Here it comes. Blizzard Entertainment announced that World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, the third expansion for the company's hugely popular MMORPG, is officially set to launch on December 7, 2010.

The add-on will be "available on DVD-ROM for Windows(R) XP/Windows Vista/Windows 7 and Macintosh at a suggested retail price of $39.99 and will also be offered as a digital download from the Blizzard Store. A special Collector's Edition packed with bonus items will be available exclusively in retail stores for a suggested retail price of $79.99."

"Cataclysm includes the best content we've ever created for World of Warcraft. It's not just an expansion, but a re-creation of much of the original Azeroth, complete with epic new high-level adventures for current players and a redesigned leveling experience for those just starting out," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "With the help of our beta testers, we're putting on the final polish, and we look forward to welcoming gamers around the world to enjoy it in just a couple of months."

Countless souls are about to get dragged deeper into the vast world that is WoW. I fear for our planet, I really do. We're an easy target for any hostile alien invader right now. It's true, we are.