The war between the Horde and the Alliance continues to escalate as both factions vie to claim Pandaria’s resources as their own. Deep within the Valley of the Four Winds, the mines of Deepwind Gorge serve as a Battleground where victory is measured not in fallen foes, but in gold. High atop the majestic mountains of Kun-Lai Summit, the Tiger’s Peak Arena—training ground of the Shado-Pan—tests the mettle of all who enter its perilous boundaries.

Patch 5.2: The Thunder King brought with it not only new and exotic locations to visit (if you don’t mind a few storms) but a slew of new creatures. One of these creatures is the Zandalari Battlesaur whose roar can shake even the most stalwart hero. But, what exactly goes into crafting a voice for such a creature? The World of Warcraft Sound team was able to pop the hood and give us a look at the anatomy of the sound design within.

There’s a storm brewing on Thunder Isle in the form of the newly risen Thunder King: Lei Shen and the invading Zandalari forces who support his bid to regain his seat of power over Pandaria. Once more the heroes of the Horde and Alliance are being called forth to take on this threat, but they do so in the midst of their own dark and bloody war reignited by the decimation of Theramore and the betrayal that split the Kirin Tor.

It’s been a long journey since we first stepped foot in Pandaria. We’ve met the formidable and resourceful pandaren, made friends (or enemies) with the hozen and jinyu; we’ve faced the threat of the mantid, and unleashed long buried horrors upon the land in the form of the sha. But, amidst all of this, there was an even more insidious threat to take notice of. Layers upon layers of conflict can be found on the continent, including the situation involving the mogu and their once and perhaps (more frighteningly) future emperor, Lei Shen.

With the release of Mists of Pandaria, we introduced a new Legendary quest line, available to all classes and factions. Let’s catch up with the quest line so far and take a peek at what’s to come in patch 5.2: Rise of the Thunder King.

In this poll we wanted to find out, now that it is you who have the power, who among your foes have you sought out for revenge? Who was served the coldest dish?

Each year the people of Azeroth count their blessings, cross their daggers, tuck a shrunken head (or two) under their pillows, and wish upon a star that Greatfather Winter will bring them just what they’ve always wanted.

The December edition of ImagineFX magazine is now on sale and packed with a little something extra for Blizzard art enthusiasts, including tutorials and how-to information from some of the artists that help bring World of Warcraft to life. You’ll also get to take a look into Blizzard Entertainment’s Fine Arts Project; a unique gathering of some of the world’s greatest contemporary fantasy artists creating their own visions of the Blizzard universe.

If you’re a fan of Science Fiction and Fantasy, you’ll recognize the name and iconic style of legendary artist Michael Whelan.  WoW Insider’s Lisa Poisso was fortunate enough to sit down with him to discuss his awe inspiring rendition of the dragon we all love to hate, Deathwing.

The Instance recently had an opportunity to sit down with Blizzard’s Director of Audio, Russell Brower, to discuss the auditory cornucopia of music found in Mists of Pandaria and more. You’ll want to carve out some time to sit back, relax, and enjoy this special episode.

The Battle.net World Championship has concluded. If you missed out on any of the action, be sure to check out the VODs. The Battle.net World Championship kicks off at 6:00 p.m. PST this Friday, November 16, and you can catch all the action live, FREE, and in HD over at www.battle.net/bwc. Tune in to watch the epic finale of the StarCraft II World Championship Series and the World of Warcraft Arena Global Finals, as some of the world’s best pro gamers battle it out for glory, cash prizes, and the coveted title of world champion.

This Friday the Battle.net World Championship will take Shanghai, China by storm. To make sure that you have all the information you need, we've launched a brand new event site complete with player profiles, brackets, event schedule and more. Keep up on all the World of Warcraft and StarCraft II event news and make sure you're ready to take in all the action live on the free stream starting at 6:00 PM PST Friday, November 16.

