Blizzard Splash Screen Update for June 27

by Justin McElroy { Jun 27th 2008 at 8:30AM }

Do you like that headline creativity? The subtitle could be "God, whatever this thing is we wish it would pop its frakking head out of the ice already so we can all move on with our lives." Regardless, today we must soldier on, and bravely speculate about the hidden mysteries of Blizzard's splash page.

So, what's new today? Well, those eye slits from yesterday are most certainly eyes now, and there's a ridge of some sort between them. Our friends at WoW Insider seemed to be inclined to think it's Warcraft's Arthas, and honestly, they make a pretty compelling case. So, it looks like an answer may be close at hand, so it may be your last chance to speculate: Who's beneath the ice?

[Update: After the jump we have a picture that focuses on one of the runes, one that happens to bear a striking resemblance to the Protoss logo you can see here. Thanks Charlesgrand!]

Tags: blizzard

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

AwesomeTown @ Jun 27th 2008 8:35AM

I would enjoy a Warcraft IV.

bigsim @ Jun 27th 2008 9:50AM

I'm still banking on Diablo III. I don't know if it's been mentioned yet, but Sunday marks D2's eighth birthday. More than a happy coincidence, methinks.

Jason @ Jun 27th 2008 10:32AM

If it was Diablo, why the hell would it be beneath ice? Wouldn't fire be more fitting?

snarfoogle @ Jun 27th 2008 11:31AM

Well, in Paradise Lost Satan is frozen in ice in the deepest circle of hell. I guess Belial or Azmodan could be chillin under the ice.

Steeley @ Jun 27th 2008 12:06PM

Before World of Warcraft was announced the splash was an outer space setting.. and D2 Expansion was set mostly in an icey terrain.. Blizzard likes to throw people off... of course they could be banking on the fact people know they like to throw em off and just be flat out showing us it has to do with Arthas but oh well only 1-2 days away from the TRUTH haha

Steeley @ Jun 27th 2008 12:36PM

By the way... the penguin is a picture drawn by the same guy who did their Diablo 2 art..

AwesomeTown @ Jun 27th 2008 1:33PM

Warcraft IV: Orcs in Space.

James @ Jun 27th 2008 4:11PM

@Jason
That would be too obvious.
What's opposite of Fire?
Ice.
Maybe in Diablo III, Diablo is still alive but frozen in ice, or maybe it represents a 'dormant' Diablo III release that when announced, 'turns into' fire.

speculation and anticipation! AGH!

James @ Jun 27th 2008 4:14PM

Also just a note here, adding on to my previous post.
There are 5 symbols around the ice hole and 5 symbols representing the 5 'seals' used to unlock Diablo and 5 seals make the evil star thing :3

DIABLO III HERE WE COME

The Doctor @ Jun 27th 2008 4:44PM

@Jason

Yeah, pretty much anywhere except on tv depicts hell as both fire and ice. Check out some Dante and/or Milton

Agit8dcHOp @ Jun 28th 2008 6:56AM

Diablo III has just been announced.
look at blizzard.com

Maverick Saturn @ Jun 27th 2008 8:40AM

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

I knew it couldn't be Diablo, a mate of mines uncle works at Blizzard, he himself said the chances of a Diablo 3 coming out are slim, they can't think of a way to possibly continue the game without making it mudane eg: Diablo mysteriously returns from the dead ¬_¬

And thanks to WOW, there can never be a Diablo MMORPG without being a direct clone of WOW. WOW is basically Diablo and the original Warcrafts rolled into one.

Tykin @ Jun 27th 2008 9:51AM

They're going to announce a release date for the WoW expansion, release date for SC3, development of Diablo 3, and and XBLA version on Lost Vikings.

You heard it here first, people.

ssuk @ Jun 27th 2008 9:54AM

Well my sister's friend's brother's father's uncle's mother's great grandfather's religious figure, who has close ties with Blizzard says that there will be a Diablo 3. So I'm quite frankly torn...

cjshrader @ Jun 27th 2008 11:09AM

@Tykin

A release date for Starcraft 3 would be GIGANTIC news.

TWIMTBP @ Jun 27th 2008 11:32AM

For you, maybe..

Jhongerkong @ Jun 27th 2008 5:40PM

And 99.9% of Korea

koehler83 @ Jun 27th 2008 8:45AM

There it is. The last nail in the coffin: Wrath of the Lich King. You can shut down your alarms now.. we can all officially lose interest:

http://www.playfuls.com/images/upload/news/wrath-of-the-lich-king.jpg

Intentless @ Jun 27th 2008 9:00AM

Its not the same helmet...

natels @ Jun 27th 2008 9:05AM

That's some pretty ugly photoshop.

koehler83 @ Jun 27th 2008 9:26AM

Not the same helmet? What are you talking about. Go to the blizzard site and check out the Hi Res image. You can even see the cropping of the WotLK pic behind the ice.

http://www.geocities.com/coca_koehler/wotlkcomp.jpg

Intentless @ Jun 27th 2008 9:35AM

The lich kings helmet is made of flat "steel" this helmet has a more textured "organic" appearence. Also this helmet has an obvious "gap" in the ridge about the nose. The lich kings gap is no where near as pronounced. Also the lighting gives the impression of a flat shape while the lich king's helm has a beveled "diamond" shape to it...

koehler83 @ Jun 27th 2008 9:37AM

*facepalm* okay.. whatever...

Let the Blizzard employees laugh at you for a while. Im sure they're getting a kick out of people like you.

Feoremar @ Jun 27th 2008 9:51AM

http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/977/notarthasua7.png

:\

Intentless @ Jun 27th 2008 10:05AM

THANK YOU Feoremar. I'm at work so can't be doing something like that right now...

UltimateQ @ Jun 27th 2008 10:31AM

Go to blizzard(dot)com. See the picture?
Go to WorldofWarcraft(dot)com. See the picture?

Now...
Go to Starcraft2(dot)com. See the picture?
Go to diablio2(dot)com. See the picture?

It is obviously WoW:WoTLK BS.

Intentless @ Jun 27th 2008 11:11AM

UltimateQ I did do that... Multiple times. The shaped and material of the "helmet" are too different to even be considered similar.. Aside from both being ridged... but the ridges are different... It isn't the Lich King I'm not ruling out that it isn't WOW related but it isn't the Lich King.

Ryan @ Jun 27th 2008 6:31PM

Each new splash had a new opened seal(rune wat ever you want to call it). With each new opened seal, the middle of the ice melts more and more revealing whats behind it. Look at the website now. All the seals are glowing and you can see eyes now. All 5 seals have been opened and every Diablo fan knows what happens after that.