We've updated the BlizzCon FAQ with some important details regarding how to obtain your ticket for the closing-night concert, items that cannot be brought into the exhibit hall and the arena, and more. Please take a few moments to review the new FAQ entries prior to attending BlizzCon this weekend.

With BlizzCon right around the corner, we wanted to provide attendees with an opportunity to plan out their days at the show. Have a look at the BlizzCon Event Schedule for a complete list of all the activities we have lined up for this weekend, as well as the times and locations at which they'll be taking place. In addition, you can check out the BlizzCon Floor Plan to get a sense of how to navigate your way from one attraction to the next.

World of Warcraft player Jonathan Davis of Korn, fresh off a European tour to promote the band's upcoming album See You on the Other Side (www.korn.com), will be the judge of the BlizzCon Original Song Contest sponsored by Creative Labs and FilePlanet. The five songs that receive the most votes will be played live for BlizzCon attendees during the Cocktails and Contests event, which starts at 7:00 PM PDT at the Anaheim Convention Center this Friday. JD will choose the grand prize winner, who will receive an autographed Ibanez K7 guitar and Creative GigaWorks ProGamer G500 speaker system.

The World of Warcraft team has released patch 1.8.1, which fixes a few minor bugs in the game. The patch notes are available here.

We have a special guest with us today, and he is here to dispel some of the common myths about traveling across Azeroth. He is Nodd the Gnome, and he has made it his life's goal to know the ins and outs of our lands, and he has complied his travels on the Travelwowcity website. Enjoy!

• Travelwowcity by Nodd

Have you made or seen something that you think deserves to be on the World of Warcraft Community Watch? Send us a link at: [email protected].

*Links on this news post may expire over time and are created by other companies/individuals that are neither affiliated with nor supported by Blizzard Entertainment.

We are in the process of sending out e-mails to every U.S. subscriber to World of Warcraft. Each of these e-mails contains one 10-Day Guest Pass Key you can use to recruit a friend into the game. If your friend then becomes a paying subscriber to World of Warcraft, then you will receive a FREE 30-Day Credit to your World of Warcraft account. So be sure to check your inbox over the next couple of days for your Recruit-A-Friend e-mail!

The extracurricular activities begin at 7:00PM PDT on Friday, October 28, at BlizzCon! Come relax at the beer gardens and enjoy cocktails as you chat with the Blizzard team in a casual, friendly environment. And don't forget the show! Onstage, your entertainment needs will be met by none other than the BlizzCon Dance, Sound-Alike, and Costume competitions. You'll also be able to feast your eyes and ears on our five spectacular Movie Contest and Original Song Contest winners! For your listening pleasure, Audiomoe will be on hand to spin some tunes and help set the tone for the evening. Contestants, don't forget to sign up for your respective contest at the BlizzCon information booth!

We hope you'll come and partake of all the fun on the first night of BlizzCon!

The Zandalarians were the earliest known trolls, the first tribe from which all tribes originated. Alongside the other tribes, the Zandalar defeated the blood god, Hakkar, and cast down his priests, the Atal'ai. However, as the Atal'ai priests have returned and the threat of Hakkar hangs once more, the Zandalar tribe has arrived on the shores of Azeroth to battle Hakkar once again. They offer what assistance they can to those who help them in their fight against the Atal'ai and Hakkar, including various patterns, plans, and recipes, as well as new gear.

Take a moment to check out our new Zandalar Faction pages to see what you can get by helping the Zandalar.

The ten finalists for the BlizzCon Original Song Contest have just been posted, and we need your help to pick the 5 grand prize winners. Click here to head over to Fileplanet, download the entries, and vote for the one you think should win! The five songs that receive the most votes will each score the following prize package:

• Sound Blaster Platinum X-Fi Sound Card
• Free year of World of Warcraft
• Free year of Fileplanet Premium Membership

We are happy to announce the will call registration hours for BlizzCon. Registration envelopes will be available for pickup at the registration booth in the Anaheim Convention Center beginning Wednesday, October 26 and continuing to Saturday, October 29. The registration booth is located in the Hall A lobby and is open from 11:00 AM PDT to 7:00 PM PDT on Wednesday and Thursday, from 9:00 AM PDT to 9:00 PM PDT on Friday and from 9:00 AM PDT to 6:00 PM PDT on Saturday.

