Blizzard’s community and web teams have been busy preparing the official Battle.net forums, and understandably so – the beta forums comprise the largest and most important channel of communications with StarCraft 2 beta testers.

First of all, the login page for the beta forum is up. It requires a StarCraft 2 beta key to be accessed, so there’s nothing much to see there just yet – but for those lucky souls who got into the beta, it will soon unlock the ability to post on one of the most interesting forums on the Internet.

Of equal importance, the official beta FAQ has been posted by Avarius. The FAQ in PDF format can be found here.

Beta Access

How do I sign up for the StarCraft II beta test?

In order to sign up for the StarCraft II beta test or future Blizzard Entertainment beta tests, you first need to create a Battle.net account. You can then opt in to the beta for StarCraft II, as well as betas for future Blizzard Entertainment games, through the beta opt-in process. To get started, simply click Beta Profile Settings in Battle.net Account Management. Please note that opting in to a beta test through this method does not guarantee that you will be selected.

If I opted in to the StarCraft II beta, how will I know if I’ve been selected to participate?

If you are selected, you will receive an email from Blizzard instructing you to log in to your Battle.net account at www.battle.net. You will be able to download the client directly from within Battle.net Account Management. We plan on inviting players in waves, so if you do not receive an invitation in the beginning of the testing period, there’s a chance you might receive one in a later wave.

I attended BlizzCon 2008 and received a beta code. Do I have to go through this process?

There is a separate process in place for players who received StarCraft II beta codes from BlizzCon 2008 or have unused beta codes from earlier Blizzard events. To redeem your beta code, visit the beta sign-up page (don’t worry that the page says World of Warcraft), and enter the code from your card, along with a valid email address that you check often.

Once you’ve completed these steps, we will contact you via email at some point during the StarCraft II testing process with further instructions. Please note that in order to participate after your receive the invitation, you will need a Battle.net account (if you don’t have one already).

I received a beta key from a contest, promotion, or event other than BlizzCon. How do I access the beta?

We will be sending out emails with beta keys to winners along with detailed instructions on how to access the beta test. Players who receive a beta key via email will need to create a Battle.net account, click “Add or Upgrade a Game” in Account Management, and enter the key there. The beta client will then be available for download from within Battle.net Account Management.

How long will the beta test last?

We have not determined an exact date for the end of the beta test. We will notify participants when the beta test is nearing completion.

How many players do you plan to invite to the beta test?

The number of players we invite will be based on our testing needs. If during the course of testing we determine we need more players to participate, we’ll invite more.

How are beta test participants selected from the opt-in pool?

Beta testers are chosen according to their system specs and other factors, including luck. Our goal is to have a good variety of system types to best test compatibility.

How to Play

What game modes are available in the StarCraft II beta?

StarCraft II beta testers will be able to play a number of ranked multiplayer modes, include multiplayer ladder quick match, which has 1v1, 2v2, and free-for-all (FFA) modes. In addition, testers will be able to play unranked custom matches. We are not testing the single-player campaign of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty during the beta period.

How do I play against a computer opponent?

After launching StarCraft II, you will be asked to log in using your Battle.net account information. Once you log in and create or select a character, you will be brought to the main Battle.net screen. To play a match against a computer opponent, click the Multiplayer button in the top-left corner of the screen.

Next, click the Create a Game button in the lower-right side of the Multiplayer screen. Select your map of choice, and then click Create Game in the lower-left corner of the screen. After clicking Create Game, you will enter a new game lobby. You can adjust game settings on the right side of the screen and add AI opponents by clicking the +AI button located in the upper middle of the screen. You can adjust teams by dragging the computer player to the opposing team (or keep a computer player on your own team if you wish to play 2v2 against computer opponents). When you’re ready to begin, click Start Game.

How do I play a multiplayer ladder game against another human player?

