $5, The Burning Crusade for $5, or Wrath of the Lich King for $10. Gift to a friend or upgrade your account in preparation for the launch of Cataclysm.

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.

With patch 4.0.3 now live, the stage has been set for the coming cataclysm. The return of Deathwing is imminent, and soon Azeroth will be changed forever. Many of you have been anticipating this moment. You've posted, blogged, podcasted, and even tweeted about it. But, after the world is torn asunder by the wrath of the corrupted Dragon Aspect, what will you do first?

The developer chat with World of Warcraft Production Director J. Allen Brack and Game Director Tom Chilton is about to begin! Head on over to the Best Buy forums if you'd like to participate. That link will redirect attendees to the chat shortly before it begins. Participation is limited to the first 500 attendees, but if you aren't able to make it into the chat you can still watch Best Buy's Ustream live mirror here.

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is just around the corner -- and that means Rated Battlegrounds will soon be available. While Rated Battlegrounds will only be open to level-85 characters, we know many of you may still have some questions about this new system, so we've put together an FAQ to help address some of the more common inquiries we've seen.