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IN THIS ISSUE
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty - Midnight Launch Intelligence Report
StarCraft II Beta Retrospective

2010 European Warcraft Invitational!
Blizzard at gamescom 2010 in Cologne
StarCraft II: Join the Dominion
World of Warcraft Official Magazine Issue #2 Preview
Diablo II: 10-Year Anniversary

Merchandise Spotlight
FORUM WATCH
What was your first epic item?
Things that deserve an Achievement
A guide to... motivation
What is good roleplay?
What will you do once Cataclysm has been released?
FROM THE PLAYERS
 
 
SCREENSHOTS



A
t midnight on July 27, 2010, interplanetary conflict ignited once more as StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty hit shelves at retail locations throughout the world. Now available not only in retail stores, StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty can also be purchased on the Blizzard Store or downloaded digitally.

At our European events spread across five cities, Blizzard Entertainment developers were on hand to celebrate the arrival of the game with players and to sign the newly released copies. At events spread across five cities – London, Paris, Berlin, Stockholm, and Moscow – the midnight openings were attended by many who joined in the festivities. Lines began forming during the evening of July 26th in anticipation of the doors opening for the launch of StarCraft II.

For a full report on the events that took place, check out our StarCraft II Midnight Openings page.



D
uring the final stages of the beta test of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, the Blizzard Insider sat down with Lead Designer Dustin Browder to discuss the balance and design philosophies behind StarCraft II's intricate multiplayer matches -- and get some insight into the evolution of StarCraft II's intense strategic gameplay.

StarCraft II introduces lots of new units and abilities that build on the gameplay of the original StarCraft. Can you discuss how a few of those ideas came about, and how they changed over the course of the beta test?

Dustin Browder: We're always looking for ways to make the three races of StarCraft play as differently from one another as possible. One of the core things we've been trying to do is make the zerg feel more evil and biological – like they're trying to get under your skin. One of the abilities we came up with a while ago was to "stun" structures with some kind of zerg slime, so that whenever you're fighting the zerg, your buildings are often covered in ooze. This ability moved around from unit to unit during the beta test while we worked in other zerg abilities to make enemy units more vulnerable to attack. Disease, infestation, and disgusting biological attacks are all core to the zerg approach to warfare.

Read the Full Interview

On August 7 and 8, Blizzard Entertainment will be holding its 2010 European Warcraft Invitational in Cologne’s Mediapark (Germany).

I
n a celebration of our games’ vibrant eSports community, the event will feature epic multiplayer tournaments for Warcraft III and World of Warcraft Arena, as well as StarCraft II show matches.

The stakes are high, as the winners of the tournaments will advance to the Global Finals that will be held at BlizzCon later this year. But even if you are not amongst the top ranked players in Europe, you can take part in the event by participating in various contests in the Free Gaming Area. You will also be able to play both StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty and the beta of the highly anticipated World of Warcraft: Cataclysm.

All the matches will feature live commentary in English, and a high quality video stream of these shoutcasted matches will be made available for everyone who cannot attend. Best of all, both the event itself and the live streaming are free of charge!

There’s no reason to miss out - click here now for more info.


B
lizzard Entertainment will be at gamescom 2010 in August. Visitors to the Blizzard Entertainment booth, located in Halle 6, B21 & B31, will have the opportunity to play our upcoming games and hear our latest news and information.

From Thursday 19 until Sunday 22 August, gamescom in Cologne, Germany will be open to the public. Find out more about the show and how to get there at www.gamescom-cologne.com.



W
ith interstellar war efforts ramping up, the Terran Dominion has launched a propaganda campaign to attract new recruits and showcase the power of the terran industrial war machine. Full of exclusive new StarCraft II content, this new mini-site features an arsenal of images, music, and videos to get you locked and loaded for the recently released StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty.


T
he recently released second issue of the World of Warcraft Official Magazine features a spectacular high-quality, double-foldout cover depicting Deathwing in battle with Alexstrasza.

Inside you'll find a guide to Azeroth's dragons, a look at the lore of the titans, an interview with the development team behind the game's quests, expert advice from top raiding guilds and PvPers, and much more.

For a special 46-page sneak preview of some of this issue's articles and info on how to subscribe, head over to
www.worldofwarcraftthemagazine.com.


T
en years have passed since the launch of Diablo II, the game that pitted the mortal realms against the diabolical Prime Evils: the brothers Baal, Mephisto, and Diablo. Celebrate a decade of demon-slaying by visiting this special 10-year anniversary webpage featuring a commemorate piece of artwork.

Check it out, and learn from history while you can – for evil has survived in the lands of Sanctuary, and the forces of the Burning Hells gather their strength, preparing to invade the mortal realms once more.


Now Available: Superb StarCraft Items!

Hell, it’s about time! The long awaited release of StarCraft II has arrived and it doesn´t come alone. Make your StarCraft II experience even more immersive with our exclusive items such as the StarCraft II cinematic poster, the StarCraft II Calendar, and StarCraft II novels and comics.


SoundBlaster World of Warcraft Headset

Experience the sounds of Azeroth and beyond like never before with the SoundBlaster® World of Warcraft® Headset and communicate clearly with your party or raid. The Sound Blaster World of Warcraft Headset features a professional grade microphone, ensuring everyone can hear your shouts of "Heal Me! Heal Me!" in all of its resonant glory.

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