Posts with tag server-status

Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. Patch 5.2 continues apace, and there's new stuff being pulled out of datamines or just officially released by Blizzard by the day. Downtime this morning begins at 5 a.m. PST and is expected to last 6 hours. While you're waiting for the servers to come up, read on for the usual roundup of the latest news.

Hot news and features

• See the latest patch 5.1 hotfixes for January 14.
• Check out the latest patch 5.2 PTR note updates for January 16.
• There are some pretty big PvP gearing changes coming to patch 5.2.
• Check out the word from Ghostcrawler on some patch 5.2 PTR balance concerns and a later update on said concerns.
• There will be no flying mounts in the new patch 5.2 zone.
• Check out the latest news about reputation changes in patch 5.2.
• Want to know what's going on with the lore and story in patch 5.2? We have some spoilers for you. Of particular interest may be the angry voice of Ra-den.
• Wrathion's questline continues in patch 5.2.
• This week's Dev Watercooler focuses on encounter tuning.
• Ghostcrawler discusses gear scaling.
• Rossi has a wishlist for patch 5.2.
• Darkmoon Faire gets some new rewards in patch 5.2.
• A lot of people have wanted an Emerald Dream expansion for quite some time. Anne thinks we may already have it, in a way.

Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. With the holidays in full swing, one might have expected Blizzard to take it easy. Instead, they sprung a whole bunch of news on us. The Patch 5.2 PTR will be up in January, and they've already given us a preview of the patch notes. We've already seen hints of lots of new stuff, including

• New pets and mounts.
• New heirlooms.
• A new raid with 13 raid bosses.
• Rogue class buffs.
• Tier 15 armor models.
• Green gear that hearkens back to old Zul'Gurub models.

If patch 5.2 isn't your thing, have no fear and read on. We have plenty of year end retrospectives, live server news, and more for your reading pleasure. If the connection at Grandma's house isn't good enough to play WoW, why not catch up on some WoW news instead?

So it's the feast of Winter Veil again, and that cute little corgi is back. Blizzard, why can't I pick her up and take her home? It is horribly vexing to me. Forget the pony, I want a corgi. Can you just imagine her, frolicking through the fields, pouncing on rare pets and trotting back to lay them daintily at her master's feet?

As of this writing, there's still no announced downtime, but whether there is any or not, why not join me for a few minutes of fuming over the lack of a cute, fluffy, adorable corgi battle pet? Then to cool down from that, why not catch up on the week's news? The usual roundup follows below.

Hot news and features

• WoW Insider is still accepting applications for new writers.
• In patch 5.2, earned VP over the weekly cap may once again convert to JP.
• Check out the latest patch 5.1 hotfixes for December 11.
• Blizzard talks about instant crowd control. In short, it'll probably be nerfed in PvP sometime in the future.
• Most Blizzard Pet Store pets will be on sale until January 1, 2013.
• We speculate on possible patch 5.2 raids.
• Frostheim thinks that Burning Crusade sucked. Alex disagrees.

Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. This week continues the trend of last week. While there is no earth-shattering news, per se, there's a steady stream of cool stuff to read and discuss, from great patch 5.1 guides, to even more tidbits of intriguing patch 5.2 news. Could we be seeing a preview or a PTR soon? It seems possible, but it could just be wishful thinking, too.

In addition, the devs have been hitting the interview circuit, so there's a lot of great patch 5.1 stuff straight from the horse's mouth. Downtime today starts at 1 a.m. PST and is expected to last for 10 hours, so you will have plenty of time to catch up. Keep reading for all the latest, and keep a browser window tuned here for even more stuff throughout the day.

Hot news and features

• Check out the latest patch 5.1 hotfixes for December 5.
• Check out the official patch notes for patch 5.1.0a.
• We recently sat down with Lead Content Designer Cory Stockton and Lead Quest Designer Dave Kosak to talk about patch 5.1.
• We weren't the only WoW site to get a crack at talking with the devs. Check out this roundup for more interviews.
• The Cinder Kitten is now available on the Blizzard Pet Store. Remember, all purchases of this pet from now until Dec. 31 will be donated in full to Superstorm Sandy relief efforts.
• We crowdsourced some great Mists of Pandaria tips from you, our readers.
• Patch 5.1 allows you to shapeshift into a baby panda.

Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. We've been busy all week writing guides and introductions to all the new patch 5.1 content, as well as tracking down juicy rumors and news tidbits about patch 5.2.

Realm maintenance this morning is expected to last 6 hours starting at 5 a.m. PST. With that in mind, there's plenty of news to catch up on from the last week, so let's dive into it with our usual roundup. Be sure to stay here throughout the day for more news and features as well.

Top news and features

• Check out the official patch notes for patch 5.1.
• With a new patch comes new hotfixes. Check out the latest hotfixes for November 27, November 28, November 29, and December 3.
• The Darkmoon Faire is in town, and you can ride the new carousel for an XP and rep buff.
• Patch 5.2 may bring some loosening of transmog restrictions.
• Sorry, warlocks. You'll have to wait until patch 5.2 for green fire.
• Patch 5.2 may bring new changes to your Tillers farm, including making it a rest area.
• Patch 5.1 bought with it some changes to tooltips.

Happy Tuesday morning, everyone! This time, we're certain. Patch 5.1 is releasing today. Hopefully by the time you read this, it'll be just waiting for you to download so you can hop on as soon as the servers come up.

As you might expect, patch day means maintenance starts at 3 a.m. and continues for at least 8 hours. Since you won't be playing WoW, that just means you have time to browse through our patch 5.1 articles. We have information on the new reputation rewards, the new gear upgrade system, the new reputation system, and tons of lore tidbits and spoilers, among other things. Read on for a round up of some of the hottest news from the week as well.

Hot news and features

• Check out the last round of patch 5.0.5 hotfixes for November 20.
• Blizzard is resetting all arena ratings over 2200 in order to combat a recent spate of cheating.
• The world first Sha of Fear kills both went to EU guilds.
• If you keep only one vanity item from this expansion, make it Gok'lokk's Shell. Then again, maybe you'd prefer a somewhat dim-witted gnoll friend.
• Ol' Grumpy has a few observations about player behavior and daily mechanics in Mists.
• Blind may still be better than this Gangnam Style WoW machinima, but not by much. This murloc machinima just might beat it though.
• Mike Morhaime recently had some words to say about eSports.
• Artist Michael Whelan has forged a pretty amazing Deathwing painting.

Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. With Patch 5.1 now a release candidate over on the PTR, the speculation on a release date runs rampant. There hasn't been an official date set as of this writing, but with an 8 hour downtime set for this morning starting at 3 a.m. PST, a patch could be possible. If nothing else, a new patch might be the perfect 8th anniversary present. Then again, Blizzard might want to take Thanksgiving easy and wait for next week. I'm guessing we'll need to wait for November 27 myself.

Whether there's a patch coming or not, you can't play WoW for a bit, so why not catch up on the latest news? We have a lot of great articles this week, including some that'll give you the perfect leg up on patch 5.1. Read on.

Hot news and features

• It's WoW's 8th Anniversary week, and Blizzard released a video tribute.
• Check out the latest patch 5.0.5 hotfixes for November 12.
• Pilgrim's Bounty is upon us, and we a guide to the season.
• Blizzard's eased the difficulty of some of old world raid bosses in patch 5.1.
• Patch 5.1 brings grand commendations, which will be used to help your alts get reputation quicker.
• Despite some ominous datamined language, Darkmoon Faire trinkets aren't currently slated for a nerf in patch 5.1.
• Patch 5.1 may herald a return to world PvP objectives.
• Check out the new reputation rewards for Alliance and Horde in patch 5.1.
• Check out our (spoiler-filled) review of the Horde-specific patch 5.1 scenario, Dagger in the Dark.

Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. Today marks the beginning of the end for patch 5.0, as Terrace of Endless Spring, the final raid for this tier, opens up. Sure, we still have the heroic and Raid Finder versions yet to go, but it feels like we're entering the home stretch. Still, there's no release date for patch 5.1 on the horizon either (and no new raids coming with it anyway), so we may be beating down the Sha of Fear for quite some time.

