The Diablo III premium statue "Overthrown" depicts a mighty barbarian atop the conquered Diablo, shouting towards the High Heavens in vicious triumph. It was first unveiled as a grey prototype at San Diego Comic-Con 2008, and after a year and a half of continued development, is now being made available for pre-order.

Standing at a massive 18" (457.2mm) high, hand-cast in high-quality polystone, and painted to exacting standards, each piece is individually finished with a unique edition number. To see brand-new pictures of the painted statue, download an intense new wallpaper, or pre-order the piece (available fall 2009 for $299), head on over to Sideshow's website now.

The first Blizzard Entertainment global creative writing contest has been judged and the winning entries chosen. After poring over nearly 17 million words, our judges have decided on one grand prize winner and seven runners-up. Take a moment to enjoy the ideas and creative stories of all the winning entries.

The grand prize winner will visit the company headquarters to meet and eat with the Blizzard Entertainment creative writing staff, and will receive a Frostmourne sword. The seven runners-up will be sent signed copies of the Diablo Archive, Warcraft Archive, StarCraft Archive, and Warcraft War of the Ancients Archive.

The second batch of tickets for BlizzCon 2009 has now been sold out. If you weren’t able to get tickets this year, keep in mind that coverage of the gaming festival will also be offered by DIRECTV as a Pay Per View event, available both via satellite and Internet stream. In the meantime, keep an eye on the BlizzCon website for updates on panels, exhibits, events, and more. We look forward to meeting some of you at the show!

If you were unable to purchase BlizzCon tickets during the first round of ticket sales, we just wanted to remind you that our second batch of BlizzCon 2009 tickets will be going on sale Saturday, May 30. Ticket sales are again scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, so be sure to visit the ticket sales page then for a chance to get yours.

BlizzCon 2009 will take place August 21 and 22 at the Anaheim Convention Center, and tickets cost $125 each. For those unable to attend the show, in-depth coverage of BlizzCon will also be offered by DIRECTV as a Pay Per View event, available both via satellite and Internet stream. For more information about the convention and the DIRECTV BlizzCon packages, check out the official BlizzCon site.

The Diablo 3 Bestiary now features not one, not two, but five new creatures from the realm of Sanctuary: the Fallen Ones.

The fallen ones are a unique breed of true demonic origin, one of the few that I've been able to conclusively verify through sources other than the ancient Vizjerei tomes in my possession. (How I came by said tomes will, of necessity, remain my secret.)

Check out the Fallen Ones now!

We've also expanded the media galleries with new artwork and several new screenshots.

The initial allotment of tickets for BlizzCon 2009 has now been sold out. If you weren’t able to get tickets this time, you’ll have a second chance on Saturday, May 30, as another batch will go on sale then. Coverage of the gaming festival will also be offered by DIRECTV as a Pay Per View event, available both via satellite and Internet stream.

UPDATE: Tickets are scheduled to go on sale specifically at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, Saturday, May 16.

Just in case Saturday, May 16 isn’t circled on your calendar, here’s a quick reminder that BlizzCon tickets will be going on sale tomorrow. After our gnomish engineers here in Southern California get to work and finish making the final preparations late Saturday morning, they’ll activate the ticket-purchase process at 10 a.m. Pacific Time and BlizzCon tickets will officially go on sale. If you are unable to purchase tickets tomorrow, a second batch of tickets will go on sale May 30. And for those unable to attend the show, in-depth coverage of BlizzCon will also be offered by DIRECTV as a Pay Per View event, available both via satellite and Internet stream.

BlizzCon 2009 will take place August 21 and 22 at the Anaheim Convention Center, and tickets cost $125 each. For further information about the convention, check out the official BlizzCon site, and keep an eye on the ticket sales page tomorrow for the chance to get yours.

The StarCraft II beta-test period is coming in the months ahead! If you'd like a chance to participate, now's the time to let us know. Simply go to the "Beta Profile Settings" page in Battle.net account management to go through the new beta opt-in process and upload a snapshot of your system specs. During this process, you'll also have the opportunity to opt in to future betas for other Blizzard Entertainment games. Please note that even if you've opted in to our betas previously, you'll need to complete this new process and upload your current system specs to have a chance to be invited.

