Taking things public, Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime discussed the issues with Yonhap News during their visit to Blizzard’s HQ, and a kind soul over at the TL forums translated a significant portion of the articles for the community. It all boils down to the following statements – and coming from Blizzard’s #1, it likely means that this is the company’s final stance on the issue.

“We’ve been negotiating with the association about intellectual property rights for the last three years, and we’ve made no progress at all”

“….We’re going to stop negotiating with them and look for a new partner”

“…Blizzard obviously has the IP rights to the Starcraft series, but those rights aren’t being respected, and we can’t keep having these fruitless negotiations with the release of Starcraft II at hand”

Over the course of StarCraft 2′s development, a big portion of which happened in the public eye since its unveiling during the World Wide Invitational in May 2007, Blizzard has made multiple statements about its eSports ambitions. Notice how this time span overlaps exactly with the three-year negotiation period Mike Morhaime mentioned above.

1) In early 2008, Blizzard RTS Community Managers released a Q&A that included an answer specifically stating the sort of role Blizzard’s eSports team is gearing up to play in their upcoming flagship RTS title:

the planning and operation of Blizzard tournaments around the world in places such as Asia, Europe and the United States. They also provide third-party support for the eSports leagues that host both online and live events using Blizzard titles.

Additionally, they help provide balance feedback to our development teams based on interaction with professional gamers and response from the eSports community. They will have an integral role in promoting StarCraft II as an eSports as they have done for the previous Blizzard titles.

To sum it up, Blizzard’s eSport’s team expects to handle the following aspects of competitive StarCraft 2 gaming:

• The planning and operation of StarCraft 2 tournaments around the globe.
• Support for league managing – both online and live competitive events.
• The active promotion of StarCraft 2 as an eSport.

2) While the first statement hadn’t mentioned Korea, during BlizzCon 2008, Blizzard representatives specifically expressed their commitment to the highly-developed Korean StarCraft gaming scene.

We know about the popularity in Korea. Because Koreans love competitive gaming we’re trying to make this an e-Sport game. Just revealing the game in Seoul should tell you how much we love the Korean market.

…the e-Sports department is doing all that they can to create the best multiplayer experience. This can change depending on the players’ opinions, however. On a side note we’re preparing a WC3 tournament and are expecting to host similar leagues for SC2.

3) Early 2009, in Q&A #50, the Chat with the Devs section emphasizes StarCraft 2′s inherent eSports oriented design and replay features:

StarCraft II from its conception has been designed to be an eSport and one of the backbone features to helping players learn more about their own gameplay as well as their opponents is through replays. In our chat with Dustin this week, he highlighted various features that will be available to players while viewing replays. These features are designed both to help players improve in StarCraft II as well as serve as a platform of statistics for eSports commentary.

4) April 2009, Blizzard re-iterates the unchanged goals of the eSports team:

The role of our eSports Team is to operate tournaments and competitive events for Blizzard games.  We will release more information on our plans for StarCraft II tournaments, both official and third-party, as we get closer to the launch of the game.

5) July 2009, Dustin Browder talks about Blizzard’s intentions to push for the mainstream adoption of eSports and their plans to promote public broadcasts – televised StarCraft 2 matches.

6) Towards the end of 2009, the message grows even clearer, as Bob Colayco, Blizzard’s PR Manager for StarCraft 2, provides the following answer during an interview:

You know, we have an E-Sports team for a reason and I think you’re going to see some 3rd party stuff as well, but we definitely like to get hands on with our own things. If you look at what we’ve done with WoW Arena, we do have the tournament realms and we do regional finals that we run and we sponsor.

By this time, just a few months before the beta, Mr. Colayco is almost certainly aware of the situation with KeSPA, the failing negotiations and the inevitability of the clash that is due to occur when the StarCraft 2 beta goes live and public in Korea.

The aforementioned six public statements are, undoubtedly, just the the tip of the iceberg; a drop in a pool of statements and actions Blizzard took to make sure the message is clear: Blizzard made StarCraft 2. The future of StarCraft 2 belongs to Blizzard.

Of course, as with all Blizzard events, the latest StarCraft 2 build was playable in the convention hall, and some changes to the gameplay and unit design have been spotted as well. Check out the last part of the post for the new screenshots.

The StarCraft 2 single player is going to be a completely different experience from StarCraft 1. As we now know, the three campaigns – Terran, Zerg and Protoss -  will be separated into three packages, and each is expected to offer as much content (if not more) than the entire original game.  The first package to be released will contain the Terran campaign, along with full multiplayer capability, featuring all three races, while the next two will be released as expansions in the future.

