Explanation On Website Issues, WoW 10 Year Anniversary Events, News Roundup

Blizzard is marking the 10-year anniversary of World of Warcraft’s launch with awesome events in three major cities across Europe. If you can make it to central Paris, London, or Berlin on November 22 you’ll have the chance to attend and be part of the celebration. You’ll be able to mix with fellow players, well-known fan sites, and Blizzard staff, take part in fun activities including WoW dance and costume contests, win cool prizes, have unique photo opportunities to show your WoW pride, and much more… Of course, there will also be drinks and birthday cake!Each venue has strict capacity limits so it’ll be first-come, first-served. If we don’t have enough room for everyone who wants to enter, we’ll do our best to reward your WoW passion even if you can’t get in.

We’ll update this blog post in the coming days with final details of event timing and locations, and there’ll be dedicated forum threads to answer your questions. For now, gather your guild-mates, get your WoW costume ready, practice your dance moves, polish your party axe, and mark November 22 on your calendar!

Update: We’re ready to share more information on the World of Warcraft 10th anniversary community gatherings in London, Berlin, and Paris on Saturday November 22!

You’ll find a complete FAQ in this forum thread. The most important thing you need to know is that in order to attend, you will need to register for a free ticket. These tickets are limited in number and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The priority tickets will be available from 14:00 CET (13:00 GMT) on Monday November 17. We’ll tell you the URL of the ticket page via the World of Warcraft Facebook page and Twitter at this time.
We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

Here’s an FAQ for the 10th Anniversary Event in London on 22 November.

Is the event free to attend?
Yes! However, to attend you’ll need to have successfully registered for a ticket – see below.

What is the location?
London:
The Banking Hall
14 Cornhill
EC3V 3ND

What time does the event start and finish?
Here’s a simplified timeline for the London event. All times are local.

18:00 – you can start queuing
20:00 – doors open for priority ticket holders
21:00 – event starts
00:30 – event ends

Are there any age limits for attendees?
If you’re under 16 you will need to be accompanied by a legal guardian who will also need a ticket. People under 12 years old are not permitted to attend. Whatever age you are, please remember to bring photo ID so we can double-check that you registered for the event.

Why is a registration system being used?
Our venues have limited capacity and we’re using a ticket registration system so that you have a better idea of whether you’ll be able to get in. All tickets to the anniversary events are free. If you’re sure you want to attend, keep reading.

How does registration work?
When registration opens at 13:00 UK time on Monday November 17, go to the website (link will be provided through the WoW social media channels and the dedicated forum thread in General) and enter your name and email address. Make sure you are on the correct page for the event (London, Paris, Berlin) you want to attend. You can choose one or two tickets (if available).

1. Getting a “priority registration” ticket ensures you will be able enter the venue, provided you arrive in time (see below) and bring your ticket (printed or on your phone).* If you get one of these tickets you can begin queuing in the priority queue from 18:00.

2. If all the priority registration tickets are taken, we will open “stand-by registration” at a later date. We’ll tell you when this second round of tickets will go live via the World of Warcraft social media channels. People with a stand-by ticket will be able to enter the venue if those with priority registration don’t show up by 20:30. For every priority registration guest who doesn’t show up, we’ll let in one stand-by guest. If you get a stand-by ticket, there is a chance you will be able to get in, and a chance to win prizes even if you don’t. There will be a dedicated queue for the stand-by list and it will be first-come-first-served. You can start queuing in the stand-by queue if you are on the stand-by list from 18:00.

If you have either ticket type and you come to the venue in a World of Warcraft themed costume, you may be invited to come to the front of the queue corresponding to your ticket type. This will be decided by a member of the World of Warcraft Europe Community team, and they’ll be judging your costume on the effort you’ve put in and how much passion you’re showing for World of Warcraft (also, see notes on costumes below). Please note that we’ll be picking out individuals, or groups who are all in costume. If you are in a cool costume and your friend is not, we may not be able to bring your friend to the front of the queue as well, to be fair to other attendees.

When you arrive at the venue, please be sure to join the correct queue. If you have stand-by registration and you join the priority queue by mistake, you will have to join the back of the stand-by queue when you get to the door.

Why is there stand-by ticket registration?
In case someone with a priority ticket holder does not show up to the venue, we want to make sure that as many players as possible get the chance to share the celebration.

The page shows no tickets available now. Can I still attend?
If there are no priority or stand-by tickets left, that means our event is ‘sold out’ and there’s very little chance that you will be able to join the event if you show up at the venue.

Can I give my ticket to someone else?
No, every ticket is linked to a name, so it cannot be transferred.

