Blizzard announces WoW expansion

The rumoured World of Warcraft expansion Wrath of the Lich King has been unveiled at Blizzard's annual convention in California.

Blizzard used the opening ceremony of its second BlizzCon convention to announce that the second expansion for World of Warcraft is in development. Confirming internet rumours, it will be titled Wrath of the Lich King, and will open up the northern continent of Northrend.

Details of the expansion are exactly as revealed in the FAQ that was leaked earlier in the week- a new Death Knight hero class, new arenas and battlegrounds, siege weaponry and destructible buildings, customisable hairstyles and dances, a new Inscription profession, and an increase in the level cap from 70 to 80.

In addition, Blizzard confirmed that integrated voice communication and guild banks would be introduced to WoW in regular patch updates, along with a new 10-man instance, Zul'Aman.

Blizzard president and co-founder Mike Morhaime also said that new details of StarCraft II, speficially about the Terran race and the single-player campaign, will be revealed at BlizzCon. In addition, the company will announce news of the planned Warcraft film and a collaboration with Dell on the "ultimate WoW gaming PC."

An in-game trailer for Wrath of the Lich King was shown, showcasing the Death Knight's devastating attacks and the atmospheric, snowbound landscapes of Northrend. The expansion is also playable on the show floor, but no word of a release date has yet been given.

Stay tuned for more details from the BlizzCon show floor.