This new strategy gives Blizzard the opportunity to accomplish a few things, all quite positive (unless you were really anxious about playing all three campaigns without paying more than 50$ for it!):

• The game, with full Battle.net 2.0 and multiplayer capability, will be released sooner
• Blizzard will not attempt to rush the single player campaign to satisfy the anxious players waiting for the game’s multiplayer and esports aspects, having time to perfect it up to Blizzard standards
• The single player campaign will offer a new, unique experience, instead of being a rehash of the same predictable formula we’ve been playing for more than 10 years
• As full expansions for StarCraft 2, they will also introduce new units, make balance changes, and improve the StarCraft 2 multiplayer game

While this may be disappointing for players who were eager to get their hands on the Zerg or Protoss campaigns, the vast majority of players will likely be excited to be able to play StarCraft 2 sooner, rather than later, and have an assurance that two more expansions are coming in the not-too-distant future. Moreover, for those single player fans, the campaign should be much more satisfying than if it was released in cut-down form.

With beta keys for StarCraft 2 being handed out to BlizzCon attendees, it is safe to say that the beta is fast approaching. Blizzard have had a long time to develop all three races for multiplayer, and according to Chris Sigaty, lead producer, they are now finishing “Wings of Liberty“, the Terran campaign. Since the other campaigns will be released at a future time, the first package should not be far away itself – there isn’t much left to accomplish before it is released. Chris also puts the ballpark for each new expansion at around a year of development.

Moving on from the technical details, we also have some fresh tidbits about the game and story:

In each campaign, the player will control a major character and follow it throughout the game. As you might have guessed, these will be Jim Raynor for the Terran, Kerrigan for the Zerg, and Zeratul for the Protoss. Controlling your character means more than just moving a hero around on the battlefield, though – the non-RTS portions of StarCraft will resemble more of an RPG.

The game will also provide the player with choices to make about how to proceed in it and perhaps even pose dilemmas that will affect the course of action and plot, but likely not the final outcome. It will feature many more missions – some optional – and allow interested players to explore the StarCraft universe in greater depth and detail. For the Terran campaign, Blizzard have revealed the Starmap, with which the player will navigate and reach chosen missions.

Unfortunately, it is doubtful that this aspect of the game will reach the magnificence of other similarly themed games, such as the other SC2 – Star Control 2, and will more likely stay at the same level of the Command & Conquer inter mission breaks.

Throughout each campaign’s non-linear ~30 missions, the player will also gather resources, with which he will be able to purchase single player-specific upgrades and technology. Players will have to make smart choices with their upgrade paths and pick the right units and technology to fight their chosen battles with. Missions are promised to be much more diverse, as Blizzard tries to avoid the normal “build up a base and kill everything” dead-end formula.

The expanded campaigns will also include many other interesting characters, some of which we’ve seen before, and quite a few new ones. Some new names that have been mentioned are:

• Valerian Mengsk, son of Arcturus Mengsk from the original StarCraft
• Tychus Findlay, who we first met in the original StarCraft II cinematic
• Rory Swann, a former Kel-Morian worker who lead a unsuccesfull revolt. Saved by Jim Raynor, he now serves on the Hyperion as the main engineer, trying to keep the war-torn battlecruiser in fighting shape
• Gabriel Tosh, a Ghost with supposed ties to Nova of StarCraft: Ghost fame, provides Raynor with his expertise
• Dr. Ariel Hanson, a young scientist who is also Raynor’s love interest (until he runs into Kerrigan again, at least)

Blizzard is trying to create something new and exciting for the single player portion of the game. This type of game development is new to Blizzard as well, and it is not surprising that it is taking a long while for them to meet their high standards. By separating the process and releasing the multiplayer game with only a portion of the single player campaign, they are giving themselves the opportunity to perfect the game without delaying it further. The result should please most fans, and provide everyone with a great gaming experience – or so Blizzard, and everyone else, hope.

Finally, Blizzard have also released a few amazing in-game screenshots, featuring new tilesets and giving us a glimpse at the newest unit redesigns.