To find a human opponent through the beta ladder system, log in to Battle.net, select Multiplayer in the top-left corner of the screen, pick your settings, and click the Find Match button on the lower-left side of the screen. You can also adjust which maps you would like to play on by using the Map Preferences button located to the right of Find Match.

How do I adjust my map preferences for ladder play?

To adjust your map preferences, log in to Battle.net, choose or create your character, and select the Multiplayer button in the top left of the screen. Click the Map Preferences button toward the bottom left of the Quick Match screen, and then click the check boxes next to each map you would like to vote against playing in your ladder matches. When you’re done, click Save Preferences.

There are separate map preferences for 1v1, 2v2, and free-for-all (FFA) modes that are each saved independently of one another. To adjust the map preferences of a different mode, select the bracket you wish to adjust preferences for and click the Map Preferences button. Click the check boxes to vote against the maps you would least like to play and click Save Preferences.

How do I play a multiplayer game using the StarCraft II Party system?

You can create a party in StarCraft II by inviting players who are on your friends list or by their character name on Battle.net. In the top-right panel, click Invite to begin gathering players into your party. Once invited, party members will be able to use voice chat and the party chat room to speak to one another. Clicking a player’s avatar portrait in the upper-right corner of the screen enables quick access to that player’s profile.

Players in the same party can join games together as a group. You can either choose to join a custom game or queue up for rated team ladder games by selecting Quick Match in Multiplayer. Simply invite your teammates from your friends list or by character name, select Multiplayer in the upper-left corner of the screen, and choose your desired match type.

To play a rated team ladder game, press Find Match once you and your teammate(s) have selected which races to play and adjusted map preferences. To join a custom game, select Join a Game, choose an existing game from the lobby, and select Join as Party. Once in the game lobby, you’ll be able to select your race and color preferences. You can also create your own custom game by selecting Create a Game, choosing your map, and then selecting Create as Party. Once the lobby is created, you can adjust your match settings. You can also open your game to the public for others to join by clicking the Open to Public button in the upper middle of the game lobby. Once a game lobby is made public, it cannot be made private again.

How do I add a friend on Battle.net?

There are two types of friends you can add: Real ID friends or StarCraft II friends. To add a friend of either type, first open your friends list by clicking the button directly left of the microphone icon in the lower-right corner of your screen. Next, click the Add Friend button. A window will open prompting you to enter either your real-life friend’s email address (matching their Battle.net account name) or a StarCraft II player’s character name. When you try to add a Real ID friend, a request will be emailed to that person asking if he or she wishes to accept the friend request. The player will not be added to your Real ID friend’s list until he or she accepts.

What is the difference between a Real ID friend and StarCraft II friend?

Real ID friends on Battle.net can see each other’s full profiles, including real-life names, real-life profile information, and all of their characters across all Battle.net games. Both players must mutually agree to become real-life friends before either will appear on the other’s real-life friends list.

To add a StarCraft II friend, simply enter a player’s character name. You will immediately start seeing that character in your friends list, but you will not be able to access real-life names, real-life profile information, or any other characters he or she might play. Other players are not notified if you add their characters to your friends list in this fashion.

I just destroyed my opponent! How do I watch my game’s replay?

After logging in to Battle.net, click the small video-camera-shaped button in the top-left corner of the screen. This will allow you to access replays for previous StarCraft II matches, organized by game type.

How do I check on my ladder progress?

To view your match results and current ladder ranking, click on the medal-shaped icon in the top-left corner of the Battle.net user interface.

How do I customize my profile?

Select the far-right button on the top-left panel of the Battle.net user interface. This will give you access to your match statistics, achievements, and match history, as well as the ability to change your portrait.

How do I enable or disable voice chat?

Click the microphone button located on the lower-right corner of the screen (next to the time). When there is a line crossing out the microphone, voice chat is disabled.

How do I change which Battle.net account is logged in?

Click the Menu button in the bottom-left corner of your screen when in the Battle.net lobby. The Log Out button will return you to the login screen to change accounts.

