Quote from: Blizzard (Source)

Arena Season 4 has now officially begun, and players can immediately begin competing for the new Brutal Gladiator and Guardian PvP item sets. Players will now also be able to purchase Arena Season 2 items using the honor system. Please note that we have reset all Arena team and personal ratings, though players retain their Arena points and teams. The team and personal rating have simply been reset to the default 1500, allowing all teams to once again compete for top honors with a fresh start. Also, with the end of the third season, players on the top teams from each battlegroup will be receiving their end-of-season rewards approximately one week from today. These include Arena-specific titles that they can display proudly until the end of the new season, and, for the best of the best, an Armored Nether Drake.

It’s very important for players who feel that they may be eligible for the Arena-specific title and/or Armored Nether Drake to refrain from transferring their character to another realm between now and when these end-of-season rewards are physically awarded, otherwise they will become ineligible to receive either.

Quote from: Blizzard (Source)

We’re currently planning to end the third Arena season and begin Arena Season 4 on June 24, 2008. This exciting Arena season will introduce the Brutal Gladiator set, and will also allow players to purchase Arena Season 2 items using the honor system. Please note that we will be resetting all Arena team and personal ratings. Players will still retain their Arena points and teams with this reset. The team and personal rating will simply be reset to the default 1500, allowing all teams to once again compete for top honors with a fresh start.

Also, with the end of the third season, players on the top teams from each battlegroup will receive their end-of-season rewards. These include Arena-specific titles that they can display proudly until the end of the new season, and, for the best of the best, an Armored Nether Drake. Please also be aware that with the end of the current season, all previous end-of-season titles will be removed.

Quote from: Blizzard (Source)

The seasons match PvE progression.

The final door in Sunwell Plateau just opened up on May 20th. We want that gear to begin circulating a bit before the next season starts. That’s how every season works, we wait until a reasonable number of people are able to grab gear from the highest raid before kicking off a season.

How much and when, we’re not saying yet.

Quote from: Blizzard (Source)

We don’t provide release dates far in advance, this should come as no surprise really. We also feel that providing a 2 week warning is sufficient time for players to prepare for the end of the current season and the beginning of a new one.

Quote from: Blizzard (Source)

Phase 1 of the 2008 World of Warcraft Arena Tournament’s second qualification round has begun. Tournament participants have two weeks to hone their strategies, experiment with various team compositions, and practice their teamwork. To track the progress of your team and those of your competition, please visit the World of Warcraft Armory and select the Coliseum 1 battlegroup. For more information on the tournament, please visit our Arena Tournament information page. Good luck, and may the best teams be left standing!