Here are some notable excerpts:

* A Thor guarding the entrance to the Terran stronghold, completely surrounded by lava

* Jackals, now called Hellions, roasting a huge pack of Zerglings to a crisp with a few fell swoops

* The Battlecruiser unleashes its new Missile Barrage on a few poor Zerg fliers

* The Medivac Dropship in action, healing Marauders, who come under attack by Roaches

* A group of Nighthawks, the new design for the old Nomad, come under attach by Archons, who have also received a small facelift

* A few more shots of the new Nighthawks, which seem to have borrowed their design from the more sleek and less square and bulky Protoss, alongside their deployed Auto-Turrets

That’s all for now. When the dust settles and all reports from our operatives are handed in, a complete gameplay follow-up piece will be published.

Char currently serves as the primary hive planet of the Zerg. It’s a volcanic hell, with temperatures that shoot right up to 800c when its orbit brings it close to the sun. It also has a Terran-constructed space platform, termed “Char Aleph”, which now serves as an orbital nesting site and hatchery.

There has been a great deal of speculation over the zerg choice to occupy Char, given its harsh environment and total lack of any organic life forms to exploit. Theorists are evenly split among the ideas that Char forms a useful jump-off point to the core worlds of terran and protoss space, that its inhospitable nature makes it easier for the zerg to defend it, or that Char’s high radiation levels promote an increased rate of mutation in zerg organisms to enable forced evolution of specialist strains.

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Regardless of the reasoning, the zerg presence on Char has ensured that the planet has remained a cauldron of battle. Protoss and terran forces have attempted infiltration missions on the planet with varying degrees of success. Huge and bloody battles were fought there amongst the zerg themselves as the Queen of Blades overthrew the cerebrates controlling the Swarm. Four years ago three entire fleets met their demise when they confronted the Queen of Blades on Char. The Queen of Blades emerged as the dominant power in the sector after an apocalyptic battle that destroyed a Terran Dominion fleet, a protoss armada, and finally the UED expeditionary force. Since then the zerg have remained curiously quiescent, apparently content to remain on the worlds they infested so rapidly during the initial invasion.

The screenshot that was coupled to the update reveals a few new Zerg structures and a new design for the Terran Jackal.

* Click for Big

• The new Baneling Nest, the prerequisite building for morphing Zerglings into Banelings.
• The new Jackals have 2 front wheels, providing them with a buggy look, distancing them from the old Vulture design.
• The Infestor Pit is the prerequisite building for Infestors, and also serves as the place for Infestor upgrades.

That’s it for this planetary update.

Is the Zerg race going to be announced a week from today? A Team liquid forum post brings to our attention the fact that on March 10, in an official Blizzard event in South Korea, the Zerg race will be showcased to the world for the first time. Demo stations will be set up, allowing visitors to play StarCraft 2 with all three races. Frank Pearce, vice-president of Blizzard Entertainment, will also be attending the event.

It’s important to note that the source of this information are Korean gaming sites, and that Blizzard has not officially confirmed this yet.

STARCRAFT: I, MENGSK

A new book has been announced for the StarCraft universe: I, Mengsk. Written by Graham McNeill, who is also known for writing Warhammer books and codexes.

“I, Mengsk is a look at three generations of the Mengsk family from the inside out…what shaped Arcturus and the years of his life we haven’t seen yet: the relationship between his father and his son. It’s a novel about what it means to be a Mengsk, a story of fathers and sons, and looks at whether a man’s destiny is his own and how it is shaped by the generation before it.”

 

It’s been a busy couple of weeks here, with the Starcraft novel entering the final straits. I’ve begun the final third of the book and so far it’s going well, the pace is good, the vibe I’m getting from the characters is good, the plot’s moving forward at the right pace and, best of all, Blizzard seem to be liking it so far.

The book will join Christy Golden’s StarCraft 2 novels in stores on December 28, 2008.

Karunology

Karune, Blizzard’s RTS community manager, has answered a few gameplay related questions that were posted on Battle.net.

In response to a question about whether or not units are able to use abilities inside a Bunker that’s being salvaged, Karune says:

In the current build, when you initiate Salvage on a Terran Bunker, units inside the Bunker will no longer be able to use their abilities.

Much of the mechanics around Salvage are still to be balanced, though I don’t think it would be terribly hard, especially since the duration it takes to Salvage a building can be changed easily.

Karune also addresses a few questions about the recently announced Protoss Nullifier:

The Nullifier will be a mechanical unit and there has yet to be a screenshot. Hopefully, we will get one out to everyone shortly, with the new changes to the overall colors of StarCraft II as well.

 

One key thing to note about Nullifiers being ‘Mechanical’ is that it will not be affected by certain abilities, such as the Snipe ability from a Ghost. Certain casters will be more vulnerable to those biological focused abilities such as the High Templar.

