The Sara system was initially catalogued by freelance prospectors and colonized by an expedition from Tarsonis several years later. Mar Sara formed the eighth of the thirteen core colonies of the Terran Confederacy. The Sara system was unusual for having two habitable planets, but Mar Sara was always a backwater colony compared to the more prosperous Chau Sara.
Mar Sara was one of the first planets to be infested by the zerg when they appeared in terran space. It was also the first planet on which the Confederates fought the advancing Swarm to any significant extent, although most of the actual fighting was done by local militia forces.
Read more about Mar Sara here. We have also added two new pieces of artwork and six new screenshots.
The Warcraft III 2008 invitational ladder has begun. We will be inviting the top players from each regional ladder to compete. Please refer to the FAQ and Rules for information and guidelines about this year’s competition. Good luck!
Warcraft III 2008 Tournament - Last Year's Top Performers
We're pleased to announce the top two performers from last year's tournament for each region:
Based on their performance, these players have automatically qualified for their respective regional qualifier event. They will join the top-six-ranked players from each region's invitational ladder to form the final lineups. Congratulations and good luck!
Warcraft III 2008 Tournament Schedule
Daliniya on July 18, 2008
The Warcraft III 2008 Tournament is now underway and competitors are furiously climbing the ladder. Below is the schedule for the tournament:
Ladders
Open: June 30 - July 11
Invitational: July 21 - August 8
Regional Finals
Korea: August 16-17 in Seoul, South Korea
North America: September 6-7 in Boston, Massachusetts
Europe: September 6-7 in Madrid, Spain
Global Finals
BlizzCon: October 10-11 in Anaheim, California
For more detailed information, please visit the FAQ and Rules pages.
Warcraft III 2008 Open Ladder Concludes
Daliniya on July 11, 2008
The Warcraft III 2008 open ladder has now ended. We will be inviting the top players from each regional ladder to compete in the invitational ladder. Please refer to the FAQ and Rules pages for information and guidelines about this year’s competition. Good luck!
Activision Blizzard Announcement
Liasanai on July 10, 2008
We’re excited to announce that our planned team-up with Activision, first made public back in December 2007, is now a reality. All regulatory and shareholder approvals have been granted, meaning Blizzard Entertainment -- along with the other companies that made up Vivendi Games -- is now part of a new organization called Activision Blizzard. While this transition doesn’t impact our games, websites, personnel, day-to-day operations, or development philosophies, the combined resources of Activision Blizzard will make it easier than ever for us to deliver the best games possible to our players around the world.
StarCraft and Warcraft III Competition at Digital Games
Daliniya on July 8, 2008
StarCraft: Brood War and Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne are coming to the 2008 Digital Games worldwide tournament as part of the real-time strategy (RTS) category.
Digital Games is a worldwide online tournament featuring competition in thirteen titles, with the best players receiving permanent online medals. Participants can represent their countries on ladders in five different worldwide regions, and can win medals at the country, region, and world levels. Top gamers may also have the chance to attend the Digital Games Grand Final event in China as part of the Olympic Games welcome events.
Ladder play is already underway, so you can sign up and put your skills to the test by visiting the Digital Games site at http://dg.ggl.com.
Warcraft III 2008 Tournament Preview
Daliniya on July 7, 2008
We're pleased to announce the 2008 Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne Battle.net ladder tournament. The upcoming competition will follow a similar format to the previous ones, using three invitational ladders hosted on the Kalimdor, Northrend, and Azeroth realms, each initially populated on an invitation-only basis by the world's most established and successful Warcraft III players. Each will function as a standard Battle.net solo ladder, with their own rankings displays and map pools. For more information and details on the tournament, please check out the FAQ.
Returning to Diablo II
Daliniya on July 3, 2008
With this past weekend's announcement of Diablo III, now is the perfect time to revisit the dark fantasy world of Sanctuary (or check it out for the first time). The Diablo II ladder was recently reset, wiping the slate clean and kicking off a new rush to level 99. In addition, the newly released patch 1.12a lets you play without having the Diablo II CD in the drive. To download the patch, either connect to Battle.net or visit the Patch Download page, and be sure to read the patch notes for further instructions.
Diablo II and its expansion, Lord of Destruction, are also now available for direct download via our online store, making it easy to replace lost CDs or to introduce the game to friends. You can also visit the Arreat Summit for Diablo II resources and information, including detailed item listings, formulae, build templates, and more.
Character Biography: Zeratul/span>
Daliniya on July 3, 2008
Learn more about StarCraft II's main characters and their complex intertwining stories in the character biography of Zeratul, the second installment of our StarCraft II character biography series. We have also added one new piece of artwork and five new screenshots.
