New World of Warcraft patch

Blizzard has released a new patch for hugely popular PC MMORPG World of Warcraft.

Highlights of the patch, numbered 1.8, include a revamped Sithilus - complete with new quests, a new outdoor raid and the chance to learn more about the mysterious alien race who reside there. Because we love you, we've mirrored the European version on Eurofiles.

Meanwhile, there's definitely something dodgy going on over at the Great Trees - it seems the once-noble dragons who guard the portals have abandoned their posts and gone all angry and mental. If you fancy taking them on you'll need to head up to Ashenvale, Duskwood, Feralas or Hinterlands, but be sure to take some mates.

And since it's the middle of October, Halloween is nearly upon us - or rather Hallow's End, as it's known in Azeroth. Try your hand at trick-or-treating, buy some seasonal goods from the special vendors in Orgrimmar, or watch out for Edward Woodward at the Wickerman festival. Southshore's Sergeant Hartman might need a bit of help with an enemy who's determined to spoil the fun, too.

There are lots of other add-ons and fixes included in the patch - visit the WoW website for more details.

In other WoW news, happy days for fans of the game who can't make it to California for BlizzCon later this month: Blizzard will be broadcasting live video feeds of the event on WoW Radio, "Azeroth's First and Only Talk Radio Station."

So you'll be able to watch some of the Q&A sessions, see the costume contest, and possibly even enjoy the stand-up routine due to be performed by comedian Christian Finnegan off of Chappelle's Show. It's not quite the same as actually being there and playing the new add-on, of course, but you know.

BlizzCon will take place on October 28 and 29.