For more information, see the FAQ -- or create a Battle.net account to opt in now. If you have an unused beta code from BlizzCon 2008 or WWI 2008, visit this site to enter your code.

Tickets to this year's BlizzCon gaming convention, being held on August 21 and 22 in Anaheim, California, will go on sale worldwide on Saturday, May 16 for $125 each, with a second block of tickets going on sale Saturday, May 30. For those unable to attend, DIRECTV will once again be televising BlizzCon in high definition as a Pay Per View event, featuring coverage from the show floor, exclusive interviews, demos, and more. In addition, for the first time, players around the world will be able to watch the DIRECTV BlizzCon event as a Pay Per View Internet stream. Check out the press release for further details, and head over to www.blizzcon.com on May 16 or May 30 to buy your tickets.

We hope you enjoyed our April Fools' Day events. If you missed them, check out this year's jokes:

• World of Warcraft Dance Battle System Revealed
• StarCraft II: Introducing the Terra-tron
• New Diablo III Character Class: Meet the Archivist
• Forums: Role-Playing Reversal

The Blizzard Entertainment Joke Team will see you again next year. Just kidding -- we're always around waiting to pounce.

If you enjoy the Blizzard Entertainment universes and have the drive to pen fantasy fiction in them, here’s your chance to shine. Whether you conjure stories in your free time or write for a living, you’re encouraged to enter and have the chance to win a free trip to Blizzard Entertainment headquarters in Southern California. This contest is open to entrants from around the world, though all submissions must be in English. For more information, head to the contest page or read the official rules.

The Diablo 3 Bestiary now features a new creature from the realm of Sanctuary: the unburied.

Something is dreadfully wrong. Fear is in the air; I can feel it. I was but days out of Tristram when I saw a screaming ball of flame rip across the sky. Surely enough, soon after witnessing this harbinger of doom, I stumbled upon a badly mangled traveler. He was barely able to spit out the tale of the cursed monstrosity responsible for his broken body as his life drifted away. He called his killer "the unburied".

Check out the unburied entry now!

We've also expanded the media galleries with three new pieces of artwork and nine new screenshots.

The Eminence Symphony Orchestra has just released Echoes of War: The Music of Blizzard Entertainment, a comprehensive arrangement album of music from Blizzard Entertainment’s franchises, including pieces from the unreleased StarCraft II and Diablo III. The album comes on two CDs, and is available in both a standard edition and a special Legendary Edition packed with bonus materials. Visit the official Echoes of War website to hear samples, learn more, and order your copy today.

We have added four new Diablo III wallpapers to the media page.

We have added four new pieces of artwork and five new screenshots.

We have added three new pieces of artwork and seven new screenshots.

The Blizzard iTunes page has been updated to include the official World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Soundtrack. The iTunes edition of the soundtrack contains a total of 21 tracks, including three exclusives -- "Path of the Lifewarden," "Shadow Web Caverns," and "Obsidian Sanctum" -- different from the three exclusive tracks found on the Collector's Edition soundtrack CD. Individual tracks are available on iTunes for 99 cents each, or you can buy the entire album at once for $9.99. Click here to check out the soundtrack on iTunes, or head to the Blizzard iTunes page for more information -- and while you're there, check out the other Blizzard musical offerings, including soundtracks to Diablo II, StarCraft, and World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade.

For years, the heroes of the Alliance and Horde have fought against the evils in Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms, against the demons of the Burning Legion in Outland, and against each other -- all the while unaware that a threat more dangerous than any they had yet encountered was preparing to make its move in the icy continent of Northrend. Now the Lich King, Arthas Menethil, has emerged from Icecrown Citadel to claim the world as his own. Heroes of the Alliance and Horde gather in Northrend to make a stand against the malevolent being that dares to declare himself Azeroth’s one true king... and seeks to scour all life from the world.

