After showcasing Battle.net 2.0 in August, Blizzard is finally getting ready to take the plunge -- or making WoW players do so.  An announcement this week pegs November 11 as the fateful day when all World of Warcraft subscribers are required to merge their accounts with a Battle.net account in order to log in.

Blizzard's "Bornakk" noted upcoming features:

... in the future, players will be able to use Battle.net to participate in cross-realm chat in World of Warcraft, create real-life friends lists, communicate across different games, and a whole lot more.

Hear that?  We're headed into the future.  Anyway, in preparation for the new Battle.net, WoW players will need to convert.  Starting November 11, active WoW suscribers will need to start logging into the game with their Battle.net username and password.  Anyone who wants to create a new WoW account is also required to start with a Battle.net account, though existing WoW accounts that make the change will be rewarded with an in-game penguin pet named "Oswald."  Keep an eye on that mailbox this week if you decided to undergo the process early.