Diablo® III Unveiled!
June 28th 2008
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
With this past weekend's announcement of Diablo III, now is the perfect time to revisit the dark fantasy world of Sanctuary (or check it out for the first time). The Diablo II ladder was recently reset, wiping the slate clean and kicking off a new rush to level 99. In addition, the newly released patch 1.12a lets you play without having the Diablo II CD in the drive. To download the patch, either connect to Battle.net or visit the Patch Download page, and be sure to read the patch notes for further instructions.
Diablo II and its expansion, Lord of Destruction, are also now available for direct download via our online store, making it easy to replace lost CDs or to introduce the game to friends. You can also visit the Arreat Summit for Diablo II resources and information, including detailed item listings, formulae, build templates, and more.
Character Biography: Zeratul
Daliniya on July 3, 2008
Learn more about StarCraft II's main characters and their complex intertwining stories in the character biography of Zeratul, the second installment of our StarCraft II character biography series. We have also added one new piece of artwork and five new screenshots.
Diablo II Ladder Reset and 1.12a Patch
Daliniya on June 18, 2008
The Diablo II ladder has been reset, wiping the slate clean and beginning the rush to be the first to level 99! In addition to the reset we’ve also released Diablo II patch 1.12a, which removes the requirement to have your Diablo II CD in the drive while playing. To download the patch either connect to Battle.net or visit our Patch Download page, and be sure to read the Patch Notes for further instructions.
Char was formerly one of the thirteen core worlds of the Confederacy, but it is most notorious as the primary hive planet of the alien zerg. Upon its discovery, Char was found to be an inhospitable volcanic planet with thick ash covering most of its surface and tainting its acrid atmosphere. The hazardous environment is further intensified by extremely high levels of cosmic radiation from Char's volatile pairing of binary stars, a class VI F0 sub dwarf orbiting an M8 irregular variable.
Read more about Char here. We have also added three new pieces of artwork.
The baneling is a creature so bloated with fluid-filled sacs that it can barely walk; instead, it moves itself by tucking into a tight ball and rolling. However, this ungainly appearance belies the fact that the baneling is an extremely dangerous organism, one of several new zerg specialists recently seen on the battlefield. When a baneling gets close enough to an enemy, the creature triggers a reaction within its volatile chemical payload that causes it to explode with devastating force and shower the immediate surroundings with searing acid.
Read more about the baneling here. We have also added four new pieces of artwork and seven new screenshots.
The Story So Far... Part 2: The Brood War
Blizzard on April 16, 2008
The storyline of StarCraft II takes place four years after the events of StarCraft: Brood War. We have prepared a two-part overview called The Story So Far, an opportunity for you to get up to speed with the characters, settings, and developments that lead up to StarCraft II. Read about Kerrigan's treachery as the Queen of Blades, Samir Duran's hybrid experiments, and the final events leading up to StarCraft II.
Tassadar's brave sacrifice had destroyed the Overmind, but countless rampaging zerg remained on Aiur and would surely overrun the surviving protoss. Zeratul offered sanctuary on Shakuras, the adopted home of the dark templar. Although the decision was difficult, Executor Artanis and the surviving members of the shattered Conclave agreed that their first duty was to save as many lives as possible.
Jim Raynor's forces and the protoss cut a path through the zerg to reach an ancient xel'naga warp gate, the relic of an earlier age. Using the gate, Zeratul opened a connection to a second gate on Shakuras. During the battle, Raynor and some of the protoss were cut off, but Artanis and Zeratul led many other protoss through the gate to safety on Shakuras.
The Blizzard Entertainment Joke Team™ will see you again next year. Just kidding - we're always around waiting to pounce.
No Holds Barred: Bard Hero Class Announced!
Blizzard on April 1, 2008
The deeds of every great hero inspire countless songs of triumph, virtue, and epic adventure. But although a heros glory endures in song, the creators of those songs are seldom remembered. After ages spent singing of the heroic exploits of others, the bards of Azeroth are finally stepping into the spotlight on their own terms, proving once and for all that while just about anyone can pick up a sword or cast a spell, only a true hero can vanquish evil with the power of ROCK! Check out this new class here!
WoW Coming To Consoles With Molten Core: Unleashed!
Blizzard on April 1, 2008
Blizzard Entertainment is proud to announce its long-awaited return to console development with Molten Core: Unleashed!, a new console game based on the popular World of Warcraft 40-person raid dungeon. In Molten Core: Unleashed!, players will once again be challenged by the highly complex encounters of Molten Core and battle epic enemies such as Majordomo Executus and Ragnaros. Classic heart-stopping moments such as becoming the living bomb when facing the infamous Baron Geddon will be revitalized in this new version of the Molten Core experience designed exclusively for console systems. Check out the official press release for more information, and keep your eyes peeled for updates on www.blizzard.co.uk.
