During the opening ceremony of BlizzCon 2009, we revealed Diablo III's fourth playable class: the monk, a skilled holy warrior of unparalleled dexterity. Armed with speed, holy fervor, and the drive to achieve physical and spiritual perfection, the monk becomes a deadly apparition in the heat of battle, moving faster than the eye can follow to strike down enemies with a barrage of lightning-fast blows.

To find out more about Sanctuary's newest champion, check out the video introduction. You can also visit the new monk page to read an entry from the journal of Abd al-Hazir and watch videos of the monk in action.

The fourth BlizzCon has begun! The two-day celebration of Blizzard Entertainment games and the passionate communities of players surrounding them is now underway at the Anaheim Convention Center, and we're inviting everyone at home to follow along with the exciting events and announcements at www.blizzcon.com. We'll be updating the site throughout the convention with breaking news, updates from the developer panels, and photos from the show floor, contests, and other activities. We'll also be broadcasting streaming video of the tournaments taking place throughout BlizzCon, so be sure to check back often over the next couple of days.

If you're looking for up-to-the-minute coverage, you can also catch us on Twitter by following @Diablo, @Warcraft, and @StarCraft. For those watching on DIRECTV Pay Per View or via the Internet stream, don't forget to tweet us suggestions for what you'd like to see covered using the #BlizzConDTV tag.

With BlizzCon almost here, 3 Point Entertainment is introducing a new addition to their line of World of Warcraft steins. The "Charge of the Great Dragonflight" stein showcases all five Dragon Aspects in a full- color, bas-relief illustration, and also features an exquisitely crafted dragon's tail handle. This stein will be on display at BlizzCon, and is scheduled to ship in October. For more information, check out 3 Point Entertainment's website, Twitter feed, or Facebook page.

This year's BlizzCon is again being broadcast live on DIRECTV and, for the first time ever, being streamed live via the Internet -- and we're inviting you to play show co-director via Twitter. DIRECTV hosts will be reading your requests live from the BlizzCon show floor, helping to ensure that they're covering the events and activities that players want to see most. Simply send your suggestions with the tag #BlizzConDTV to one of these Twitter feeds: @Warcraft, @StarCraft, or @Diablo. You can also send your questions for the game developers or give feedback about the show using the same tag, as we'll be reading community tweets all throughout BlizzCon. Catch you at the show!

Think you know who will win the StarCraft, Warcraft, and World of Warcraft tournaments at BlizzCon 2009? Intel is running a contest where you can put your predictive powers to good use.

Visit http://scoop.intel.com/blizzcon.php to get details on how you can register to “Choose a Champion.” Participants who choose the tournament winners correctly have the opportunity to win one of three ASUS G50VT gaming laptops. Entry closes August 21, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. (PST).

This Friday marks the beginning of BlizzCon 2009, and thousands of players will be making the trek to the Anaheim Convention Center to enjoy a weekend full of gaming, tournaments, panels, contests, and more. If you're interested in watching the sold-out show, don't forget that you still have a few days to order your "virtual ticket," available through DIRECTV or via Internet stream. This package comes with 18 hours of live coverage, including the closing concert with Ozzy Osbourne, as well as the exclusive BlizzCon 2009 in-game pet, Grunty the murloc marine.

Creative Labs is partnering with Blizzard Entertainment to announce the new Sound Blaster World of Warcraft Wireless Headset, catering specifically to the World of Warcraft gamer. From the customizable ear cup "Glyphs" featuring Horde and Alliance artwork illuminated by 16 million color programmable LEDs, to the huge emphasis on comfort for extended wear, this headset pushes the envelope in both technology and design. For more information about the Sound Blaster World of Warcraft Wireless Headset, visit Creative.com.

You can now follow all of your favorite Blizzard Entertainment news on Twitter. Just head over to @Warcraft, @StarCraft, or @Diablo for all of the news, events, contests, and more. We're starting off with a bang, so you can enter contests for each of the franchises:

1. @Warcraft -- Let out your #BattleCry to show your allegiance to Horde or Alliance in preparation for BlizzCon! Win Horde and Alliance prize packages while showing off your pictures during the ongoing battle across Twitter!
2. @StarCraft -- Are you the biggest #SC2fan? If you are, you will have a chance at 500 StarCraft II beta keys we're giving away in this challenge.
3. @Diablo -- Have you always wanted to have an item in a game that you've named? Enter the #d3unique contest with your best item name and you could win the grand prize of seeing your item wielded by Diablo III players worldwide.

As we head into BlizzCon, we'll also have live coverage and provide a spot to talk about news as it happens in real time. Be sure to check it out for contests and more over the next week.
Do you plan to watch the DIRECTV Pay Per View or Internet stream? We'll be Twittering live at the event and looking for your tweets!
Things won't end there, and we're looking for you to help us reach a twittercal mass on our new Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo Twitter communities.

The Blizzard Fan Art Section has been updated with 3 new artwork from World of Warcraft.

Ozzy Osbourne, the only mortal to openly challenge the Lich King's claim to the title "Prince of Darkness" and survive, will take the stage live at Anaheim Convention Center to rock the closing ceremonies of BlizzCon 2009.

Although tickets to the convention sold out in minutes, you can still join in with the 'BlizzCon Virtual Ticket' live Internet stream or via DIRECTV Pay Per View. The Virtual Ticket will feature 18 hours of BlizzCon coverage, including Ozzy's live performance, as well as the BlizzCon 2009 exclusive in-game pet: Grunty the Murloc Marine.

Check out the official press release to learn more.