Nullifiers are shaping up to becoming very powerful units that will be effective throughout any StarCraft 2 match. We will not be surprised to see them moved higher up in the tech tree – perhaps to the Robotics Facility, where Protoss mechanical units normally reside.

As with the last BlizzCast, we will focus on the StarCraft universe portion of the interviews.

First up, an interview with Chris Metzen, Vice President of Creative Development and creator of the original WarCraft, StarCraft, and Diablo storylines. Chris talks about his work – juggling three different stories simultaneously, coming up with new ideas and integrating them into the core of his stories, and the how working at Blizzard is like compared to other companies. Here are some interesting excerpts:

… about StarCraft in particular, how did that particular story-line get started with you?

 

We had done Warcraft II and now we’re interested in trying to do the next RTS outing in science-fiction. And early ideas like ‘well, let’s blend them together man, we can do this kind of space-vampire-clan-thing and real-time-strategy.’ … the group response is like ‘well, let’s simplify this, right. People, they understand space-ships. They understand creepy, spidery aliens. They understand psychic brain aliens, right? So let’s just cut down to the core motifs that are really classic in science-fiction. That’s where we should start.’

 

It wasn’t the story-line, specifically, the linear flow of events, the overthrow of the Confederacy, Kerrigan, Raynor, the Protoss, the destruction of their homeworld. A lot of that stuff wasn’t clear from the get-go. We were just making the broadest science-fiction universe we could and trying to make sure it really resonated with people.

Chris reveals the process which led to the birth of one of StarCraft’s most important characters: Kerrigan.

… the whole character of Kerrigan didn’t really exist until the middle of our construction of that first campaign. We knew we had Ghosts and the joke was – I don’t know if this is common knowledge but I think it was Command and Conquer that had a character named Tanya, back in the day. She was kind of like an assassin, a badass. And we just had this conversation one day using a Ghost character on a map, like ‘ha ha, how funny’, the whole ice-skater debacle was going on with Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan. ‘Haha, how funny, we’ll make our super assassin named Kerrigan on this one map.’ And it was a total throw-away character but as we started discussing it and really getting in to this character, we kept coming back to her; she had a lot of gravity. It really created a cool, kind of triangle of tension between Mensk and Raynor and this emergent Kerrigan character.

 

Ultimately, it was pretty late in the game when we decided that she would be betrayed and become the Queen of Blades. The Queen of Blades was never an original concept; it really came about just at that, kind of in the final stretch of that campaign.

Andy Chambers, StarCraft 2′s lead writer, reveals the mystery of the planet featured on the bottom of StarCraft2.com:

The question we have for you today is a bit of a two-parter. What planet is seen at the bottom of the page at starcraft2.com and what is happening at the planet’s surface at the red dot? People are referring to it as ‘the explosion.’

 

Well, as befits a two-part question, I’ve got a two-part answer for you. The first one is the lore answer to it all. The planet itself is Bel’shir one of the moons of the Mackan system which has not previously been seen in StarCraft I. It’s a Protoss ex-shrine world that was invaded by the Zerg and much of the Protoss have now been pushed out of the area. It keys in with the sort of jungle tile-set that you may have seen in some of our previous videos for StarCraft II. Now, the little explosion as people call it, is actually a vent for an artificial volcano the Zerg have pierced through the surface of Bel’shir to produce a heat-source for their nests full of hot magma –because it saves them having to knit little cozies for their eggs and things like that – so, that’s the lore reason.

The actual reason there’s a little dot there goes back even further. Goes back to our career announcement. The world that you’re actually seeing there is the same sort of brown ringed world that we saw in the announcement behind the space platform. As part of a test during that, some of our artists wanted to do plasma bombardments, little explosions going off all over the world all the time. So, when the guys in the Community Team got hold of this piece of art, they reshaded it into the green world you now see. But as part of that process, one of the little explosions carried over into the new image that you now see.

 

So, as ever, lore must be responsive to art as art must be responsive to lore, so I’ve incorporated that into the back-story for Bel’shir and it’s actually added this little unexpected bonus of like ‘oh, cool, artificial volcano. I like it!’

Check out the rest of the cast, which deals mainly with WoW, here:
[Transcript | Audio]

Christie has a rich background – she’s worked on Star Trek: Voyager, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft and more. For Blizzard, she’s created the Warcraft: Lord of the Clans and World of Warcraft: Rise of the Horde novels.

