Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. The big news this week is kind of invisible. Blizzard introduced the first teaser trailer for the new Warcraft movie at the San Diego Comic Con. They then proceeded to not put it online. If it makes you feel any better, it apparently wasn't actual movie footage, since they haven't started shooting yet.

There's plenty of other news for the week with more substance, luckily, including new stuff from the patch 5.4 PTR. Realm maintenance this morning begins at 3 a.m. PDT and lasts 8 hours, so you should have time to read up.

Hot news and features

• You can now buy the new cosmetic helms from the Blizzard store.
• Check out the newest patch 5.4 PTR notes.
• Watcher commented on the distribution of item levels in the various raiding tiers of patch 5.4.
• Check out our preview of the Sha of Pride raid boss from patch 5.4.
• The latest patch 5.4 PTR builds include new fun glyphs and battle pets.
• Patch 5.4 will offer bind to account ilevel 496 gear.
• We have details on the Celestial Tournament in patch 5.4.
• Orgrimmar may see further changes in a post-5.4 patch.
• The legendary cloak requirement for Ordos has been lightened. If one of your characters has the cloak, all your characters can join the fight.
• The Proving Grounds are in testing on the patch 5.4 PTR, and we have some intial impressions of the new solo feature.

• Matticus ran the endless healer Proving Grounds, and he has video to prove it.
• The WoW Insider round table also discussed Proving Grounds this week.
• Check out these Vol'jin sound files from patch 5.4, but beware of spoilers.
• Check out these patch 5.4 PvP cloud serpent models.
• Check out these video previews of the tier 16 shaman and monk sets.
• Want to know what story all these patch 5.4 sound files tell? One player tried making a script. Be warned, this article is full of both speculation and spoilers.
• Blizzard announced a WoW children's book at SDCC. They also announced new collectables and other upcoming swag.

Class news and guides

• Lichborne examines how Killing Machine messes with frost DPS stat weights.
• Totem Talk looks at the latest patch 5.4 updates for the healing shaman.
• Blood Pact examines some of the latest patch 5.4 changes for warlocks.
• The Light And How To Swing It wants to steal some windwalker monk mechanics for retribution paladins.
• The Care And Feeding of Warriors has some advice and observations for warriors on the Celestial Blessings quest.

Dungeons, items, professions, PvP, and more

• Blizzard is eyeing further nerfs and even removal for cooldown resetting skills like Readiness and Preparation.
• WoW Archivist looks at the history of the engineering profession.
• Is it time for dodge and parry to get removed from gear?
• Addon Spotlight looks at addons that help you steal or dispel enemy buffs.

Odds and ends

• Our resident lore nerds discuss some unlikely new villains. What would happen if Velen or Alexstraza or Shandris Feathermoon was the antagonist for an expansion?
• We have tips for keeping your computer and your account safe from hackers.
• Know Your Lore looks at some of the remaining big threats waiting for us and examines the possible true motives of Wrathion.
• Blizzard is previewing music from Hearthstone, the upcoming CCG.
• 15 Minutes of Fame checked in with some celebrity gamers to see how they keep their fame from weighing them down in game.
• Blizzard developers share some of their favorite Hearthstone cards.

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Filed under: Realm Status, News items