How does it work if I buy two tickets?
Make sure you arrive at the venue together and queue with the other person! Your friend will only be able to enter the venue at the same time as you.

I got a ticket but now I can’t attend. Can I cancel my ticket?
Yes, you can cancel your ticket through the event page where you got it. We’ll make another ticket available for someone else.

When will priority registration open?
13:00 UK time on Monday November 17.

What should I bring with me?
There are two things you really need to bring. Firstly, photo ID, so you can prove you’re the valid ticket holder. Secondly, you must also bring your ticket – either printed or a digital version on your phone.

What kind of photo ID is acceptable for proof of identity and age?
Government-issued ID with a photo: such as passport, driving license with photo, student card, etc.

When can I start queuing?
If you have a priority ticket, be sure to arrive at the venue between 18:00 and 20:00. If you arrive after 20:30, your spot at the event will be allocated to someone on the stand-by list. These spots will go to people in the stand-by queue in the order which they arrived and started queuing (see the exception relating to costumes above). If you have a stand-by ticket, you can also start queuing at the venue from 18:00. As the venues have neighbouring businesses, queuing before 18:00 is not permitted.

What happens if the event is full by the time I get to the front of the stand-by queue?
Unfortunately, we can’t be sure that we’ll have room for everyone who wants to get in. We’ll do our very best to keep everyone updated whether you’re close enough to the front to get in.

Are there any restrictions on costumes?
Yes. The venues for our events can’t accommodate very large or elaborate costumes. No sharp edges, enormous wings, wheels, pets, mounts, etc.
– Your safety is a priority, so we want to make sure that people in costumes can safely navigate the venue. That means costumes can be no wider than 90cm across and no taller than 200cm. You’ll also need to be able to easily manoeuvre your costume over stairs or ramps unassisted.
– No weapons – or articles that could be construed as real weapons – are allowed. As usual, costume “weapon props” are acceptable, and construction will be limited to costuming materials such as foam or soft plastic. Wooden staves that are not shod with metal are OK.
– No liquids, gels, or other substances which could cause a mess or a safety hazard are allowed.

Are there dressing rooms for cosplayers?
Sorry, the venue does not have dedicated facilities for cosplayers.

Are there cloakroom facilities?
Yes, the venue has cloakroom facilities, but this is limited to coats and small bags.

Is the venue wheelchair-friendly?
Yes. If you need assistance please contact the security staff.

Who will be there from Blizzard?
We’ll have several members of the Blizzard Europe Community team at each event. We’re looking forward to meeting you and talking about WoW!

Can I bring my own food and/or drinks to the party?
You won’t be permitted to bring food, drinks, potions etc. with you into the venue. There will be free soft drinks.

Can I take photos and video?
Absolutely! We want to show the world how much Blizzard and the World of Warcraft community loves the game, so take photos and videos and share them as much as you like. We’ll have cool ways for you to get unique photos at the event too. If you use the hashtag #10yearsofWoW then we’ll be able to gather all the excitement together in the days afterwards. Please note that we will also be taking photos/video to promote the event.

Will there be sweet, sweet loot?
Oh yes indeed. There’ll be prizes to win during quizzes and other competitions. If you’re in the stand-by queue and don’t get the chance to come in, we also plan to hold quizzes outside in the build-up, so everyone will have a chance to win something.

Will I be able to buy goodies, games, or other Blizzard loot?
Sorry, we won’t have the facilities to sell any Blizzard gear at these events.

How can I enter the dance/costume contest?
You don’t need to sign up before the event for either contest. If you’re wearing a cool costume and want to take part in the contest, just make sure you’re paying attention to the host and be ready to show off your creation! We’re aiming to hold the costume contest around 22:00, so make sure you’re ready and near the stage before then. We plan to hold the dance contest at 23:00. Just be ready and near the stage, and make sure you’ve practiced! Of course, there will be cool prizes for winners and all participants. If you have a ticket and you know that you’re going attend in a costume, we would love to hear from you! Please contact us on [email protected]

What are the rules/criteria for the costume contest?
Your creation will be judged on various criteria, including:
– Faithfulness to the corresponding character, creature etc. in World of Warcraft;
– Effort put into its creation and passion shown for World of Warcraft;
– Overall quality and impression of the finished costume.

The judges’ decision will be final.

What are the rules/criteria for the dance contest?
See “How can I enter…” above. You will have 30 seconds to demonstrate your World of Warcraft dance; we’ll play the appropriate music but can’t guarantee you’ll be able to see video of the WoW character dancing to remind you of the moves, so be sure you get lots of practice before the event. The judges’ decision will be final.

* Blizzard reserves the right to refuse entry to its events for safety reasons.