The latest Normal difficulty Mists of Pandaria Raid dungeon is now available: Terrace of Endless Spring.  All Heart of Fear bosses are also now available in Raid Finder.

Now that you’ve learned a little more about the Battle.net World Championship and the great World of Warcraft events that will be occurring, it’s time to introduce you to the teams that will be competing in the World Championship World of Warcraft Arena Global Finals.

The latest Normal difficulty Mists of Pandaria Raid Dungeon is now available: Heart of Fear.  Raid Finder and Heroic difficulties will be available Tuesday, November 6.

We’ve already gone over the new Spirit of Harmony resource and the changes coming to many professions in Mists of Pandaria, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t go over some of the larger profession changes. We sat down with the designers to talk about Archaeology, Cooking, and Inscription to learn more about what’s in store for these trades. Please note that this overview includes many details regarding plot elements or in-game surprises, so look away if that’s not your thing.

Mists of Pandaria introduces a unique zone unlike anything that World of Warcraft has ever seen. The Vale of Eternal Blossoms is a max-level area that will present players with a randomized series of challenging quests each day. Here to explain this new type of gameplay, and the story behind it, is Quest Designer Craig Amai.

Two zones in Pandaria lie beyond the Serpent’s Spine wall, where few Pandaren dare to tread. One of these regions is the terrifying Dread Wastes, the homeland of a sophisticated insectoid race known as the mantid. What makes the mantid so terrifying for the pandaren, and what happens next? To find out, we spoke with Don Adams, Associate Quest Designer.

Today we take a walk on the wild side, and for the first time since our tour of Pandaria began, we step beyond the Serpent’s Spine wall and into the dangerous – but hauntingly beautiful – hills of the Townlong Steppes. Leading the way is World of Warcraft’s Lead Quest Designer, Dave “Fargo” Kosak.

You may have read about Spirit of Harmony in our previous article, Professions: Living in Perfect Harmony, but now it’s time for us to share the rest of the story. To get you caught up on some of the other profession changes, we sat down with the designers once more to talk about them. So let’s just get to it.

In the words of Wrathion, Pandaria is a land of “mystery, history . . .  and opportunity.” Kun-Lai Summit features all three! We’ve been exploring the various locations in Pandaria by talking to the designers behind them. Today we’ve pulled aside Dave ‘Fargo’ Kosak, World of Warcraft’s lead quest designer, to talk about the majesty of Kun-Lai Summit.

Along the southern coast of Pandaria stretches an inhospitable jungle known as the Krasarang Wilds. Separated from the idyllic Valley of Four Winds by an enormous natural cliff known as Wind’s Edge, the Wilds play host to a number of adventures. Today we’ll be talking with Zach Owens, Associate Quest Designer, about the Krasarang Wilds and the dark secrets held within.

You’ve explored the sprawling Jade Forest, witnessed the majesty of the Serpent’s Heart, and soaked in the grandeur of the Temple of the Jade Serpent.  You’ve met the noble jinyu and the foul-mouthed hozen, and you’ve had your first run-in with the cruel, ogre-like mogu.  Now, you stand at the forest’s edge, and you find yourself on the cusp of a grassy, sun-soaked plain: the Valley of the Four Winds.

Pandaria is a majestic land of mystery and intrigue. Long has it been shrouded in the mists and relatively untouched . . . until now. To get you better acquainted with this new continent, we’ve pulled out our cameras and snapped a few shots of some of the great points of interest and stunning vistas. We’ve also taken the time to speak to the zone’s designers to ask them questions about the best sites to see, the key storylines you may want to know about, and the creatures you’ll want to meet (or avoid).

As with any new expansion, we often find that we have an opportunity to take a closer look at a variety of game systems within World of Warcraft and explore new ideas or improvements to the game. One system in particular is held near and dear to the hearts of the community: professions. With Mists of Pandaria, the designers were able to seize upon an opportunity to look at the role of materials and refine their purpose and their usefulness. In the end, they came up with Spirit of Harmony as the new resource du jour.