That said, you won't be doing much beating this morning, as downtime starts at 5 a.m. PST and lasts at least 6 hours. Luckily, we're here to keep you busy. Read on for the usual roundup of the past week's news.

Hot news and features

• We take a look at DPS numbers thus far in Mists of Pandaria.
• We bring you more patch 5.1 story spoilers. This time, There's news about Thrall, as well as footage of the Alliance's Lion's Landing.
• The Heart of Fear raid has seen a few heroic boss nerfs.
• In Patch 5.1, you will be able to upgrade your existing gear with justice and valor points.
• Blizzard's made more hotfix tweaks to Conquest Points.
• Patch 5.1 is bringing some changes to weapon enchantments.

Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. Controversy seems to be the name of the game in news this week. Even as controversy over the exact role and scope of the Raid Finder heats up on the forums, Heart of Fear opens up to Raid Finder raiders today. Blizzard's also made a few tweaks to the Brawler's Guild feature, and those aren't proving very popular either.

There's more stuff going on, of course, and with maintenance scheduled to start at 5 a.m. PST and last at least 6 hours, you should have time to get caught up on it. Read on for the usual roundup.

Hot news and features

• Patch 5.1 keeps rolling out the goodies, including a new model for Vol'jin and spoiler-filled sound files for Varian, Wrathion, and Vol'jin.
• Check out the latest patch 5.0.5 hotfixes for November 1.
• Check out our preview of some of the new old world raid dropped battle pets.
• Want to know what raid zone is going live when? Check out the raid schedule.
• Blizzard is sticking to their guns. If you want an AH in Pandaria, you better become an engineer.
• Blue poster Rygarius posted Blizzard's current thoughts on cross realm zones.
• Ghostcrawler recently had a few words to say about Mists PvP.

Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. This week has felt a little quieter than the past few, possibly because everyone's finally digging in and pushing to get those last few Pandaria factions to exalted. That said, there's still been plenty of patch 5.1 coming in from the PTR, and we've been writing lots of excellent guides and short tip posts to give you an edge in whatever you're doing in Mists.

Downtime this morning is limited to rolling restarts at 5 a.m. PDT, so there's no time like the present to arm yourself with knowledge before you plunge back into the game. Read on for our usual roundup.

Hot news and features

• Check out the latest live server hotfixes for October 16.
• Check out the latest updates to the patch 5.1 PTR notes.
• Patch 5.1 will feature a lot of new hunter pet spawns.
• Patch 5.1 will include PvP sound announcements.
• Patch 5.1 allows you to upgrade your battle pets.
• Wowhead has dug up new details on the patch 5.1 Karasang Wilds quests.
• Heading into heroic dungeons? Check our 5 second guide to level 90 heroic bosses.

Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. While there's a lot of awesome news coming out of Mists of Pandaria over the past week, the biggest story was probably that whole horrible plague of death descending over major capital cities, followed by some huge login issues.

That said, if reliving the weekend of horrible death and login trouble isn't your bag, don't worry and keep reading. There's lots of nice, meaty stuff to dig into, from hidden daily quests to the latest on Patch 5.1. Downtime today starts at 5 a.m. PDT and only last 2 hours, so you have a nice slice of time to get caught up on the latest WoW news.

Hot news and features

• Hotfixes this past week buffed justice point gear and nerfed honor point gear.
• Check out a complete list of hotfixes for October 1 and October 4.
• Normal Mogu'shan Vaults is now available for raiding.
• PvP Season 12 is underway.
• Blackfallow Ink can no longer be traded for lesser inks.
• Patch 5.1 is already on the way to the test servers. Be sure to check out the preliminary feature list.

Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. You know, I'm going to admit it. I'm dangerously close to agreeing with Rossi on this. I have some quibbles over certain aspects of lore and a few quest areas, but Mists of Pandaria is easily the best expansion since Burning Crusade and could be in severe danger of surpassing it if the patches don't disappoint. Honestly, my biggest problem at level 90 is that I don't have time to do everything I want. I have reputation to get for gear, but I also have friends to make in Halfhill and fish to catch for Nat Pagle. I'm also pretty ashamed that my battle pet team isn't even close to level 30 yet. With all this stuff to worry about, I could almost wish for a 7 month break between patches right about now.

