• The Twilight Highlands have a perilous history. This region is home to the vicious black dragonflight, the cursed fortress of Grim Batol, and dangerous elemental disturbances.
  
  Now, the land will play host to a new danger. The Twilight's Hammer cult has claimed the highlands as its new seat of power -- and all of Azeroth will be shaken by the change.
  
  Visit this page to learn more about the history, rivalries, and factions of the Twilight Highlands, a new high-level zone to explore in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm.

• We have just updated our World of Warcraft Wallpapers section with two new calendar wallpapers for July, 2010.
  
  

• Our Concept Art gallery has been updated with two new pieces.
  
  

  

• In the wake of the Cataclysm, massive change will come to Azeroth. Ultimately though, it is only through change that growth and perseverance can occur. To this end -- and in keeping with the ambitions we laid out at BlizzCon 2009 for the systems design of World of Warcraft’s third expansion -- we are announcing bold new steps that we’re taking to enhance the concept of class specializations and the all-new Mastery system. Read all about the changes we have in store for the future here.

• The Blizzard Fan Art Section has been updated with 4 new pieces of fan artwork set within the Warcraft universe.
  
  

  
  

• To celebrate the anniversary of Warcraft III's North American release in July of 2002, Blizzard Entertainment and Epic Weapons are offering one final run of 1,500 Frostmourne replicas, closing the global edition size at 6,500. In addition, the first 100 people to purchase both the sword and its epic ice shard stand will get a $100 discount. Head on over to Epic Weapons now for one last chance to wield power eternal.

• BlizzCon is a great opportunity to meet up with online friends and guildmates, and now you can create and order custom World of Warcraft gear to wear to the event. BlizzCon attendees who order customized World of Warcraft apparel from SwagDog will receive a 25% discount off the purchase price. This promotion will run through September 15, and all orders must be submitted by noon EST on September 15 to guarantee shipment and delivery in time for BlizzCon. To order, visit http://www.swagdog.com/armoryinterface.aspx and enter your BlizzCon Ticket Store order number in the coupon section during checkout.

• The World of Warcraft: Cataclysm beta test is live, and we've begun the process of issuing invitations to selected participants! Week by week, as the beta test progresses, we will continue adding new World of Warcraft: Cataclysm playtesters. To opt in for Blizzard Entertainment beta tests, you must create a beta profile using the Beta Profile Settings option located in the "Manage My Games" section of your Battle.net Account Management page.
  
  Please note that players selected via the opt-in system do not receive beta keys. Rather, your account will be flagged automatically and an email will be sent to you. Simply log in to your account by visiting http://battle.net when you receive a beta welcome notice and check your "Manage My Games" section to verify that the beta client is available for download. Be careful when reading emails claiming to be beta invites. Scam emails often use clickable links to gather your account information, so the safest practice is to go to http://battle.net to check on your beta invitation status. If you would like tips on how to arm yourself against phishing attempts, head over to the Battle.net Account Security page.
  
  You can find the Cataclysm Beta forums here. Keep in mind that these forums are open to the public, but only those invited into the test environment will be able to post. Check out the full announcement for the beta test here, and stay tuned for more exciting news about World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. See you in Azeroth!

• You can now add even more functionality to the award-winning Sound Blaster World of Warcraft Headset with the new Tap Chat foot pedal accessory. By mapping your push-to-talk key or favorite macro to this foot control pedal, you can keep your hands totally free to control the game. As a bonus, the Tap Chat pedal will also come with an exclusive set of World of Warcraft logo lenses to further customize the look of your headset. The Tap Chat is available now, exclusively at the Blizzard Online Store and the Creative Labs Online Store.

• Before the BlizzCon festivities begin, we’re inviting you to join us for an evening of good food and good conversation -- all for a good cause. On Thursday, October 21, Blizzard will be hosting a special dinner to benefit the CHOC Children's Foundation, where guests will have an opportunity to meet and chat with game developers, artists, executives and other folks from Blizzard Entertainment.
  
  From July 13 through July 15, we'll be holding an online drawing to determine who can win an opportunity to purchase tickets to this event. A total of 200 tickets will be available for $500 USD each (limit two per person), and the proceeds will benefit the CHOC Children's Foundation. In appreciation of your donation, you'll receive:

  • Dinner and an opportunity to converse with executives, artists, developers, community managers, and others from Blizzard Entertainment
  • A signed print featuring Blizzard Entertainment artwork
  • One BlizzCon 2010 ticket (a $150 USD value)

  The BlizzCon 2010 benefit dinner will take place Thursday, October 21 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Hilton Anaheim hotel. To opt in to the ticket drawing and view the official rules for this opportunity, visit the official BlizzCon website between July 13 and July 15.

• As noted in the official patch 3.3.5 notes, the release of the Ruby Sanctum was briefly delayed to better align its availability across all regions.
  
  We're happy to announce that the wait is over, and the Ruby Sanctum is now open. To learn more about this exciting new raid dungeon, please visit the Ruby Sanctum preview page.