The interviews deal with the plot of the books and the way they relate to the story of the game.

Check out the first interview, about The Dark Templar Saga: First Born, here. The book was released in May 2007, alongside the announcement of StarCraft 2′s development.

Will we see protoss characters we have been previously introduced to, such as Raszagal, Zeratul, Adun, Tassadar and Artanis? Will there be terrans such as Raynor, General Edmund Duke, Arcturus Mengsk, Dan Liberty or other characters from previous novels or from the game? What role will they play?

 

Christie: Yes, you will see all kinds of familiar faces throughout the series. Since this is set after Brood War, though, no Duke I’m afraid. Don’t want to give too much away, but this is a very big and important series and many of the main players in the game will make appearances. Some of them have very significant roles indeed! It’s been very exciting to be able to use well-established characters in addition to creating my own. I hope the readers enjoy it!

Read the second interview, about The Dark Templar Saga: Shadow Hunters, here. The book is slated to be released on the 27th of November, 10 days from today.

How will the trilogy fit with the single player storyline of Starcraft II?

 

Christie: It’s interesting—when I was first contracted for the trilogy, it was intended to be rather small scale. While of course computer games take years to develop, nothing had been made public at that time about StarCraft 2. I began work on the trilogy, then I shifted attention to RISE OF THE HORDE so it would be out in time for the WoW expansion of The Burning Crusade. When I got back to the trilogy after that little delay, the decision had been made to announce StarCraft 2 along about when the first book was due out. Suddenly my trilogy went from being a small scale storyline to something quite major, as a way to get readers excited for the game (like that would be hard—StarCraft players love their game with a passion!). It was definitely a case of being in the right place at the right time. There are challenges that go along with that, because as the game is constantly changing as it develops, we all of course want the books to reflect that as much as they can. So I do a lot of rewriting, but hey—that’s part of the fun of being involved with something so cutting-edge! Unfortunately books have to get “set in stone” at a certain point, so often changes are being made to the game after the books have been turned in. But we all do everything we can to make it as close as possible within those constraints. So to answer your question, it’s my hope that it will be a very, very good fit indeed.

If you want to know what the books are about without actually reading them, look no further than this Wikipedia synopsis.

… Jake finds a dying Protoss who transfers her mind into his brain beforing finally expiring. Jake eventually discovers the Protoss inside his mind was a female named Zamara, a Protoss Preserver that was in charge of housing the memories of both dead and alive Protoss. Zamara warped Jake’s brain to be able to house the memories of all the Protoss, essentially making him a preserver.

Driven by the living memories of a long-dead protoss mystic and hounded by the Queen of Blades’ ravenous Zerg, archaeologist Jake Ramsey embarks on a perilous journey to reach the fabled protoss homeworld of Aiur.

Seeking a vital piece of protoss technology, Jake finds that Aiur has been overrun by the Zerg. Descending into the shadowy labyrinths beneath the planet’s surface, he must find the sacred crystal before time runs out — for him…and the universe itself.

Yet, what Jake discovers beneath Aiur is a horror beyond his wildest nightmares — Ulrezaj — an archon comprising the seven most deadly and powerful dark templar in history….

Blizzard has remained silent about these updates, but our highly talented investigative team has matched them to pieces of Zeratul’s new armor:

Blizzard’s art and lore updates are being closely monitored for clues regarding the powerful artifacts that were mentioned in the BlizzCon single player video.

The lights blacking out in succession, a sharp musical note revealed Zeratul, a character from the original game. “I bring tidings of doom,” said the Protoss warrior. “The Xel’Naga have returned. The cycle nears its end. The artifacts are the key.”

 

“To what?” Raynor said, to which Zeratul replied, “The end of all things,” before falling to his knees, apparently wounded.

These artifacts, that the player will pursue during the single player campaign, might eventually form Zeratul’s armor. The significance of the armor is not yet known, however. Of course, it is more likely that the artifacts Zeratul mentions are different items entirely, and these pictures are just early design sketches.

Another concept art picture, depicting Kerrigan, clearly shows her “wearing” stylish, organic heels.

This immediately brings to mind the following illustration, which Blizzard has included in their fan-site kit:

Kerrigan‘s Zerg-enhanced heels versus Zeratul and his mysterious armor! This is the match-up we’re all looking forward to, and it looks like Blizzard is telling us that we will indeed witness it in StarCraft 2. Who will win in this battle of giants?