What Battle.net features are you testing during the StarCraft II beta test?

While testers will be able to experience much of the functionality of the new Battle.net, certain features, such as the ability to communicate with World of Warcraft players through the Real ID feature will not be available at the start of the beta. Battle.net features and functionality will be added and enhanced as the beta progresses, right up through the retail launch of StarCraft II and beyond.

How do I exit the StarCraft II beta?

If you are in the main menu of StarCraft II, click the Quit button in the lower-left corner of the screen. When logged in to Battle.net, click the Menu button in the lower-left corner of the screen and select Exit Game.

I heard that I can share resources and control over units in StarCraft II. How do I use these features?

When in a StarCraft II match, click the small icon in the top-right corner of the screen and use the check boxes to enable or disable shared unit control. You will be also able to share resources in this fashion once you are more than five minutes into a match.

How do I adjust my StarCraft II settings?

Click the Options button on the main menu to customize your settings for StarCraft II. You can also change various settings during a StarCraft II match by clicking the Menu button.

Will there be a Mac version of the beta client?

We plan to release a Mac version of the beta client at some point during the beta test period. We’ll have further details to share as the beta test progresses.

Where can I get more information about the status of the beta-test servers?

Please refer to the Tech Support forums http://forums.battle.net/board.html?forumId=25352527&sid=5000 for information on server status or for other technical issues. You can also report issues via webform or email at beta.techsupport@us.battle.net .

I found a bug while playing. Where can I report this to get it squashed?

If you find any bugs, please visit the Bug Report forum http://forums.battle.net/board.html?forumId=25498616&sid=5000 to report the issue.

Is there a forum where I can leave beta feedback, offer suggestions, or discuss the game with fellow beta participants?

We’ve set up several forums specifically for this purpose; you can find them all at the StarCraft II Beta Forums index page http://forums.battle.net/index.html?sid=5000. We encourage you to use these forums to discuss the game with your fellow players, and we definitely want to hear your feedback. While anyone is able to view the content of these forums, only beta participants will be able to post, and all beta forum participants must follow the Forum Guidelines http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=23140465238&sid=5000.

Since the document is bit large, the SC2Blog has prepared a ninja highlight summary. It boils down to:

• No information about new ways of getting into the beta.
• If you have secured your place in the beta, you will receive an email before the beta with further instructions.
• More waves of invites will be sent out during the beta.
• The beta will last as long as it has to.
• Owners of certain system specs have a higher chance of being selected to participate in the beta.
• Beta testers will be able to play ranked and unranked 1v1, 2v2, FFA , and custom games (against the AI as well).
• No Wings of Liberty single player campaign testing.
• All the social features, including voice chat, are in the beta. For now, no cross-game communication.
• Arranged teams will be possible to form, allowing players to quick match or join games together.
• Viewing replays requires players to login to Battle.net.
• Mac version will become available during the beta.

Beta launch is imminent. The day draws near. Man all battlestations. Brace for impact!

Yes, it’s real this time. The rumor frenzy was justified. Predictions proved to be correct. This is not a drill! The StarCraft 2 beta will launch this month, and it’s as official as can be.

During the much-anticipated conference call, broadcast live to the public, the following slide went up as Mike Morhaime, Blizzard’s president, was talking:

Mike also mentioned a mid-2010 release date for StarCraft 2, in line with previous Blizzard representatives’ estimations of 4-6 months of beta testing.

Indeed, there is no doubt about it. Battle.net 2.0 was likely the reason for the previous delay of the beta, which was promised to begin last year. With the new Battle.net preview page going live yesterday, Blizzard has made it clear that most preparations are complete and that the time for the beta has come.

“Battle.net is about to undergo the greatest update in its long and storied history as one of the world’s most successful online gaming services.”

