For those of you who are like me and absolutely love World of Warcraft, [ http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/ ] then you’ve been following news of the upcoming expansion pack for the MMORPG called The Burning Crusade [ www.worldofwarcraft.com/burningcrusade/ ] that is slated to be released hopefully sometime this year, although Blizzard hasn’t set a release date yet.

Players will recieve, among other things, access to Outworld, the mysterious beyond through the Dark Portal (let me know if I’m losing you here) where players can ride flying mounts, as well as an increase in the player level cap from 60 to 75, and perhaps most excitedly, two new races that players can roll characters with. Already announced has been the Blood Elves, who fit in nicely with Warcraft lore and will be sided with the Horde, but the Alliance race has as of yet been unannounced. Many people all but concluded that the new Alliance race would be the Draenei, pictured above, but Blizzard refused to commit one way or the other. Since then, rumors have flown back and forth, people joking that the new race would be the annoying-but-cute Murlocs [ Wikipedia :: Murloc ] even culminating in an April Fool’s gag that announced that the new race would be Wisps, essentially wimpy little powerless ghosts. [ World of Warcraft :: Wisps April Fool’s Joke ]

Well, Blizzard has confirmed that at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) [ E3 Insider ] which is going on in Los Angeles this week, among all of the video game producers, game designers and developers, hardware manufacturers, peripheral vendors, and the masses of video game journalists and gamers (man I wish I were there) they’ll announce the new Alliance race for good, and hopefully put a release date or at least timeframe on when WoW addicts can expect to see Burning Crusade hit store shelves.

GameSpy has some insight into what the new race might look like, and claims that the two minute video that apparently shows off the new race and very well may confirm that the new race is indeed the Draenei. The article reads:

The video, which runs about two minutes, shows off a huge race about the size of Taurens. They have bluish skin (although as with the other races, this could be customizable) and small mindflayer-like tentacles hanging from their chin. They also have a large tail (maybe scaled) and what look like hooves. Having heard nothing official from Blizzard, the race appears to be the Draenei as they appear in their otherworldly realm of Outland. The Draenei (or Lost Ones) that appear in the current game in the Blasted Lands and Swamp of Sorrows are apparently corrupted or fallen versions of the race.

More insight over at GameSpy:

[ Gamespy :: Blizzard to Unveil New WoW Race at E3 ]