You can now begin your pre-orders by heading to Batte.net. Take note that only the standard edition of the Cata expansion is available. If what you’re after is the collector’s edition, you need to do a little waiting. This is open to all players in Americas, Australia, Europe, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia. Go on, go digital now!

Some people may just have to settle for watching BlizzCon on Pay Per View but who would refuse a trip for two to see the real deal completely without charge? If you want to be the lucky winner, you have to fill up the entry form first. Just don’t forget to send them in before the 2^nd of October.

Another piece of the Catalcysm puzzle falls into place as Blizzard releases a preview of the Halls of Origination, a new dungeon to be introduced in the latest World of Warcraft expansion.

Housed in the ancient Titan zone Uldum, the level 85 dungeon is designed for five players and includes seven unique boss encounters.

This is definitely not for the faint of heart. And as such, those who emerge victorious are highly paid off as they will be given a chance to help Brann Bronzebeard uncover the mysteries behind these Halls.

You can’t always get what you want…

While I normally agree with The Rolling Stones on that one, I have recently found that it shouldn’t have to be true.

If this want takes on the form of World of Warcraft’s Celestial Steed, that is.

Since its launch on April 15, the fanciest mount ever to be released has tickled the fancies of WoW players everywhere.

If you’re still lusting for the magical warhorse yet thinking that shelling out $25 for it is too much, don’t fret.

EpicToon.com is having a promo intended to give four lucky customers a chance to get a sweet and absolutely free ride on the prized pony just by ordering gold.

Now the logic behind it is pretty simple. Order gold from the site, get an instant 10 entries to the Celestial Steed raffle contest. What’s more is that they will also throw in 10% bonus gold on all orders.

Contest is until May 31 only so if you want Christmas to come early, get your gold fix now.

Who says World of Warcraft and dating don’t mix? The caricature of a WoW player sitting in front of his computer – with eyebags the size of steamer trunks, acne peppering his face and piles of hot pocket crumbs on his desk and on the floor – is just that: a caricature. Here to further debunk the myth that gamers are lonely, sloppy geeks who don’t have hearts – and lives – outside of WoW is Madison V., the lovely moderator of the dating/social networking site Datecraft.com. She talks about the site that has attracted hundreds of gamers looking for real life friendships, commitment and excitement, plus what she’s looking for in a guy.

J: Hey Madison, how’s it going?
M: Hey, I’m doing good, thank you very much.

J: For the benefit of those who don’t know, tell us what DateCraft is all about.
M: DateCraft is a relatively new site targeting gamers interested in online dating, but it’s not exclusive to Warcraft players as the name might suggest. It’s been active for 3 years now and we’re getting more members as we speak.

J: Any luck with the guys?
M: [laughs] Well, I’ve made friends with a lot of guys but I haven’t really hooked up with anyone yet. There are a few here and there who’s caught my attention

J: Have you always been a gamer?
M: I guess so. I mean, as a child I remember being attached to my Gameboy. I had quite an addiction then.

J: What’s the biggest misconception about gamers that you’d like to disprove?
M: That our lives revolve around games. This goes hand in hand with being basement dwellers, though it’s more commonly associated with guys than girls. We have a life outside World of Warcraft. We have school, jobs, interests, hobbies, social lives…

J: Okay, just a little survey. If you were to choose: Marvel or DC?
M: I’d have to go with Marvel on this one.

J: Best geeky show on television?
M: Recently, I’ve been kinda obsessed with Chuck. It’s got the perfect mix of funny and smart and I enjoy a lot of the spy action going on.

J: Favorite geeky celebrity crush?
M: Oh I am in love with Matthew Gray Gubler! He’s positively adorable. It’s his quirky charm. Not to mention the hair.  I do have a thing for wavy, sexy hair.

J: Do you date non-gamers? If you haven’t, will you ever?
M: Sure, why not? It’d be silly to write someone off just because he isn’t a gamer.

J: What makes DateCraft a go-to site for those interested in online dating?
M: It’s really great if you’re looking for fellow geeks to socialize with because if it doesn’t work out, at least you’ve found yourself a new friend.

Even more impressive―perhaps more to the amount of buzz it has generated rather than its stunning features―is the Celestial Steed ($25), a supernatural warhorse designed to function as a flying mount. Its travel speed is up to 310%, given that you already have a mount with the exact same speed.

It recaps developments in the Wrath of the Lich King expansion and the Ruby Sanctum and more importantly, provides updates on Cataclysm, which is expected to be available towards the end of this year.

At this point, the transformation of Kalimdor and much of the Eastern Kingdoms is nearing its completion stage. New high-level content zones namely Mount Hyjal and Vashj’ir are also under construction.

There’s the made-up Battle.net matchmaking site with the tagline “someone to pwn noobs with”, the Equipment Potency EquivalencE Number (E.P.E.E.N.), which is a new tool that blatantly shows the quality of your character’s gear everyone in the game, and last but not the least, the Neural Interface for Battle.net, aimed towards a hands-free WoW experience.

There were many others, all of which every player should know are complete hoaxes by now.

As with past celebrations, BlizzCon 2010 will not only serve as an official fanboy/fangirl gathering but will also feature other interactive activities such as cosplay exhibitions, tournaments, Q&A panels, contests with great prizes up for grabs and a whole lot more.

No details have been released yet about the ticket’s availability or pricing as of this writing. Do check back here for an update.