Blizzard Splash Screen Update for June 27
by Justin McElroy 
{ Jun 27th 2008 at 8:30AM }
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!]
Get a WordPress.com Blog
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.
Ryan @ Jun 27th 2008 6:50PM
the 5 seals unleash Diablo. Go to http://www.diablo.com and look closely
Tasogare @ Jun 28th 2008 4:32AM
Hey koehler, what's that crow taste like? Does it feel good being arrogant, stupid, AND wrong? I guess the Blizz employees are gonna be laughing at you, huh?
DLow28 @ Jun 27th 2008 8:51AM
Well, if it IS WoTLK, Blizz did a good job of getting buzz going around the website for nothing.
I personally hoped it was Diablo 3, Warcraft 4, or WoS with no monthly-fee lol
me @ Jun 27th 2008 9:03AM
If this is anything but Diablo 3 then Blizzard can go to Hell. I could give two shits less about WOW, Warcraft, or Starcraft. Blizzard needs to get off their asses and release another Diablo already...
Noshino @ Jun 27th 2008 9:22AM
...Sorry man, but me and millions of Koreans want them to just get to work on SC2...and release it as soon as possible...
ben @ Jun 27th 2008 9:25AM
SC2 doesn't need any more hype than it already has. If this is for something that's not a surprise, i.e. WotLK or SC2 release date, people are going to pissed.
My bet is some kind of steam-like system for blizzard games.
Noshino @ Jun 27th 2008 9:46AM
well, Im an StarCraft fanboy, so Im hoping for Ghost or another spin-off....
Someone Sneaky @ Jun 27th 2008 9:57AM
Ben = 100% right.
Edge @ Jun 27th 2008 9:05AM
All Hail the Unibrow!
StuScotsLazyEye @ Jun 27th 2008 9:09AM
Congrats Blizzard, you just lost respect from me.
WiiFTW @ Jun 27th 2008 9:52AM
Yea fuck you Blizzard. If you're going to have crazy mysterious shit at least back it up with something which we didn't know was coming.
Noshino @ Jun 27th 2008 10:03AM
if Im not wrong, they did the same with SC2, in which they released a teaser that hinted at all of their games and then announced that it was SC2
RuthlessMurder @ Jun 27th 2008 9:14AM
It might be a protoss.... but its probably some stupid wow expansion
Evan @ Jun 27th 2008 9:16AM
Joystiq, don't play into Blizzard's hype machine. You know Blizzard is releasing these images in order to build viral internet publicity, don't help them.
Vault @ Jun 27th 2008 10:03AM
Why not? Anything they release is (probably) going to be good anyways.
svenhoek @ Jun 28th 2008 12:17AM
Boycott marketing! In any form!
XeonPro @ Jun 27th 2008 9:17AM
I don't think it is WoTLK. It is similar but the proportions such as the bridge between the eyes is different.
adam @ Jun 27th 2008 9:21AM
If you compare the ridge in between the eyes, the one in the ice comes to a point at the bottom and the one on the Lich King's helm is flat.
My guess is that it is an Archon.
Noshino @ Jun 27th 2008 9:23AM
yup, I also have my bets on it being an StarCraft character
shawn @ Jun 27th 2008 9:40AM
please be diablo 3
Sam @ Jun 27th 2008 12:42PM
i'm hoping it is. With WotLK almost finished and Starcraft II coming this fall (supposedly) they might be announcing their next project.
Kyrra @ Jun 27th 2008 9:43AM
The splash is most likely the Lich King in the center, but why are there runes from all their other games on the outside of it? And what's up with the penguin from hell?
We won't really know the truth until WWI starts on Saturday.