Be sure to stay tuned to Wowhead for their live-blog of BlizzCon 2011, including up-to-date expansion info and news! Also, check out Wowhead's Mists of Pandaria talent calculator!

Just announced at BlizzCon 2011 is the new World of Warcraft expansion, Mists of Pandaria. Blizzard's Chris Metzen noted during the opening ceremonies that this expansion would be focusing on "war itself," noting that in most of WoW's previous expansions, players were always scrambling to beat down one huge arch nemesis after another. This time around, the conflict will be located in the mysterious land of Pandaria with a heavier focus on the conflict between Alliance and Horde. Perhaps we'll see a more outdoor PvP content!

Also included in the Mists of Pandaria expansion will be a new level cap raise to 90, pet battles (!?), a new class talent system, a new race (PANDAREN!), and a brand new class in the form of the Monk! Metzen confirmed that the new Pandaren race will be available for both the Horde and the Alliance. Players will be able to choose their faction upon reaching a certain level later in the game.

For anyone watching the BlizzCon opening ceremony videos, Blizzard has just announced the neat swag that will come with the Diablo III Collector's Edition. Included with this package is a behind-the-scenes DVD and blu-ray two-disc set, an exclusive Collector's Edition soundtrack, a Diablo Skull, a soulstone USB stick, a gorgeous Diablo III art book, the physical game itself, and in-game items for all three Blizzard games (Starcraft II, World of Warcraft, and Diablo III). This looks worth picking up for the gorgeous box alone!

Breaking news straight from BlizzCon 2011! Blizzard President and co-founder Michael Morhaime just announced that Diablo 3 will be available FREE for all World of Warcraft subscribers who purchase a World of Warcraft annual pass. He's also guaranteed expansion betas for every pass holder as well. While the full details have yet to be hammered out, this is fantastic news for any World of Warcraft fan trying to decide between playing Diablo 3 and World of Warcraft.

Why not both?

Remember, all Battle.net account holders can watch the opening ceremonies for free on the Direct TV stream!

The team of our WoWInterface sister site is currently finalizing the details for the 6th Annual UI Community Dinner at BlizzCon. Their plan is to hold it on Thursday, October 20 around 9 p.m. PDT. If you'd like to attend, head over to the forum thread and sign up!

Of course, there's another noteworthy ZAM BlizzCon event being held that night prior to the UI Community Dinner. Wowhead is co-hosting a BlizzCon party with WoW Insider on October 20 at 5 p.m. PDT at the patio and the poolside of the Tangerine Grill & Patio at the Anabella hotel. If you can't make it, GameBreaker.TV will be broadcasting the whole thing. If you're going to be at BlizzCon, be sure to stop by the party and UI dinner!

Blizzard just announced that the Foo Fighters will be headlining BlizzCon 2011's closing concert! As usual, The Artist Formerly Known as Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain will be opening for the main act. If you're not familiar with TAFKAL80ETC, it's a band comprised of Blizzard employees, including president and a co-founder Mike Morhaime on bass and Art Director Sam Didier on vocals.

If you'd like to watch the concert from home, you can pick up a BlizzCon Virtual Ticket. Previous BlizzCon headliners include Tenacious D and Ozzy Osbourne.

Also, don't forget that Wowhead is co-hosting a BlizzCon party with WoW Insider on Thursday, October 20 starting at 5 p.m. PDT! If you're in the area for BlizzCon, stop by the Tangerine Grill & Patio at the Anabella hotel. If you're not, you can watch the whole thing live on GameBreaker.TV!

Our sister site Wowhead is co-hosting a BlizzCon 2011 party with WoW Insider, and GameBreaker.TV will be broadcasting the whole thing! The festivities will begin on Oct. 20 at 5 p.m. PDT at the patio and the poolside of the Tangerine Grill & Patio at the Anabella hotel.

Along with Wowhead and WoW Insider crews, you can expect other ZAM Network familiar faces such as TankSpot and WoW Interface members to show up as well.

And hey, if you can't make it, don't worry! We're not leaving you out in the cold. You'll be able to watch the entire party from your computer. GameBreaker.TV decided to come to the rescue by broadcasting and hosting the whole shindig. Mike Sacco and Anne Stickney will be your epic hosts, along with special guests Josh Allen (Lore from "Legendary" and TankSpot), GameBreaker's Gary Gannon and Mike B. aka Fony, the host of our BFF Report. Meanwhile, Mat McCurley and Fox Van Allen will be serving as the MCs for the night while passing out awesome swag.

We have a long list of VIP guests, special giveaways, and a lot more we can't wait to tell you about. Those details will follow in the next few weeks. Come join us and kick off BlizzCon with your friends at Wowhead and WoW Insider.

If you plan on attending, let us know on our Facebook event page!

We still have more than a month to wait for BlizzCon 2011 to open its doors, but players attending in person or from the comfort of their own home will soon get the chance to purchase their swag. Blizzard will be hosting BlizzCon Store pre-sales on the following dates:

• September 16 – 20: Pre-sale for BlizzCon 2011 ticket holders who are attending the convention in person.
• September 23 – 27: Pre-sale for BlizzCon 2011 Virtual Ticket buyers.
• September 27 through October 22: Pre-sale for those who purchase the Virtual Ticket after September 27 or DIRECTV customers who order the BlizzCon 2011 Pay Per View event. It will be a smaller selection of merchandise.
• November 4: Post-BlizzCon sale for attendees, Virtual Ticket holders and DIRECTV customers.

Want to win a trip to BlizzCon? The World of Warcraft Visa card is offering two lucky winners a pair of BlizzCon tickets and $2,000 in Visa gift cards to cover travel and expenses. All you need to do is head over to the sweepstakes page and fill out the form. The contest is open to U.S. residents only. You don't need to apply for a Visa card to enter.

If you do want to apply for a World of Warcraft Visa card, Blizzard is pointing out that you can now display your character on your card. As for the perks of the card, you will receive one month of World of Warcraft game time the first time you use your card within the first three billing cycles after your account is opened. You can also earn a free month of game time for every $1,500 you spend with the card. Be sure to read all the fine print before you apply!

We still have three months to wait until BlizzCon 2011 kicks off, but Blizzard is already getting players prepared for the convention by launching a new BlizzCon community site. In the weeks leading up to the show, the site will be the place to keep tabs on panel schedules, activities, tournament updates and more.

As you might expect, the BlizzCon site is a bit sparse at the moment. The most active thing you can do is join in on the discussion on the new BlizzCon forums while you wait for more content.

BlizzCon will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA from Oct. 21-22. Tickets are sold out, but you can still purchase a virtual ticket to watch all the festivities from the comfort of your couch or computer chair.

BlizzCon tickets are officially sold out! If you still want to attend the convention, your last chance will be to purchase a ticket to an exclusive pre-BlizzCon dinner to benefit the Children's Hospital of Orange County. They cost $500 each and include the price of admission (a $175 value), as well as a signed Blizzard print and the opportunity to speak with members of the Blizzard team. Those tickets go on sale on Saturday, May 28 at 10 a.m. PDT.

Of course, you will also be able to purchase a BlizzCon Virtual Ticket for $39.99 and enjoy the convention from the comfort of your home. Limited streaming coverage of the BlizzCon opening ceremony and certain tournaments will be available online for free.

Were you able to purchase a BlizzCon ticket?