Downtime this morning is only 2 hours, starting at 5 a.m. PDT, but that's a perfect excuse to read up on all the latest news from the new expansion. Read on for the usual roundup.

Hot news and features

• Justice point gear no longer requires honored reputation in Mists of Pandaria.
• Check out the latest patch 5.0 hotfixes thus far, and then check out a few more for September 28.
• The Overachiever has a guide to the 2012 Brewfest.
• Have a question about your new pandaren? We have the answers.
• Mists of Pandaria has an easy way to catch up on your cooking skill.
• Want to start on your legendary item in Mists of Pandaria? We'll let you know how.
• We'll help you start on the path to getting your very own Cloud Serpent.

Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. By the time you read this, the Mists of Pandaria expansion should be up and running. Blizzard hasn't scheduled any downtime today, so hopefully, if you're home and free of obligations, you're having a grand old time leveling your favorite character or your new panda.

If you're not, or if you're just taking a break, don't worry, we have plenty of news to keep you sated. Read on for our usual roundup, and stay with us in the coming hours, days, and weeks for everything you need to know about the expansion.

Hot news and features

• WoW Insider interviewed Dave Kosak, WoW's lead quest designer, about Mists of Pandaria.
• Blizzard offers an official preview of Karasang Wilds, one of the new Mists zones.
• Blizzard has an official preview of the new tier 14 raid gear class sets.
• We escort you through Gate of the Setting Sun, one of the new dungeons in Mists of Pandaria.
• Check out our unboxing of the Mists of Pandaria Collector's Edition.
• We have highlights from the Best Buy Developer Q&A.
• Blizzard's released their own internal briefing video previewing everything Mists of Pandaria has to offer.

Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. The Theramore's Fall scenario is live, and if you're a level 85 with decent gear, you can run it for another week or so, after which it turns into a level 90 scenario. If you want a peek at what it entails, we have a walkthrough of the Alliance side.

If you'd rather stay unspoiled, don't worry. There's plenty of other exciting happenings to read up on, especially with the launch of Mists of Pandaria only a week away. Downtime this morning is scheduled to start at 3 a.m. PDT and last for 8 hours as of this writing, so you should have time to get through it all.

Hot news and features

• WoW Devs hosted a Reddit AMA where they discussed just about anything, from lore to raiding to class balance. Check out the transcript of their answers. Best Buy is also hosting another Mists of Pandaria Developer chat today.
• Patch 5.0.5 is out, bringing with it some minor class tweaks and bug fixes. We have the patch notes.
• Challenge Modes will have no lockouts or consumable restrictions.
• Check out the latest live server hotfixes from September 12 and September 14.
• It's been 7 years since the Corrupted Blood incident, and a death knight disease bug offered a re-enactment.

Mists of Pandaria comes ever closer, and Blizzard's gearing up, from announcing launch events to showing TV spots. My favorite piece of news this week, however, is Ghostcrawler's triumphant entrance to Twitter. You can now receive Greg T. Street's wit and wisdom delivered to your smartphone in bursts of approximately 140 characters each. I myself was able to get some clarity on a question that's been near and dear to my heart for some time. Does the "T" stand for Tiberius? Ghostcrawler told me it doesn't, but he's willing to entertain a name change. I'd say that's what our country is all about, ladies and gentlemen.

As of this writing, downtime today starts at 3 a.m. PDT, and is expected to last at least 8 hours. If you've already caught up on Ghostcrawler's twitter stream, why not stay here with us? Read on for a rundown of the best news and features from the past 7 days.

Hot news and features

• The Battleground Call to Arms is no longer limited to the weekends.
• Blizzard is asking for your feedback on low level class balance.
• Li Li's Travel Journal continues with a stop in the Dawning Valley.
• Ghostcrawler explains why the devs can't please everyone with hamburgers.
• Fishing no longer requires a pole.
• Rage tanks got some buffs over on the beta.