Present the credit card used to purchase your online order and receive your BlizzCon badge, souvenir gift card, and concert voucher for any concert tickets you purchased. In order to redeem those concert vouchers for actual concert tickets, you will have to visit the concert window at the Arena Box Office, which is located next to the convention center and is open Thursday from 11:00 AM PDT to 7:00 PM PDT, Friday from 10:00 AM PDT to 10:00 PM PDT, and Saturday from 10:00 AM PDT to 8:00 PM PDT. When you hand in your voucher, you will be given a ticket with an assigned seat. Group seating is not guaranteed, but please note that if you wish to sit with a group of friends, you must all redeem your vouchers together, at the same time.

In order to ensure that World of Warcraft players enjoy an optimal gaming experience during peak hours, we're opening realm-to-realm character transfers for the realms listed below. These transfers will help bring the overall concurrency of these realms down to a level that not only improves performance and stability, but also alleviates queues. Please note that we constantly monitor realm populations. If other realms begin to experience long queues or other issues caused by overpopulation, we will address them accordingly.

• Warsong to Gurubashi
• Skullcrusher to Smolderthorn
• Blackrock to Frostwolf

The realm transfers listed above will open on Thursday, October 20 at 3:00 AM and will be open daily from 3:00 AM to 3:00 PM until October 27. We thank you for your patience in dealing with the high population realms and wish you luck on your adventures in Azeroth!

The World of Warcraft team is excited to introduce the opening of three brand new realms! Cho'gall (PvP), Kael'thas (PvE), and Kirin Tor (RP-PvE) will be available to newcomers beginning their journey in Azeroth for the first time, and players who wish to start anew on a fresh new realm. All are welcome! Here is an opportunity for players to pioneer their way into untrodden territory, to shape the balance of power between the Horde and the Alliance, to make their mark on Azeroth!

To seek out these new realms, login into World of Warcraft and look for the "New" label in the Population column. We hope you enjoy, and see you in the game!

Have you ever leveled to ten so fast you were certain you set some type of record? At BlizzCon, you'll have an opportunity to test your elite leveling skills by competing against others in the World of Warcraft Leveling contest, sponsored by Intel. Just stop by the Intel booth for details on how to enter this contest and show off your elite leveling skills! The winner will receive a Dell XPS2 laptop featuring Intel® Centrino® mobile technology.

When you go clubbing, is everyone in awe of your Trollish Capoeira or... "unique" Gnomish style? Well, we want to see you strut your stuff at BlizzCon! Show us your smooth dance moves taken from any dance in World of Warcraft. Five lucky winners will receive an Ideazon Z-Board with the World of Warcraft keyset and Zalman 5.1 surround sound headphones! Haul out that full-length mirror -- there's not much time to polish your performance before the show!

When the decorations of Hallow's End light up Azeroth's cities, you know there's mischief afoot! Seek special vendors in Orgrimmar or Ironforge and get your hands on treats! Aid a sick orphan in a little trick-or-treating! Deathcaller Yanka, attending the Forsaken's Wickerman Festival, and Sergeant Hartman of Southshore are seeking your aid in keeping the enemy out of their holiday affairs -- are you up to the challenge?

Be sure to visit the In-Game Events page of the Community section for screenshots!

This new gameplay trailer features a group of adventurers exploring the long forgotten city of Zul'Gurub. What ancient, unspeakable evil awaits our heroes as they move deeper and deeper into the trolls' cursed sanctuary? Download the trailer and see for yourself...

BlizzCon is about more than just the games. It's also about the hardware, accessories, and gaming lifestyle. The exhibitors we've partnered with for BlizzCon will be there to celebrate all aspects of gaming culture. Exhibitors ranging from NVIDIA to Intel to Games for Windows and more will be on hand with their latest gaming products. Come to their booths to see hands-on demonstrations, win prizes and promotions, and purchase their products at the show. Click here to view the full exhibitor list.

Pumpkin-Carving Contest!
October's longstanding tradition is upon us! Every year, Blizzard encourages legions of gamers to attack countless pumpkins with sharp utensils in the name of art, and this year is no exception. Take inspiration from any Blizzard game you like and carve your pumpkin in the theme of that game.

Halloween Screenshot Contest!
All Hallow's Eve is almost upon us, and the inhabitants of Azeroth are reveling in their own frightful festivities! It's time to polish the lens of your Super Snapper FX and capture those monstrous moments.

Winners of both contests will receive:

• One Copy of World of Warcraft
• A six month subscription of "game time" to the World of Warcraft gaming service applied to the World of Warcraft account of their choosing.

The Royal Photographic Society of Azeroth is proud to announce the winners of the World of Warcraft Wanted Poster Contest, sponsored by The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy! Hundreds of incredible posters were submitted, and we had an extremely hard time narrowing down the five winners. Click here to check out the winning submissions!

Make sure that you keep up to date on all the latest in the World of Warcraft News Archive.