#0 - April 23, 2010, 10:37 a.m.
What is the 2010 World of Warcraft Arena Pass?
The 2010 World of Warcraft Arena Pass is an event based on the Arena System in World of Warcraft. All teams participating in the Arena Pass event will be competing on the Arena Pass realms -- separate from the live realms. In addition, there is a registration fee to join. This specialized format provides a means for high-level players to face off in an intensely competitive environment that emphasizes strategy, skill, and execution over all other elements of play.
What is the format for this year’s Arena Pass event?
Participating players will gain access to our dedicated Arena Pass realms and be able to create up to three level-80 characters per registered account. This special realm will allow players to fully customize Arena Pass characters with some of the best items available in the game. We will be using the 3v3 Arena format for this year's event. Please note that the standard 2v2, 3v3, and 5v5 Arena season games will continue as normal on the live realms and will not be interrupted by this event.
What are some special features of this year's Arena Pass?
* Customizable level 80 character templates with gear from the Wrath of the Lich King expansion
* Arena Pass vendors updated with some of the best items available in Northrend
* Exclusive Armored Murloc pet earnable for live characters
* Exclusive “Vanquisher” title earnable for live characters over level 71
Do I have to participate in my home realm's Arena season to participate in the Arena Pass event?
No, the Arena Pass realm and the Pass event itself are completely separate from the Arena seasons. Players who wish to compete in the Arena seasons for the coveted in-game prizes can continue to do so as normal. The World of Warcraft Arena Pass and the dedicated Arena Pass event realms are primarily intended for high-level players seeking to prove their skills against the best teams in the world.
What are Arena teams?
Arena teams are groups of players who choose to fight together in Arena ladder matches in rated Arena battles. Rated Arena battles affect your ladder ranking, whereas skirmish battles do not.
* If you are not a part of a team, you cannot participate in rated Arena battles.
* Your team will obtain a ranking by playing at least 10 matches per week.
When will the Arena Pass event start?
We are looking towards the end of this month at May of 2010 for the beginning of the practice phase, but will have registration for the Arena Pass available beforehand. We will announce more details on the Arena Pass website.
How do the dedicated Arena Pass realms work?
By signing up for the Pass, players will be granted access to special Arena Pass realms. They will be able to create up to three new level-80 characters of any race and class combination on these realms. There will be special vendors available who will have epic gear for players to choose from for equipping Arena Pass characters. These realms have been created for the sake of the Arena Pass and will not have any PvE instances or Battlegrounds available. Only Arenas will be available at this time.
Can I transfer characters to or from the Arena Pass realm?
No.
What epic gear will be available?
Characters will have access to full sets of Arena armor and weapons, as well as items purchased with honor and badges. In addition, a selection of raid epics with the approximate power level of the Arena gear will also be available. To see a complete list of the available gear on the Arena Pass realm, click here.
Why is the gear for the Arena Pass realm not equivalent to the level of gear on the live realms?
We have chosen a large selection of epic gear for our participants to ensure a competitive playing field. For the sake of consistency, items on the Arena Pass realm will not always be able to correspond to the level of gear on the live realms.
How will each character obtain gear and other commodities?
Upon entering the world with a new character, nearby NPCs in your starting area will outfit the character with gear, training, class-specific needs such as soul shards and hunter pets, and all the gold you'll need. In fact, everything your character will need to participate in the event will be located conveniently in your starting area.
Will there be permanent enchants, gems, and glyphs?
Yes, there will be a large selection of permanent enchants, gems, and glyphs to choose from, including reputation-based head and shoulder enchants.
How do I make an Arena team on the Arena Pass realm?
You can create a team by purchasing an Arena Team Charter from the Arena Organizer, collecting the appropriate number of signatures on it, and then returning it to him. Once the team is created, you can compete with your fellow teammates in the special Arena Pass battlegroup.
How many team members do I need for the event?
The Arena Pass event will use the 3v3 format only, so you need at least three members including yourself.
Can I have more than three people on my team roster?
Yes. You can have up to six players on your 3v3 Arena Pass team for the online qualifiers. The additional players will act as "bench" players in case one of your starting three cannot play, or if you want to change the makeup of your team.
Can I be on more than one Arena Pass team?
You can participate in more than one 3v3 Arena Pass team; however, you must meet the minimum play requirements to qualify for the event. Each player may only qualify for one team.
How many games do I have to play to be eligible to win prizes?
Each player must play a minimum of 50 rated games on the same team during the last four weeks to win an Armored Murloc pet. To be eligible for the exclusive "Vanquisher" title, arena pass participants must have at least 100 arena matches and also be a member of an arena teams that is ranked in the top 1,000 by the end of the Arena Pass.
How do I check my rankings?
Team rankings will be available on WoW-Europe.com at the Armory and updated daily, with the Arena Pass realm making up the Coliseum battlegroup.
Will Arena Pass characters and teams appear on the Armory?
Yes, there will be full character and team profiles for the Arena Pass on the Armory. These profiles will be slightly different from those on the live realms to highlight the relevant PvP information more prominently.
How is the Arena Pass structured?
There will be one online qualifier that will run for eight weeks. The first four weeks of the qualifier will be used for practice. After the practice period, team ratings will be reset and the event will continue for four weeks. To encourage team stability, there will be a 150-point rating penalty for any player additions to your team during the first two weeks after the practice period. Player rosters will be locked down during the final two weeks of the event, and no changes may be made to your team during that time. Please make any adjustments to your final team roster prior to the roster lockdown.
What are the prizes?
The available prizes are listed below:
* Players who participate in at least 50 rated Arena Pass games on one character and with the same team during the last four weeks of the online qualifier will be eligible for the Armored Murloc pet for their live characters.
* Players who have a character in one of the top 1,000 teams and have participated in at least 100 rated Arena Pass games during the last four weeks of the online qualifier will receive the “Vanquisher” title for their live characters level 71 and over.
* Please Note: The characters that players use to qualify for the above prizes must play all of their qualifying games on the same team and must remain on that team for the duration of the event. If a player leaves their team at any time, it may void their eligibility by resetting the number of games needed to be played. The live characters players wish to receive the in-game prizes must be on the same World of Warcraft account as the one registered for the Arena Pass.
Sounds good. How do I sign up?
To participate, you must:
* Have an active subscription to World of Warcraft with an European account in good standing, meaning the account is not flagged, suspended, or banned for violating any of the Terms of Service, EULA, or other rules of World of Warcraft.
* Have a European World of Warcraft account that has been upgraded to Wrath of the Lich King.
* Have a valid credit card to pay the per-competitor registration fee for the event, which is €15/£12.
* Complete the required information on the registration page to register for the Arena Pass event.
* Meet all eligibility requirements listed in the rules. Players meeting these requirements will be allowed to participate in the Arena Pass and will have access to the dedicated Arena Pass realms in Europe.
Why is there an entry fee to join the 2010 World of Warcraft Arena Pass event?
There are several reasons for the entry fee, one of which being that, as with most professional Passes, the fee helps ensure that participants are invested in the competition and remain dedicated to it for the duration of the Arena Pass event. This format should help provide high-level players with an intensely competitive, even playing field on the Arena Pass realms.
How do I learn more about the Arena System?
To learn more about the Arena System, check out the Arena overview page. Also, we will post further news on our Arena Pass website when we have additional event-related announcements to make.