Here are a few interesting highlights. The full interview is massive, so if you’re interested in reading it in its entirety, head over to SCLegacy.

So, what’s up with that Duran guy?

SC:L – Can you put more emphasis on this quote: “…her (Kerrigan) rebirth into the Zerg Swarm has sped up my progress…” (Duran, Dark Origins)? Why exactly?

 

Metzen - That would be telling… We’ll just have to wait and see what Duran’s motivations are and how Kerrigan’s true role within the Swarm ties into all this galactic-scale maneuvering.

Next up, Chris talks about Zetaras’ good friend – the new Protoss heroine in StarCraft 2, Executor Selendis.

SC:L – Please tell us more about the new Protoss Executor, Selendis: her history, her new role etc…

 

Metzen - Selendis – Protoss Templar Executor: Selendis was a student of Artanis. In the new hierarchy now ruling the Protoss she has been elected executor: overall leader of the combined Protoss military forces. At her command, many new weapons and robotic fighting machines have been developed to help preserve Protoss lives in battle, and she is eager to take the battle to the Zerg and reclaim Aiur. Selendis represents the best and brightest of what the Protoss can be–fiercely loyal to her race’s ideals, completely dedicated and focused beyond any mere human capacity.

What ever happened to the Arbiters?

SC:L – Why did the Protoss abandon Arbiters during the time of StarCraft II and what ships do the Judicators now pilot (as Arbiters were “their” ships)?

 

Metzen - After judicators were eliminated from the Protoss power structure, the arbiters quickly fell into disuse. When the Protoss fled to Shakuras, the arbiters were lost along with Aiur.

The return of Tassadar?

SC:L – And last, for our own curiosity – you referred to Tassadar as a “twilight messiah” during the lore panel on BlizzCon – is there ever a chance of seeing his return in some form or another?

 

Metzen – What goes around comes around. You know our Blizzard heroes: they roll back from the brink of death more often than the original X-Men. Seriously, though – given what the Khala is, and some of the other upcoming themes we’ve devised – it’s probable that Tassadar’s spirit is out there somewhere. However, I wouldn’t count on his pulling a “Medivh” any time soon… (if ever).

The rest of the answers deal with other, more minor characters in the StarCraft lore and reveal some more of the history of the universe. This level of detail sets a precedent in the RTS world (with the exception of WarCraft, perhaps), which usually revolves around stale, historical stories or shallow, formulaic “Sci-Fi” settings. With StarCraft 2, Blizzard is taking the story to a new level.

We can’t help but feel the build up for the inevitable release of World of StarCraft.

Kerrigan. StarCraft’s infamous villain, and the most interesting character in the StarCraft universe and story. Today, we will continue reviewing her history and development, starting with her role as the ghost and up until her transformation into the Queen Bitch of the Universe!

In part one of the story, we’ve followed Kerrigan, from the time of her childhood until her full transformation into the Queen of Blades. Along the way, she had met Jim Raynor and has developed feelings for him while serving as Arcturus Mengsk’s second in command. While participating in his plan to destroy the confederacy, Mengsk leaves Kerrigan behind on Tarsonis, the confederacy capital planet, while it was being completely overrun by the Zerg swarms.
The Zerg Overmind, which had sensed Kerrigan’s mental powers, has taken her into his custody, evolving her and treating her as his prodigy.

The story continues when Tassadar arrives at Char to face Kerrigan, now infested to the core, and with control of her new abilities. Kerrigan decides to challenge Tassadar, feeling confident in her power.

Infested Kerrigan

Protoss commander, it was folly of you to come here. For I am Kerrigan, and I am Queen of the Zerg!

 

Tassadar

I know of you well, O Queen of the Zerg, for we have met before. I am Tassadar, of the Templar. I remember your selfless exploits, defending humanity from the Zerg. Unfortunate it is, to see that one who was once so honorable and full of life would succumb to the twisted wiles of the Overmind.

 

Infested Kerrigan

Do not presume to judge me, Templar. You’ll find my powers to be more than a match for yours. In fact, I sense that your vaunted power has diminished since last we met.

 

Tassadar

Mayhap, O Queen. Or is it only that I need not flaunt my power in such an infantile test of will?

 

Infested Kerrigan

Foolish Templar. Prepare your defenses! I will come for you soon.

When Kerrigan finally faced Tassadar, she realized her mistake – Tassadar’s figure was merely an illusion, created to distract her and her Zerg forces, while Zeratul, using his Dark Templar powers, permanently destroyed the Cerebrate Zasz.