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King is now live and available at a store near you -- you can check out the press release here. Featuring a massive new continent, the brand-new death knight Hero class, unique dungeons, an open-world PvP zone with siege vehicles and destructible buildings, and hundreds of brand-new quests, Wrath of the Lich King provides a huge variety of content for solo and group players. The expansion is available in both a standard and Collector's Edition; find out more about the latter in our Wrath of the Lich King Collector's Edition Preview. To learn more about what awaits you in Northrend, visit our Wrath of the Lich King Features Page and check out the primer to get you started.

During installation of the expansion, you'll be able to upgrade the World of Warcraft account you play to allow access to Wrath of the Lich King. You can click here to upgrade as well.

Keep the world of Sanctuary within arm's reach with our new Diablo-themed wallpapers and ringtones for your phone. We've just launched a new service in the United States that lets you download content related to your favorite Blizzard Entertainment games to supported mobile phones. Currently, these wallpapers and ringtones are available through carriers AT&T, Cellular One, Sprint, and Verizon; support for T-Mobile and Virgin Mobile is coming soon.

Over 65 pieces of content are currently available, including character art and game logos from the Diablo series. Visit the new Mobile Ringtones and Wallpapers page for more information -- and while you're there, be sure to check out our World of Warcraft and StarCraft mobile content, too.

The assets in our official Diablo III Fansite Kit are a potential bonanza for those who wish to build their own Diablo III related fansites. This downloadable package contains the following content, including some exclusive assets:

• Art assets including concept art, hi-res logos, and wallpapers
• Site design elements including borders, backgrounds, fonts, and stylesheets
• Exclusive content: Forum avatars / Messenger images
• Diablo III fact sheet and FAQ
• Sample Diablo III text content
• Site building tips

Download the Diablo III Fansite Kit now!

At the Diablo III Class Design panel, game director Jay Wilson went into more detail about the game's third playable class, the wizard. A wielder of the elements and a master manipulator of time, the wizard combats the hordes of the Burning Hells by hurling environment-shattering lightning bolts, channeling explosive arcane energies, and creating pockets of space outside the normal flow of time.

To find out more, check out the video introduction or visit the brand-new wizard information page to read the latest excerpt from the journal of Abd al-Hazir and see some of the wizard's powers in action.

We've also expanded the media galleries with four new pieces of artwork and thirteen new screenshots.

The Diablo 3 Bestiary now features a new creature from the realm of Sanctuary: the ferocious scavenger.

I had indeed seen scavengers: small, burrowing creatures that feed upon carrion. Unlike most animals of this type, however, they are extremely aggressive and will not hesitate to attack those unfortunate enough to encounter them. Scavengers have powerful legs which they use for swift springing attacks, striking at vulnerable faces and throats.

Check out the scavenger entry now!

We've also expanded the media galleries with five new pieces of artwork and seven new screenshots.

Want to get in on some competitive gaming while you're at BlizzCon? We're hosting several community competitions at this year's convention, including the first-ever StarCraft II Community Tournament. Other events include Defense of the Ancients (based on Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne) and World of Warcraft Battlegrounds tournaments. BlizzCon attendees can sign up in advance here or enter on site during show hours at the community tournament area.

DIRECTV's BlizzCon package features over 16 hours of live HD coverage of the event, including exclusive interviews and commentary. New DIRECTV subscribers in the US who sign up for DIRECTV by September 30 through www.blizzard.directv.com or 800-728-9375 will receive the BlizzCon pay per view package for free, while existing DIRECTV customers will be able to order it for $39.95 beginning on September 28. The package also includes the BlizzCon-exclusive World of Warcraft in-game polar bear mount. For full details head over to the BlizzCon site.

The Diablo 3 Bestiary now features a new creature from the realm of Sanctuary: the terrifying Dune Thresher.

As I was preparing to set pen to paper to begin recording my thoughts at the beginning of my epic undertaking to gather the world's knowledge together in one tome, the hand of providence tapped me on the shoulder. The news that a rogue burrower had killed a citizen just outside the city gave me the wonderful opportunity to see firsthand one of the more disturbing creatures we share this world with – the savage dune thresher.

Check out the new entry now!

We've also expanded the media galleries with four new pieces of artwork and four new screenshots.