Announcing the Diablo Loot Piata!
Blizzard on April 1, 2008
In the old Confederacy, terran marines were mostly criminals or rebels who had undergone mandatory neural resocialization. Freed from any previous allegiances or ideologies, these fearless soldiers stood ready to defend Confederate interests with their lives but exhibited an annoying tendency toward petty larceny, vandalism, and occasional cannibalism. Confederate authorities were unable to requisition enough reliable troopers in this way, and eventually recruiters turned to a new source of fresh meat for the grinder. Learn more about the Tauren Marine here!
StarCraft II: Zerg Revealed
Community on March 11, 2008
The StarCraft II website has just been updated with new information about the zerg, the game's third playable race. You can now learn more about the nightmarish hydralisks and the agile and dangerous mutalisks, and can also catch up on the recent history of the Swarm. Also make sure to check out the newly added screenshots, concept art, and unit videos included in this first look at the zerg.
Discussion Topic of the Month: Map Making
Community on February 27, 2008
Over the years we have enjoyed watching our community show their creativity and create amazing maps and mods to our games. With StarCraft II we would like to encourage you to keep up the awesome work, so we’d like to give you a tool, you will enjoy working with. We have already answered questions in our Q&As but now it is your turn to tell us what your ideal StarCraft II Editor would look like!
StarCraft II - Q&A Batch 31
Daliniya on February 27, 2008
We recently answered a number of questions from the community regarding StarCraft II. Check out part 31, the latest of the Q&A, along with the previous ones on the StarCraft II Q&A archive in the Battle.net forums.
StarCraft II - Q&A Batch 28
Daliniya on February 5, 2008
We recently answered a number of questions from the community regarding StarCraft II. Check out part 28, the latest of the Q&A, along with the previous ones on the StarCraft II Q&A archive in the Battle.net forums.
StarCraft II - Q&A Batch 27
Daliniya on February 5, 2008
We recently answered a number of questions from the community regarding StarCraft II. Check out part 27, the latest of the Q&A, along with the previous ones on the StarCraft II Q&A archive in the Battle.net forums.
Character Biography: Jim Raynor
Daliniya on January 28, 2008
Jim Raynor was a Confederate marshal on Mar Sara at the time of the first zerg incursions on that world. Despite bravely fighting the alien aggressors and saving many lives, he was arrested by Confederacy forces on the pretext of destroying Confederate property at Backwater Station. When he was subsequently liberated by Arcturus Mengsk's Sons of Korhal, an anti-Confederate revolutionary group, Raynor chose to fight alongside them...
Learn more about StarCraft II’s main characters and their complex intertwining stories in the character biography of Jim Raynor, the first installment of our StarCraft II character biography series.
StarCraft II Community Section is Live
Daliniya on January 25, 2008
The StarCraft II Community section of the official StarCraft II web site is now live. Here you’ll find up-to-date links to the latest developer Q&A batches, BlizzCasts, regularly updated community spotlights, latest forum discussions, and future community projects. Head over to the StarCraft II site now and check it out!
StarCraft II - Q&A
Daliniya on January 25, 2008
We recently answered a number of questions from the community regarding StarCraft II. Check out part 26, the latest of the Q&A, along with the previous ones on the StarCraft II Q&A archive in the Battle.net forums.
The Crucio is the Dominion update of the immensely popular but aging Arclite siege tank. The Arclite was renowned throughout the Confederacy for its devastating firepower and stalwart emplacement/advance tactics. Originally designed to serve as a "final defense" security cannon, the siege tank adopted a two-stage configuration in its final form: a mobile assault mode and a deployed siege mode that brought its massive shock cannon to bear.
Read more about the siege tank here. We have also added two new artwork and one new screenshot.
New StarCraft II Unit Added – Nomad
Liasanai on December 18, 2007
We have added a new terran unit, the nomad.
The TF-620 nomad is an all-around workhorse that combines the functions of light manufacturing center and observation post rolled into one. A common sight among the fringe-world colonies, the nomad is a robust, air-mobile vehicle built to operate independently in all but the harshest climates.
Read more about the nomad here. We have also added four new artwork and two new screenshots.
StarCraft II - Q&A
Liasanai on December 17, 2007
We recently answered a number of questions from the community regarding StarCraft II. Check out part 24, the latest of the Q&A, along with the previous ones on the StarCraft II Q&A archive in the Battle.net forums.