Attacking the Cerebrate, Zeratul exposes his mind to the Zerg Overmind. The location of the Protoss homeworld, Aiur, was revealed to it. The Zerg Overmind decides to repay the Protoss for the death of the Cerebrate, and begins attacking the Protoss forces, annihilating them in masses, while advancing to Aiur…

The Protoss, who have lost the battle for Aiur and suffered heavy losses, fled to Shakuras, the Dark Templar homeworld, led by Tassadar. The Overmind, confident in his total victory, embeds himself into the crust of the planet. The Protoss regroup and reinforce themselves on Shakuras, aligning themselves with their old, Dark Templar brothers.

The final battle on Aiur ended with the Overmind’s destruction by Tassadar, who combined his energies with those of the Dark Templar in a final suicidal attack, crashing his Carrier into the Zerg supreme leader.

A new Overmind began to form from several of the remaining Cerebrates, trying to take control over the scattered Zerg broods. Kerrigan decides that she is the one deserving of leadership, and begins a campaign to take control of all the Zerg.

Here end the events of StarCraft, and the Brood War begins.

In the beginning of the expansion, the Protoss align themselves with Raynor, while Arcturus Mengsk consolidates his power and declared himself leader of the newly formed Terran Dominion.

In the mean time, the United Earth Directorate, which has been watching the struggle as it unfolds, decides to join the fray. Led by Admiral Gerard DuGalle, they plan to take control of the Zerg and unleash them on the Protoss, to ensure human supremacy.

The Aiur Protoss meet with Raszagal, Matriach of the Dark Templar. She tells them of an ancient Xel’Naga temple, which has the power to destroy the Zerg. To use the temple’s power, they must find two crystals: the Khalis and Uraj.

Kerrigan appears and offers her help to the Protoss. She claims that the destruction of the Overmind has freed her from his control. She tells them of the new Overmind and her fears that it will be able to control her once it has matured.

Raszagal
Now then, Kerrigan. Perhaps you had best explain yourself. What is this news you’ve come to give?

 

Infested Kerrigan
There is a new Overmind growing on Char.

 

Zeratul
What? Impossible! Why should we believe anything you have to say?

 

Infested Kerrigan
Because, Zeratul, I’m no longer the mindless murderess whom you fought on Char. The Overmind is dead. Whatever warped control it once had over me is gone. I know that this is a lot to take in all at once, but you’ve got to believe me! There’s more at stake here than-

 

Aldaris
She lies! She is infested to the core! I for one will not listen to any of this-

 

Raszagal
Silence, Judicator. Continue, Kerrigan.

 

Infested Kerrigan
Apparently, many of the renegade Cerebrates, commanded by Daggoth, have merged into a new Overmind. Fortunately, the creature is still in its infant stages. It can’t control the Swarm yet, but Daggoth and the others still have control over most of the Broods. The two Cerebrates you killed here were part of Daggoth’s forces.

 

Look, I don’t need to tell you all what might happen if that thing reaches maturity. I can guarantee you that should it awaken, it’ll take full control of me just like it did before. I don’t want that to happen, and I’m pretty sure you don’t want it to happen either.

 

Zeratul
Even if what you say is true, our priority is to save this world, not assault the new Overmind! We must find the crystals Uraj and Khalis before we are all vanquished.

 

Infested Kerrigan
Then I’ll help you with your search. If you can defeat the renegade Zerg gathered here, it’ll weaken the efforts of Daggoth and his ilk.

 

Raszagal
My children, you must put aside your fears and misgivings to accomplish what must be done. For the time being, Kerrigan will assist you in your endeavors. Though she has been your enemy, it is enough that we share the same agenda now. Allow her time enough to prove herself to you, and you may find her to be a valued ally. For now, you must focus on the task at hand. Search for the Uraj on the planet Braxis, and let nothing stop you from recovering it.

 

Artanis
We will do what you ask, Matriarch. But you cannot expect us to forgive Kerrigan’s crimes against our race! Executor, prepare our forces. We shall debark for the planet Braxis before the next moonrise.

Kerrigan helps her new allies find the crystals, giving the Protoss a powerful weapon against their Zerg enemies.

Upon returning to Shakuras, the allies find out that Aldaris is revolting against Raszagal. Aldaris feels betrayed by the Matriach for aligning herself with the evil Queen of Blades. He tries to tell Zeratul that he has discovered that the Matriach is harboring a dark secret, but Kerrigan kills him before he succeeds in doing so. Zeratul, enraged that Kerrigan has killed his old friend, demands that she leaves.

