CENARION HATCHLING RAISES MORE THAN $1.9 MILLION FOR JAPAN EARTHQUAKE RELIEF

Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of World of Warcraft players around the world who purchased the Cenarion Hatchling pet, we’ve raised a total of more than $1.9 million USD to support the ongoing earthquake and tsunami relief efforts in Japan. In May, we announced that for every Cenarion Hatchling purchased by July 31, 2011, 100% of the $10 USD adoption fee would be going to assist victims of this disaster — and the community responded by opening up their hearts and wallets wide. Thanks again for your support and for helping to make an impact on the lives of those affected by these events.

For the news piece, head to the World of Warcraft Community Site, and to learn more about the Pet Store, please visit the Pet Store FAQ.

STARCRAFT II: STARTER EDITION

We’ve replaced the previously available StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty demo with the recently launched StarCraft II: Starter Edition. StarCraft II: Starter Edition allows anyone to play the following content for free (all you need is a Battle.net account and Internet connection):

• The first four missions of the StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty single-player campaign, including Mar Sara 1-3 and the choice to embark on Tychus’s first mission or Dr. Hansen’s first mission.
• The first two Challenges: Tactical Command and Covert Ops.
• Access to the terran race in Custom Games and Single-Player vs. AI.
• Access to the following custom maps (map selection may rotate over time):

–        Xel’Naga Caverns

–        Shattered Temple

–        Discord IV

–        High Orbit

Any campaign progress and achievements you earn while playing StarCraft II: Starter Edition are automatically saved to your Battle.net account, and will carry over should you ever upgrade from the Starter Edition to the full version of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty.

For the full news post and StarCraft II: Starter Edition FAQ, head to the StarCraft II Community Site.

BLIZZCON 2011 VIRTUAL TICKET NOW ON SALE

Want to experience the panel discussions, tournaments, game-related announcements, and all the excitement of BlizzCon 2011 from the comfort of your own home? Then be sure to check out the BlizzCon Virtual Ticket!

The BlizzCon 2011 Virtual Ticket is now available for purchase  around the world for $39.99 USD (pricing may vary by region). Virtual Ticket coverage will be available as a multi-channel Internet stream and also via Pay Per View on DIRECTV in the United States, granting viewers a front-row seat to all of the action on the show floor including exclusive interviews, demos, and more!

For more information, you can read to the full news post here, head over to our official BlizzCon 2011 Live Stream page, or read the full FAQ.