These are the opening words on the new Battle.net preview page, launched just a couple of hours ago. The preview site has all the information about the new Battle.net features, screenshots of the service, and a short video interview with Greg Canessa, project director for Battle.net.

Since information about the new Battle.net hasn’t been scarce, the page itself doesn’t reveal much that isn’t already known. It serves as an aggregate of information about the service, officially showcasing it to the world. Indeed, the gaming industry should take note of this new service, as it is sure to capture the attention of many gamers who will become more loyal to Blizzard and their games than ever before.

Here’s a rundown of the information presented on the page and in the interview:

The new Battle.net will be completely integrated into the game.

• Saved games will be associated with the player’s Battle.net account and will be stored online.
• Each player will create a StarCraft 2 Battle.net character, which will serve as his persistent identity, keeping records, achievements, unlockable rewards, friends lists, and so on.
• Each player can select his own avatar and customize it to some degree; some of the avatars available and the customizations will only be available after being unlocked.

As mentioned before, the new Battle.net is not just about the games anymore – it provides a fully-featured social experience that stretches beyond the battlefield. Seamlessly integrated friends lists, status updates, messaging options and other social networking features abound. All of Blizzard’s online games will be represented, each with their own characteristic style. As well, a new “Real ID” feature will be implemented, allowing players to form friendships that transcend characters and come into the real world, creating a bond that will follow them through any Blizzard game or player avatar. Real ID will place the emphasis on real names and identities and provide a richer social infrastructure.

At this point, Real ID is strictly optional, and players will be able to rely completely on their anonymous avatars.

The information about Battle.net’s marketplace and matchmaking services have already been fleshed out before.

Another interesting change further complicates the ladder process by dividing it into separate leagues and divisions.
Seven Leagues will be created:

• Pro
• Platinum
• Gold
• Silver
• Bronze
• Copper
• Practice

In short, matchmaking will be more friendly to newcomers and pro-gamers alike, featuring leagues that players will automatically be assigned to after playing a few games. Blizzard wants to encourage “local competition” by putting you in your “skill neighborhood” in order to facilitate fun and competitive games. As well, the fan-favorite and often neglected (in other RTS games) arranged-team feature will be available, allowing friends to team up and find a match together in the same team.

The new custom game service will include a feature called Map Publishing that will let map designers publish their maps online, distributing their creations immediately. Likewise, players will be able to browse the service and look for specific map and game types. Later, Blizzard will introduce a more advanced version of this service – the StarCraft 2 Marketplace – allowing players to rate, comment on, and even buy mods if their creators choose to put a price tag on them. Blizzard has previously assured us that only mods that they approve and that they deem worthy will be allowed this privilege.

Lastly, check out this picture of the game launch screen, featuring a new 4v4 map – Extinction!

With they year 2009 coming to an end, marking two and half years since StarCraft 2’s unveiling in Korea, it’s time to summarize this year of continuous teasing; feature annoucements, previews, battle reports and recurring mentions of the upcoming beta.

The first thing we covered on January 2009 is, ironically, 1UP’s post of the 25 most anticipated games of 2009, topped with the obvious reservation to curb the readers’ enthusiasm..

… both Diablo 3 and StarCraft 2 appear in 1Up’s  “25 of the Most Anticipated Video Games of 2009“, Thierry Nguyen (1Up’s writer) seems to have a very realistic view on Blizzard’s schedule, reminding everyone of its famous “when it’s done” mantra.

The first unit to receive a major adjustment in 2009 was the Dark Templar, which now comes in two flavors following the results of a poll Blizzard conducted to decide between two, equally worthy models.

On January 20, a Blizzard official – Xordiah, Blizzard’s European RTS Community Manager, made a bold public statement concerning the StarCraft 2 Beta – Blizzard has set a fixed date for the public StarCraft 2 Beta, but is keeping it a secret.
Xordiah also mentions two things which are later discovered to be key macro mechanics:

• The Dark Pylon
• Terran Mule - the “bigger SCV”

Even February 2009 started with a StarCraft 2 Beta Hoax – a fake captcha image produced by one of Battle.net forum dwellers, as well as a rumor of a leaked StarCraft 2 build. Both turned out to be completely false, with neither beta nor playable build becoming available throughout 2009.

