Today, we’re excited to announce the latest Blizzard Arcade contest, Rock the Cabinet 2015. If you were a part of the contest last year, then you've seen some of the amazing games the modding community has created in the past. This time around, we're recognizing the incredible efforts of even more creators and awarding them with over $30,000 in cash and prizes. To celebrate the Warcraft III assets we released earlier this year, the theme for Rock the Cabinet 2015 will be Fantasy. We want your best, brand-new game set in a magical world of your creation. We want to see swords and bows, dragons and goblins, orcs and elves, anything that will transport players into a fantasy setting. Though we’d love to see the Warcraft III models in action, they’re not required and you are absolutely welcome to use any and all tools at your disposal.

All games are due on Wednesday, October 28. After the deadline has passed, we’ll review all entries and present to you the ten games that we feel have the most potential. Then, the Blizzard community will get to decide which games make it to the final five by voting for their favorites. After the votes are in, we’ll closely examine (and play!) each of the games and declare the winners of Rock the Cabinet 2015.

So if you’re ready to start working on your creation, here is what you’ll need to keep in mind:

• The game must be in English.
  • Barring any legal restrictions from your home country and state, anyone is able to participate in this contest, but there must be an English version of the game.
• The game should not require more than 6 human players for optimal play.
  • Your game can support 1 to 16 players, but it should take no more than 6 players to be a fun and enjoyable experience.
• The game must be published to the North American Region of StarCraft II using the map editor.
• The game’s info page in the StarCraft II Arcade must have a description, at least one screenshot, and the ‘How to Play’ section must be filled out.
• A forum thread must be created on our Arcade Game Showcase Forum with the following requirements:
  • The title of the thread should read “Rock the Cabinet: [GAMENAME]”
    • Example: Rock the Cabinet: StarJeweled
  • A link to your game should be provided.
    • Example (StarJeweled): battlenet://starcraft/map/1/85968
  • A description of your game should be included in the first post in the thread.
• Once the contest deadline passes, you may not update the game in any way. The version you submit to the contest is the one that will be judged. Any changes made to your game after the submission deadline will disqualify your entry.
• See the complete, official rules.

The purpose of creating a thread on the Arcade Game Showcase forum is to allow you to share the vision of your game to us and the community; to give us insight on your creation. This will also allow players to offer feedback and opinions and help make your game as awesome as possible.

Let’s go over the criteria by which we’ll be judging each game.

Accessibility

One of the most important elements of a good game, this refers to how quickly new players can jump into your game and start having fun. Are the game objectives clear? Do players understand how to succeed? Being able to answer these questions helps make a great experience.

Fun

The most subjective part of the judging process, but also one of the most important: when it comes down to it, are players enjoying themselves? It doesn’t matter how many powerups, upgrades, and cool effects your game has if no one is having a good time using them.

Creativity

Showing us something fresh and interesting can really win points and push your game to the top of the list. Whether it’s in a genre we haven’t seen on the Arcade before or a refreshing take on a classic game-type, the freshness of your creation will add to your overall score.

Execution

The execution of your project, or polish, will be the final step to really make your game stand out. Making sure it has a crisp and tight experience will really go a long way in impressing our judges.

Here is the breakdown of all of the prizes that will be awarded.

1^st Place

• $10,000
• Two tickets to BlizzCon 2015
• A World of Warcraft: Udon Tribute Art Book (Hardcover)
• Two StarCrafts Cut and Sew Hoodies
• Game text localized into Chinese (traditional and simplified), Korean, Russian, and Spanish
• Dev Jam – A chance for the winners to interact with members of the StarCraft II development team and discuss high-level game design topics

2^nd Place

• $7,000
• Two tickets to BlizzCon 2015
• A World of Warcraft: Udon Tribute Art Book (Hardcover)
• Two StarCrafts Cut and Sew Hoodies
• Game text localized into Chinese (traditional and simplified), Korean, Russian, and Spanish

3^rd Place

• $5,000
• Two tickets to BlizzCon 2015
• A World of Warcraft: Udon Tribute Art Book (Hardcover)
• Two StarCrafts Cut and Sew Hoodies
• Game text localized into Chinese (traditional and simplified), Korean, Russian, and Spanish

4^th and 5^th Place

• $500
• A World of Warcraft: Udon Tribute Art Book (Hardcover)
• A StarCrafts Cut and Sew Hoodie

6^th through 10^th Place

• $200
• A World of Warcraft: Udon Tribute Art Book (Hardcover)
• A StarCrafts Cut and Sew Hoodie

Last year, we had an amazing number of submissions and were blown away by the time and effort all the talented creators put into their work. We know this year will be no different and we can’t wait to see all of the fantasy and wonder you’ll bring to Rock the Cabinet 2015. Though submissions are not being accepted at this time, you’ll want to waste no time getting your team and project going, as well as your game creation thread. Stay tuned to this blog for updates, including dates for when submissions will be accepted.

If you have any questions about the contest, please feel free to leave a question in the comments or email us at Arcade@Blizzard.com. Good luck!