To the gamer, Blizzard Headquarters may seem like it would be a fantastical place with spires, ramparts, and battlements with countless armor-clad employees. I am deeply sorry to say that this is not the case, but I guarantee you it is the next best thing. Driving through the gates of this grandiose company did indeed seem like I was entering a different world. If the 9 foot tall statue of Thrall on his wolf mount wasn’t enough, the campus also featured a volleyball court, basketball court, and a hockey rink. Mind you, this was only the outside.

The throng of people milling about the front doors before we were ushered inside was a good indication that Blizzard had a good day in store for their fans – and press. And what a day it was. To the left of the front desk of Blizzard HQ was a museum of awards, concept art, and major titles that Blizzard has released; to the right, a plasma TV that played through all of their game’s cinematics along with various statues of units and characters. This entry room, cool as it was, wasn’t anything compared to the tour that Brock and I were given along with the other Starcraft 2 fansites.

It was a motley crew of fansite journalists that went with us on the tour; some pestering our tour guide constantly about what the new Blizzard franchise was while others commented snidely through “off-limits areas.” This tour consisted of 5 main areas, including the World of Warcraft development, Starcraft 2 development, Gym, Cafeteria, and Library. For those of you who are interested in seeing the Blizzard library in depth, Michael McWhertor⁽¹⁾ from Kotaku wrote a great article showing off the immense game-and-book library that is stocked mostly by the Blizzard employees themselves. What this article does not show, however, is the stuffed Wolpertinger above one of their shelves. (World of Warcraft fans will undoubtedly know what it is).

Blizzard offices were possibly the next-most eye-catching thing throughout the tour. We all agreed – if there happened to be a zombie holocaust, Blizzard Entertainment would be amply prepared due to the fact that each office had at least one sword hanging or leaning on their walls. This coupled with their lavish lounge areas, I started to question why I wasn’t working there. 50” plasmas with Wii, Playstation 3, and various computers with leather couches to boot? I guess good things do come from success… and Blizzard has certainly earned it.

The vast amount of artwork that filled their corridors was amazing, ranging from their first Warcraft concepts to the most recent Starcraft 2 images. Littered between office halls were various dioramas that, in all serious, were rather confusing. If my parents saw my diorama that consisted of half naked dolls, dinosaurs, tin foil, and crayons, I would have undoubtedly be taken to the mental ward. It is thus needless to say that one thing that Blizzard will never lack is creativity – and a sense of humor.

Moving onward was their cafeteria (where both Brock and I ate along with the press and fansites). The complementary dishes served were both delicious and surprising. How many companies will give you a selection of meatball sandwiches, pastrami melts, and ciabatta chicken sandwiches with an assortment of drinks and cookies? Well, Blizzard did. We were also informed that the meals they serve to their employees also take on World of Warcraft names on the menu, you know, to keep things interesting.

All of these material things were only a small part of what the experience actually was. Having been a Blizzard fan since I was able to play on a computer, actually seeing where much of it all began was amazing. Everybody we passed was friendly, helpful, and glad to see the people from the sites that love their work. It was an honor to be a part of this event, and will be looking forward to cover more events as they are announced in the future.

Keep checking back all through this week! We will also be going in-depth with each race and more Q and A’s.

Nocturne