Towards the end of February 2009, Blizzard annouced its annual BlizzCon event and Dustin Browder posted what we’ve considered at the time a clear indication that StarCraft 2 Beta won’t be happening in 2009.

Question: “Why hasn’t Blizzard released the Beta?” or “WTF have they been working on, I played it at Blizzcon last year and I thought it was done!”

Answer: Solo campaign is under heavy construction as is Battlenet. When these things have enough work done that we know when our release date is going to be with strong confidence we will announce the Beta. Unless something crazy happens, the Beta is going to happen this year.

The above statement, coming from a senior member of the development team, should effectively put an end to any speculation that puts the StarCraft 2 beta release date before June 2009. Considering the fact that game development usually has a 60% chance of “something crazy happens”, we might be reading a similar FAQ a year from now.

Despite the gloomy predictions, nobody was under the impression that Blizzard was stalling or getting lazy – the development and art teams shelled out a massive update, drastically changing model graphics and introducing revolutionary macromanagement mechanics for all three races.

In March 2009, Beta Teasing reached new heights with the announcment (and implementation) of Blizzard’s unified Battle.net Platform, enabling StarCraft 2 Beta key owners to register via http://blizzcon.com/beta. Users could also opt-in for being randomly selected to take part in Blizzard’s various beta tests – meaning that even users without StarCraft 2 Beta keys could take part in the beta if they have set up their accounts to receive invitations.

All this teasing and beta talk was quickly taken advantage of by several trolls in order to send the community into a speculation frenzy over multiple fake “beta announcement” emails.

April and May 2009 were the Months of Clarifications.  Featuring multiple massive Q&A sessions, a Battle Report and lengthy Karunology posts, Blizzard’s community and Dev teams went out of their way to inform us about major changes made to StarCraft 2 in a recent overhaul. The development of StarCraft 2 is extremely well documented, and it will be interesting to come and re-visit these posts in a few years when StarCraft 2 matures.

• Team Liquid Q&A – key mechanics discussed
• StarFeeder Q&A – ZvZ balance, Brood Lord introduced, eSports Team mentioned.
• Karunology – Planetary Fortress details
• SC Legacy Fansite Q&A  and Korean event info
• SC2Armory Q&A and 51st Q&A

Further, the aspects to be included in the beta have gradually been revealed during that time to be

• Multiplayer via Battle.net 2.0
• Replay viewer
• Map Editor
• No Campaign
• Player versus AI

In May 2009, Blizzard focused on revealing even more StarCraft 2 gameplay considerations and started preparing its fans for BlizzCon. In a lengthy 11 Q&A session for SC2Pod, Dustin also revealed what is, at this time, the only hardware- based edge gamers can acquire – a widescreen montior.

1. How will StarCraft II handle widescreen monitors? If the screen isn’t going to be stretched, either widescreen or traditional format will have the advantage of seeing more of the battlefield, have you decided which one?

[Dustin Browder] Widescreen monitors will be able to see slightly more of the battlefield, but the extra visual real estate players will be getting will be quite small. Nonetheless, for competitive gaming, there will be a small visual advantage to having a widescreen.

Blizzard’s solution to previous years’ BlizzCon ticket purchasing troubles was the introduction of a strange ticket purchase queue system, which later proved itself surprisingly justifiable and had actually managed to handle the massive  burst of fans that overwhelmed Blizzard’s virtual ticket booth.

How long do I have to finalize my purchase?


Once you reach the front of the queue, you will have 15 minutes to finalize your purchase. To help speed up the process, we recommend you have a valid Battle.net account (create one now!) with up-to-date payment information ready to go, as this will be required to make a purchase from the Blizzard Store.

