Patch 5.4 patch notes
Virtual Realms feature revealed
The Proving Grounds are coming
The latest patch 5.4 newsWorld of Warcraft 2009 Arena Tournament announced [Updated]
by Adam Holisky 
Feb 10th 2009 at 1:35PM
The tournament realm will open up next week on February 17th. The global tournament will have cash prizes over $200,000.
The tournament realms will have level 80 characters in the latest epic gear from Wrath of the Lich King. We don't know exactly what the gear is yet, but we'll let you know as soon as we have it figured out.
And perhaps the best part? - The top teams will contend for the "Vanquisher" title for their live characters.
- All participants "can earn" an Armored Murloc in-game pet for their live characters.
Updated 3:03 p.m. EST: US participation confirmed.
Filed under: News items, PvP, Arena
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)
mirilene Feb 10th 2009 2:06PM
Picture is right on the EU tourney page
http://www.wow-europe.com/shared/wow-com/images/basics/arena/tournament/Arena2009_Murloc.png
I'm so getting in on this.
eonwe Feb 10th 2009 2:32PM
Must have murloc! Must learn to arena better, lol.
Morkeliph Feb 10th 2009 2:21PM
Note that "can earn" is in quotes...
No guarantee you get the pet if you sign up, from the looks of it.
Todd Feb 10th 2009 2:23PM
Yeah I wonder how much you have to do to get the murloc. If it is just sign up then I'll do it. Hope they still have the same baby murloc sounds that the other ones do.
morgan Feb 10th 2009 2:30PM
AND THE WINNER IS !!!!
PALY/DK OR MAGE/ROGUE
OK NO POINT IN GOING THROUGH ALL THE HOOPLA GIVE THEM THE CHEQUE
peon47 Feb 10th 2009 2:51PM
It's 3v3 not 2v2...
Kartharan Feb 10th 2009 2:41PM
Will Canada residents be able to enter?
Vaosan Feb 10th 2009 2:48PM
This is going to be the biggest joke in the history of arena tournaments AND jokes. The amount of burst DPS and cookie cutter combos for 2's and 3's are ridiculous at the moment.
Raze Feb 10th 2009 2:52PM
Oh snap.
I'll happily join in the crowd signing up solely for the Murloc. It'll be hilarious somewhere around a quarter of those who paid money for the tournament actually participate in the tournament.
crsh Feb 10th 2009 2:57PM
A realm full of pallys, rogues and mages; throw in a couple of DKs for good measure.
Kinda sad Blizz chose this time to do a tournament, it doesn't make the PvP aspect of the game look very good imo.
Michelle Feb 10th 2009 3:26PM
When I read the forum post I was slightly apprehensive - Aratll did specify that the Vanquisher title was for live characters, but he omitted saying that the murloc pet was live...stating merely that it was "in-game." If the murloc is only going to be given to a temporary toon stuck on an arena server, I am going to be one sad little tauren girl.
Deadly. Off. Topic. Feb 10th 2009 4:16PM
I'm a little disappointed that baby murloc pets were created for something like - they're too cool to be given as a limited item for people to get in tournaments. A more fitting pet for them would be having a "shapling" which would be a little pet that looks exactly like their character.
Krotukk Feb 10th 2009 4:19PM
Fie on pvp. There are 2 expansions worth of real content to this game, full of players who enjoy said content as well as collecting the non-combat pets. Seriously, how many pvpers are even going to care about the murloc any more than "lol gaiz new pet" and bring it out once before it becomes just another unused vanity option?
When I see warriors that will actually stand and fight using skill instead of prancing around each other in their Ballet of Get-Behind-You, maybe then I'll start to see pvpers as deserving of even the smallest praise. Until then, all I see is yet another way of Blizzard trying to make money off of everyone any way they can instead of delivering the quality they once did. Ritual of Summoning is broken? Eh, screw it. Here's your patch.
crsh Feb 10th 2009 5:14PM
The plan is to make players who want a shot at the pet register for the tournament, it's an incentive like any other (aka actual PvP gameplay). It's the same general idea as awarding a mount for 2 months of RaF, etc.
Are you still surprised that Blizzard (and now Activision) is milking this game and derived products for all they're worth?
Krotukk Feb 10th 2009 8:49PM
I understand perfectly what Blizzard is attempting to do, and not just as a player, but a person in general, it's sickening. Yes, I appreciate the effort and time Blizzard puts into keeping their servers up and operable so we can continue to play, but $15 each month from 11 million people is no doubt more than plenty to allow for this as well as ridiculously unnecessary pay rates. Small pieces of extra content should not require you to pay another $20.
Blizzard is just another faceless corporate scum taking my money, and allowing me to enjoy myself through their resources. I hate you so much, Blizzard. Love, me.
Deadly. Off. Topic. Feb 10th 2009 4:20PM
I just realized that they only need 10k of people to make that 200k of prize money. I wonder what they'll do with all this extra income generated by people who simply want the pet and pay the 20 bucks for it. (Cuz I'm quite sure most people would do that if only for the pet. I would if I could.)
McRaider Feb 10th 2009 4:24PM
See you in the n00b rounds! (running on PvE gear ftw! :D)
jake Feb 11th 2009 11:02AM
Umm, all the equipment will be the same. Unless you pick wrong. You create a lvl 80 toon on the arena realm, then you equip it. Arena Tournaments are about skill and what class you use. You dont have to quest for your equipment.
McRaider Feb 12th 2009 10:26AM
Heh, the gear won't matter almost at all at my point. I'm playing a prot paladin, witch isn't very good for arenas :D
Drago Dracini Feb 10th 2009 6:12PM
Super gay... I want a murloc pet, but I dont have the insane cash to go to Blizzcon and I don't do arena. Come on Blizz, give us non-PVPers a chance at murlocs!