In years past, the Zandalar tribe, encompassing the wise and scholarly progenitors of the trolls, heroically assisted the Horde and the Alliance with thwarting the nefarious activities of their brethren in Zul'Gurub and Zul'Drak. Yet the chaos unleashed by the recent Cataclysm has reshaped the Zandalari's philosophy about the world and the dwindling remnants of their race. Led by a mysterious prophet known only as Zul, the Zandalari have issued a call to Azeroth's embattled troll populations: unite into a single mighty empire and save their race from extinction.

Players are always looking for the best hardware setup to help them be competitive and effective when playing games. Some choose gaming peripherals with scores of customizable buttons to keep every finger busy, while others seek out more streamlined products for precision. One thing's for sure: there's a plethora of products on the market today to accommodate the myriad demands of computer gamers. This week's poll asks, "Which piece of hardware is the most important to you when playing World of Warcraft?"

New Player Tips is a recurring feature in which we ask World of Warcraft veterans to share their thoughts and advice for new adventurers on a variety of in-game topics. This week's topic is: game-changing gaming peripherals.

The first World of Warcraft: Cataclysm patch of the year is in development and now available for testing on the Public Test Realms. This minor patch includes several updates that we were unable to apply via hotfixes, including the recently discussed class balance changes, assorted bug fixes, and more.

Here you will find a list of hotfixes that address various issues related to the release of patch 4.0.3a and World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. While many have already been deployed on all realms, some may not be implemented until the next time your realm is restarted. We will continue to update this thread in the days ahead as additional hotfixes are applied.

The first PvP season of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is underway! Players are now able to compete in level-85 Rated Arenas for top gear, items, and titles -- and for the first time ever, they can enter level-85 Rated Battlegrounds to fight for the same rewards available through Arenas, along with the original World of Warcraft PvP titles.

You have until December 16, 2010 to make your submissions. The most impressive entrants will be eligible to win prizes from Razer, as well as signed copies of Blizzard games. Let the cup o' creativity floweth over!

As you're all aware by now, the shattering of Azeroth will drastically and permanently alter the continents of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms. In the wake of Deathwing's devastation, adventurers will be summoned to embark on new quests from levels 1 to 60 in these transformed territories -- and with so much new content to be found on these original two continents, many original quests will no longer be available after the shattering occurs.

The developer chat with World of Warcraft Production Director J. Allen Brack and Game Director Tom Chilton is about to begin! Head on over to the Best Buy forums if you'd like to participate. That link will redirect attendees to the chat shortly before it begins. Participation is limited to the first 500 attendees, but if you aren't able to make it into the chat you can still watch Best Buy's Ustream live mirror here.

Welcome back, adventurers! It's a dangerous world out there, so let's take a moment to wade through some of the latest community developments. If you missed our first entry, you can find it here.

An island off the coast of the Eastern Kingdoms, Tol Barad is a historic land now sought-after by the leaders of the Horde and the Alliance. Its strategic, isolated location makes it an ideal stronghold from which to conduct military strikes. In World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, a battle will be waged to seize control of this prized territory. Should you triumph, unique rewards await you. Read more about this all-new world PvP and questing zone here.

Well met, travelers! Welcome to the first entry in our ongoing Explorers' League Journal. Together, we'll embark on frequent journeys through the fascinating World of Warcraft community and investigate the latest developments and topics of interest being discussed throughout the lands. It wouldn't be a proper start without drawing your attention to the exciting live preview and impending official launch of the brand-new World of Warcraft community site! Now, let's dig deeper and explore the riches.

The design for combat resurrection effects has changed a good deal for Cataclysm, and we want to make sure players are clear on how spells like Rebirth and Create Soulstone now function.

With patch 4.0.1 now live and the official World of Warcraft: Cataclysm cinematic trailer released at www.youtube.com/warcraft, it's time for you to find out just what's in store in the weeks leading up to Cataclysm's launch on December 7.