• In this special Worldwide Invitational wrap-up edition of BlizzCast, we briefly recap some of the events at the recent WWI in Paris, and then move straight into a discussion with Diablo III Lead Designer Jay Wilson. We quiz him on how the development team is evolving the classic series -- and then dive into a discussion of some recent hot issues surrounding the upcoming sequel. Listen to the show now.

• To celebrate the Latin American launch of World of Warcraft on Friday, July 25, we held a midnight signing at the Blockbuster Pilares in Col. Del Valle, Mexico, followed by a two-day event at the Plaza Satélite mall in Estado de Mexico featuring 3v3 Arena competitions, leveling contests, and more. We'd like to thank everyone who took the time to join us -- and if you couldn’t make it, we hope you enjoy this quick recap.

• The winners of the BlizzCon 2008 Ticket Drawing have been chosen. We’ve sent emails to 1,500 randomly selected eligible Blizzard Account holders containing instructions for purchasing up to two tickets to the show. For your security, please note that in this email we are not asking winners to email us credit card information directly, nor are we asking winners to call Blizzard for any reason.
  
  If we still have tickets remaining after this initial round, we will select more winners from the original opt-in pool. We will make an announcement on our websites once all tickets available have been sold. For more information, refer to the BlizzCon Ticket Drawing FAQ.

• Our friends at SteelSeries, Jinx, Upper Deck, and BradyGames have just launched the Win a Trip to BlizzCon Sweepstakes. The grand prize winner will receive a trip for two to Anaheim, California, along with two free tickets to attend BlizzCon 2008. For more information or to enter the contest, visit www.blizzconsweepstakes.com.

• We will be performing a scheduled website maintenance from Wednesday, August 27 at 12:00AM PDT until approximately 2:00AM PDT. During this timeframe our online services such as The Armory and Account Management may be unavailable. We thank you for your patience as we continue to update our sites and prepare them for the future.

• Here is the next honorable mention from this month's comic contest submissions. Remember, the contest will go on all year long, so don't miss your chance to win a copy of the World of Warcraft Battle Chest signed by both Vice President of Creative Development Chris Metzen and Art Director Chris Robinson, as well as a World of Warcraft 60 day pre-paid time card.
  
  Keep those comics coming! Check out today's honorable mention from Magram.

  

  Have a comic to submit? It's not too late to enter the comic contest. Read the official rules, and submit your comics today!

• The opt-in period for the BlizzCon 2008 Ticket Drawing is now over. We will be randomly selecting winners within the next few days and will announce when selections have been made on our websites. If you are chosen, you will receive an email from Blizzard containing information about how to purchase up to two tickets to BlizzCon 2008. If you haven’t done so already, please go to Blizzard Account Management and update your contact information. For more details, see the FAQ.

• Are you curious about the changes and additions in store for class talents in Wrath of the Lich King? The new interactive talent trees for every class are now live on our talent calculators. Please note that all talent information is not yet finalized, and is subject to significant change during the testing process.

• Here is the next honorable mention from this month's comic contest submissions. Remember, the contest will go on all year long, so don't miss your chance to win a copy of the World of Warcraft Battle Chest signed by both Vice President of Creative Development Chris Metzen and Art Director Chris Robinson, as well as a World of Warcraft 60 day pre-paid time card.
  
  Keep those comics coming! Check out today's honorable mention from Demitri.

  

  Have a comic to submit? It's not too late to enter the comic contest. Read the official rules, and submit your comics today!

• Five years have passed since Arthas released Ner’zhul from his icy prison and merged with him, claiming the Frozen Throne of Icecrown. Now the heir of Lordaeron has risen again, and soon the world will learn what it means to incur the wrath of its one true king....
  
  The opening cinematic for World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King is now available for download or streaming from the official Wrath of the Lich King website. Check it out now!

• The BlizzCon 2008 Ticket Drawing opt-in is now live. People with eligible Blizzard Accounts who wish to enter the drawing can now do so by logging in to Blizzard Account Management. The opt-in period will last until 11:59 p.m. PDT on Sunday, August 24. After it ends, we will select 1,500 people from the opt-in pool and offer them a chance to purchase up to two tickets to BlizzCon 2008.
  
  This is a random drawing -- everyone with an eligible Blizzard Account who opts in any time during the opt-in period will have the same chance to win. Please make sure your Blizzard Account contact information (email and phone number) is up to date. For more information, including eligibility requirements, click here or read the FAQ.

• The Blizzard Fan Art Section has been updated with many new pieces of Wrath of the Lich King artwork.
  
  

  
  
  
  

• As discussed last week, we’re preparing a drawing to offer 3,000 more BlizzCon 2008 tickets for sale. We’re finalizing the process now, and you’ll be able to enter the drawing beginning Wednesday morning -- in the meantime, here is an overview of how the drawing will work:

  - 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.
  
  We will announce when the drawing opt-in period begins on our website soon. For more information, please refer to our BlizzCon 2008 Ticket Drawing FAQ.

• We've updated the Wrath of the Lich King gallery with new screenshots from the ongoing Wrath of the Lich King Beta. If you’re a current beta tester, please send us your screenshot submissions focusing on the new environments of Northrend.
  
  
  

• Following the success of Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy, Blizzard Entertainment and Tokyopop have teamed up once again for a new manga anthology series set in the Warcraft universe. The first volume of Warcraft: Legends follows the adventures of new and familiar heroes as they experience danger, peril, and triumph across Azeroth in all-new stories by top manga writers and artists. Find out more, including how to order, here -- and be sure to check out Tokyopop's other Blizzard-related manga such as StarCraft: Frontline, too.
  
  

  
  

• We've gathered and sifted through hundreds of submissions, and updated our Midsummer Fire Festival gallery with 67 additional screenshots. As always, if you'd like to take part, please submit your screenshots. Our latest collection topics include the Wrath of the Lich King beta, the Spirit of Competition event and the Swift Zhevra mount.

• 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.

• 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.

• Every two years, the Spirits of Competition grow especially fervent and draw close to the mortal realm. During such times, members of both the Alliance and Horde can honor the spirits and earn Competitor's Tabards by seeking to defeat one another in the battlegrounds. This new event runs from August 8 to August 24. Refer to our Spirit of Competition page for more details, including the event's in-game rewards.