Towards the end of May, Blizzard also revealed that it has reversed some of its earlier gameplay decisions – such as making the Thor transportable and returning the Ghost its EMP ability.

June 2009 had one great thing about it. Battle Report 3, made entirely of pure awesome, was released (after being leaked a bit early). If, for any reason, you missed it and want to see a broad array of StarCraft 2 mechanics, weapons and abilities abused to the max, do go forth watch it now.

Still at awe by the delivery of Battle Report 3, early July 2009 we’ve been hit with another blast.  The amount of gameplay information, new videos, images and detailed Tech Trees was so vast and its release so well orchestrated, that we’ve dubbed the update  ”Pre-Beta Press Event: Tech Trees, Screenshots, Impressions“. Check it out: Full of screenshots, gameplay videos, interviews and StarCraft 2 build updates, it was one of the most singificant posts of 2009. Here are just a few items from the massive blob of info:

• StarCraft 2 will include an online Casual Gaming League that will feature “anti-rush” map designs, a normal (slower) game speed and other care-bear perks.
• Blizzard will push for mainstream adoption of E-Sports and public broadcast/televised StarCraft 2 matches.
• Banelings can explode while burrowed.
• Ultralisks are no longer a late-game screw-you unit, but hands down the most powerful and effective physical ground unit in the game.

August 2009 was the first time Blizzard openly stated that StarCraft 2 is planned for 2010. The anticipated released date range, slated for the first half of 2010 – as divulged in Activision-Blizzard’s Financial Results paper -  is highly unrealistic,  as the beta is very unlikely to be over prior to May 2010. Indeed, Dustin and co have stated that the beta will quite likely last between four to six months, if not more.

Just prior to the Battle.net and Galaxy Editor storm that was BlizzCon, Blizzard approved the release of the single player infromation pack, including pretty much everything a person considering the purchase of StarCraft 2 for its campaign value would like to know.

For fans following StarCraft Universe lore and eagerly anticipating the epic single player campaign, it’s a must read, but it also includes a statement we’ve been waiting for Blizzard to make for quite some time: No paid subscription for StarCraft 2.

Battle.net 2.0: “Will it require a subscription?”

We are certainly not doing that for Starcraft 2.

BlizzCon complimented the single player information batch well, covering the other two major aspects of StarCraft 2 : Battle.net 2.0 and the Galaxy Editor. While Battle.net 2.0 met the expectations of being designed to be a massive unified social gaming platform, referring to the tool presented at the convention merely an editor is a gross understatement. The StarCraft 2 Galaxy Editor was revealed to be a full-blown IDE, capable of producing games that look and function nothing like StarCraft 2.

One of Battle.net 2.0’s most innovative and somewhat controversial features is the introduction of the Premium Content Marketplace – built to provide StarCraft 2 content developers with a platform for selling their goods directly to gamers. This tool, which may later become key to the selection of games you see on Battle.net, has not received the attention it deserves -yet-. Be sure to check out the poll we’ve run on this issue since September.

October’s most interesting news piece is without a doubt the epic Battle Report 4, which featured massive clashes of Thors and Colossi, only to be abruptly aborted by a barrage of five consecutive nukes by David Kim.

No one was suprised when, in November 2009, Chris Sigaty, StarCraft 2’s Lead Producer, stated that StarCraft 2 beta will be released no earlier than 2010.

December came and went without a lot of action as well. The only notable item was a long interview with Dustin Browder, where he revealed his game-making soul to the fans. The interview showed how dedicated Dustin – who had doubts cast on him when development began – really is to making StarCraft 2 the Best Thing Ever.

We are trying to make this game complete – like if nobody buys any other product, this game needs to be awesome. Like if Blizzard gets hit by a meteor tomorrow and we all die, at least StarCraft II was awesome – that’s what it needs to be.

It better be, after topping the respectable Wired 2009 Vaporware list.