• Today we opened the Wrath of the Lich King Beta Opt-In program, which gives players a chance to win an invitation to the upcoming Wrath of the Lich King beta. For The Burning Crusade beta, we randomly invited players from the entire World of Warcraft community. With the Opt-In, our goal is to strengthen the beta-testing process by inviting only those players who have expressed active interest in participating.
  
  Keep in mind that opting in doesn't guarantee you'll be selected for the beta. And players who've previously been promised beta access through a promotion or contest (such as by purchasing the Dell XPS M1730 World of Warcraft Edition notebook) don't need to worry -- you'll still be entered into the beta automatically when the time comes.
  
  To opt in to the Wrath of the Lich King beta, visit the Beta Opt-In page.

• 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 Dustwalker.

  

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

• We're always on the lookout for eye-catching screenshots of World of Warcraft. Do you have a screenshot that would make other people go "Wow!"? Send it in. We've been really happy with our screenshots of the day and would like to thank you for your great submissions (over 1,350 and counting). We particularly enjoy screenshots featuring humor, creativity, or large gatherings.

• The Blizzard Fan Art Section has been updated with new pieces of artwork.
  
  

  

• We have just updated our World of Warcraft Fan Wallpapers section with a new wallpaper featuring Blood Elf.
  
  

• This year's Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational has come to a close, and its attendees are making their way home, but there's still plenty of event coverage to check out. In addition to the big news of Diablo III's announcement, you can find articles on the contests, panels, tournaments, museum, closing-night concert, and more. Take a look at our official event site, or check below for just a tiny selection of the online coverage:

  • MTV
  • Wired
  • Eurogamer
  • 1UP
  • Kotaku
  • GameSpot
  • Joystiq
  • IGN
  • GameSpy
  • Rock, Paper, Shotgun

• nd the comic contest winner for May, 2008, is... Psaulm! Congratulations! Remember, this contest will go on all year long, so you will have a new 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 every month. Keep those comics coming, and you might be next! Stop by each week to see a new comic from the contest. Also, check out all of the June comics.

  

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

• Twenty years have passed since the cataclysmic events of Diablo®II. Mephisto, Diablo, and Baal have been defeated, but the Worldstone, which once shielded the world of Sanctuary from the forces of both the High Heavens and the Burning Hells, has been destroyed, and evil once again stirs in Tristram....
  
  Following the unveiling of Diablo III today at the Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational, we've launched the game's official website, with information about the places, characters, monsters, and adventures awaiting you upon your return to the world of Sanctuary. Some of the site's highlights include:

  • The cinematic teaser trailer shown at the 2008 Worldwide Invitational
  • A 20-minute gameplay demo video
  • More than 60 screenshots and pieces of concept art
  • Deckard Cain's journal, narrated by Deckard Cain himself -- stay a while and listen!
  • And much, much more

  Visit the new Diablo III website now to learn more about the game, and make sure to check out the official FAQ and the announcement press release.

• Today was the last day of the Worldwide Invitational in Paris, France. The day began with a panel led by Blizzard artists Samwise Didier and Dave Berggren where they discussed the distinctive "Blizzard" style of art and graphics (in StarCraft). Also taking place this morning were the Diablo Lore and Art panel that helped players get a feel for the history that has occured since the end of Diablo II: Lord of Destruction and the World of Warcraft: Anatomy of Raids panel where players got an inside view of how the dungeons of Northrend will be constructed. The afternoon brought us to a panel discussion with World of Warcraft developers concerning the PvP system and another panel touching on the Denizens of Diablo.

  Finally, the day comes to an end with the closing ceremony featuring a concert given by the Video Games Live orchestra. The crowd will be warmed up by an energetic performance from Blizzard's very own Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain, who leveled up from 70 during the course of their epic performance.

  We look forward to seeing everyone at our next event and would like to thank all our guests for attending and all our viewers for checking out the website during the event! Thanks and hope to see you again soon!

  Check out our coverage page, the image gallery, and the final tournament bracket to learn more about the event!

• Over the last two days we have been treated to a spectacular display of skill and speed as world champion players of StarCraft, Warcraft III, and the World of Warcraft Arena, have gathered here to compete.

  From beginning to end, these tournaments have provided excitement and surprises for players and spectators alike, and we are now proud to announce the winners of each category.

  StarCraft winners

  • Winner: ByungGu Song "Stork"
  • Runner-up: BoSung Yum "Seashield"

  Warcraft winners

  • Winner: JaeHo Jang "Moon"
  • Runner-up: June Park "Lyn"

  World of Warcraft winners

  • First Place: Council of Mages
  • Second Place: Improved clicks
  • Third Place: SK-US

  Check out our brackets page for a more detailed tournament overview and replays of these exciting games!

• The Armory has been updated with the new gear obtainable with the onset of Arena Season 4, including the powerful Brutal Gladiator's armor and weapons as well as the rewards purchased with Honor. Check out the Armory's Updates page, which includes links to the new items.

• To help players avoid unauthorized account access, we're introducing the Blizzard Authenticator, a keychain token that generates codes that must be entered when signing in to the linked World of Warcraft account. For full details, please check out the official announcement or visit the information page.

  

• Can't get enough of Level 70 Elite Tauren Chieftain's epic metal? The group's hit single "I Am Murloc" is available today as free downloadable content for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Download it today!