[UPDATED] Arena Tournament has begun!
by Zach Yonzon 
Feb 25th 2009 at 9:00PM
Registering for the tournament, which costs $20 or €15, will grant players access to the tournament realms where they can create Level 80 characters of any race and class. These characters will be outfitted with the best Arena gear available -- Deadly Gladiator items from Season 5 -- and will have access to other epic items as well as enchants, gems, and glyphs allowing them to customize their character as they see fit.
Players whose teams finish in the Top 1000 at the end of the qualifiers will receive the Vanquisher title for all their characters over Level 70. Casual players who don't play Arenas seriously still have some incentive as the only requirement to obtain the Murloc pet -- Murkimus the Gladiator, according to the Patch 3.1 files -- is to play 200 games over the six-week qualifying period with one team regardless of record. [UPDATE: According to this post, the first two weeks are considered a practice period and thus do not count towards the 200 ranked games required to qualify for the pet.] Players must have an active subscription in order to register.
Filed under: News items, PvP, Arena
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
jig Feb 25th 2009 9:10PM
umm....Hasn't this...ya know....been known for a couple days now?
kozom Feb 25th 2009 9:15PM
I think it's officially starting now, and they were just saying it's going to be soon™ earlier on.
Also, I know I will not be entering since balance druids have little to no chance (.03% above 2200) against some anti-magic class rune carvers out there ( I won't name names :P ), and I play best with balance (both spec and class wise).
Zach Feb 25th 2009 9:15PM
Well, technically it was just yesterday. Registration has been open for about a week, but the tournament proper only started on the 24th.
Vladius Feb 25th 2009 9:19PM
Let the worthless e-peen measuring begin......
Max Feb 25th 2009 11:26PM
welcome to wow. is this your first time here?
Jagoex Feb 25th 2009 9:54PM
Breaking News: Death Knightx2 + Holy Pally team wins.
Oh, and buying in-game pets (which is essentially what this is all about, to get non-Arena fans involved) is totally FTL.
Nadril Feb 25th 2009 10:05PM
Considering there are only Death Knights in 3 out of 8 of the most popular comps in 3v3 (and no double DK) I'd have to write this off as you not knowing what you're talking about :P
http://www.sk-gaming.com/arena/team/3/all/all/all/all/
Paladin/Hunter/Shaman 18.1%
Rogue/Mage/Priest 16%
Paladin/Hunter/DK 10.6%
Paladin/Hunter/Druid 5.3%
Paladin/Hunter/Mage 4.3%
Paladin/Paladin/DK 4.3%
Paladin/DK/Lock 3.2%
Paladin/Rogue/Mage 3.2%
However chances are a Paladin will be in the winning team is quite high, considering they are represented in every top bracket except for one (and then in one bracket there are two of them).
Still RMP is a very strong combo.
Jagoex Feb 25th 2009 10:31PM
Or, you could simply read the obvious sarcasm in the post, and not jump to any conclusions that would artificially inflate your own ego. ;)
But yes, chances are a Pally will win. And, probably a DK too, given that everyone and their parakeet is playing one right now.
Nadril Feb 25th 2009 11:03PM
I know it was just sarcasm, but there are a lot of people out there who I'm sure wouldn't. I'm just saving any future trouble :p.
David Feb 25th 2009 9:54PM
Can't wait to never do it... again
dinosoar Feb 25th 2009 10:54PM
I'm confused, I thought you had to compete in 200 matches in the last four weeks of the tournament in order to recieve Murkimus the Gladiator and that the first two weeks did not count. At least thats what the FAQ says, did it change?
Zach Feb 25th 2009 10:57PM
According to the FAQ:
"• Players who participate in at least 200 rated tournament games on one character and with the same team by the end of the online qualifier will be eligible for the Armored Murloc pet for their live characters."
As long as it's during the online qualifier, I believe, it will count. Which means right around now.
Yamsy Feb 26th 2009 1:14AM
From the FAQ on the Arena forums (http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=15198918282&sid=1)
" Participating in at least 200 rated tournament games on one character and with the same team by the end of the rated portion of the online qualifier. This period spans the final four weeks of the qualification round after the 2 week practice period. Games played during the practice period do not count towards the game total needed to qualify for prizes. "
Key point: "by the end of the rated portion of the online qualifyer. This period spans the final four weeks of the qualificaation round..."
If you want the murloc you have to complete 200 matches in the final four weeks. The first two do not count.
Thander Feb 26th 2009 3:01AM
Well no matter, it will still just take a short time to qualify for the murloc. Losing 2 weeks out of 6 is not a big deal.
DarkKnight388 Feb 26th 2009 3:31AM
/sigh. I just wish I could enter the tournament for the pet. Was planning on doing so with a girlfriend of mine, but then the rules were known and of course Dutch ppl couldn't participate (as usual). So now I'm sulking... Damn you Blizzard for making a pet only available through dumb arena tournament.
Yamsy Feb 26th 2009 3:44PM
@Thander:
The time period itself is not a big deal, no, but people being misled to believe that the first two weeks of matches count is.
@WoWInsider:
On the above note, it would be nice if you could please update this article to reflect the actual requirements for the Murkimus pet.
Azron Feb 26th 2009 4:29AM
OK, why the HELL are certain states in the union ineligible to play in thisarena tournament?
I live in Vermont, and I am not allowed to participate, that is not right, I pay my WoW dues like everyone else, and anyone who does, should have a right to participate. It is highly unfair to disallow anyone who pays for WoW on a regular basis.
I have been on now for two years playing. and as you all know it's been a long hard road to hoe, I have 22 toons, three of which are high lvl, and i worked my AZZ off to get them there, and blizzard? you suck for this missed opportunity, bad enough I cannot afford to go to the CON cuz you gott'a hold it in CA... I hope it drops in the ocean then.
...Soooo WTF is wrong with this picture, if I cannot play in the arena tournament, then blizzard owes all of us who are ineligible, $200,000.00 to split amonst us.
K, I'm done bitchin' ... bliz can suck my arena azz
Engerz Feb 26th 2009 5:29AM
>Vermont can suck my arena azz.
Fixed. Blame your state, not Blizzard.
Kemikalkadet Feb 26th 2009 6:44AM
Yup, blame local laws regarding cash prize giving tournaments. There are several European countries that have similar laws and aren't eligable for the tournament either.
Kitari Feb 26th 2009 9:18AM
Yeah man, it really sucks that they're just choosing random states and banning them from the contest, cause Blizzard doesn't like the name.
Think about it. Why on earth would they just randomly choose a state and exclude them >.>