ZERATUL
Wretched creature! This was a Protoss matter; you had no right
to interfere! Begone from this world! You are no longer welcome
among us!

 

KERRIGAN
Fine. I’ve done what I came here to do. I’ve insured the
destruction of the renegade Cerebrates, and I used you to do it.
Have fun, mighty Protoss… We’ll be seeing each other again,
real soon…

Zeratul understands that Kerrigan has used them the entire time, but realizes that they had no choice. He also suspects that a dark influence has control over Raszagal, but she quickly reaffirms his faith in her. The Protoss continue to hold the temple against the invading Zerg forces, While Kerrigan runs off to continue her devious plans…

This is where part two of the story ends. In the next part, we’ll follow Kerrigan as she continues playing all sides against each other, see how she deals with the unexpected visit from the UED forces, and learn how she managed to destroy all her enemies and become the Queen Bitch of the Universe!

Kerrigan. StarCraft’s infamous villain, and the most interesting character in the StarCraft universe and story. Today, we will review her history and development, starting with her role as the ghost and up until her transformation to the Queen Bitch of the Universe!

Sarah Louise Kerrigan was born to a normal Terran family. At an early age, she displayed psychic powers, and was quickly taken up by the confederacy to begin Ghost training – transforming her into a Terran covert operations specialist. In the process, her powers were artificially constrained to ensure loyalty to her superiors. After serving the confederacy against her will for a short period of time, she was rescued by the anti-confederacy forces.

Lieutenant Sarah Kerrigan started her part in the game as Arcturus Mengsk‘s second in command.

She and Jim Raynor are sent down to a planet to help in the Antigan revolt against the confederacy. This is their first meeting, and love is already in the air…

KERRIGAN

Captain Raynor, I’ve finished scouting out the area, and-you pig!

 

RAYNOR
What? I haven’t even said anything to you yet!

 

KERRIGAN
Yeah, but you were thinking it.

 

RAYNOR
Oh yeah, you’re a telepath. Look, let’s just get on with this, okay?

 

KERRIGAN
Right.

Later on, we find out that Kerrigan was involved in the experiments that have led to the development of the Psi-Emitter, a device used to lure the Zerg to the location it’s deployed in. This allowed the Terrans to use the Zerg as a weapon against the confederacy’s enemies. The Psi Emitter duplicates the same psychic emanations created by the Ghosts, to which the Zerg respond to. In the aforementioned mission, the renegade Terran forces, led by Mengsk, capture the design for the emitter.

Arcturus Mengsk later used this device to unleash the Zerg on a confederacy outpost, and after that, on the entire confederacy capital planet, Tarsonis. Kerrigan was sent to the ground to coordinate the war effort, and act as Mengsk’s eyes on the field.

After overrunning the planet, the Zerg prove too much to handle for the Terran army. Jim Raynor begins the rescue operation for the forces on the ground, but Arcturus Mengsk decides to retreat instead, leaving the remaining Terran forces, Lieutenant Kerrigan included, stranded on the planet.

The Zerg forces annihilate the humans on the ground. However, the Overmind had sensed Kerrigan’s power, and has commanded the swarm to capture her. Jim Raynor regrets allowing Kerrigan to go down to the planet, and wishes he could have been there with her…

Thus, the Terran chapter ends, and the Zerg Chapter begins…

Awaken my child, and embrace the glory that is your birthright. Know that I am the Overmind; the eternal will of the Swarm, and that you have been created to serve me.

 

Behold that I shall set you amongst the greatest of my Cerebrates, that you might benefit from their wisdom and experience. Yet your purpose is unique. While they carry forth my will to the innumerable Broods, you have but one charge entrusted to your care.

 

For I have found a creature that may yet become the greatest of my agents. Even now it resides within a protective Chrysalis, awaiting its rebirth into the Swarm.

Who might the Overmind be talking about?

OVERMIND
Arise, my daughter. Arise… Kerrigan.

 

KERRIGAN
By your will, father, I live to serve… Let all who oppose the Overmind feel the wrath of the Swarm.

Kerrigan is reborn as a Human/Zerg Hybrid, taking the name “Queen of Blades“.

While fulfilling the Overmind’s order and watching over the Zerg Chrysalis, the Zerg player encounters Jim Raynor and the Terran forces on the planet.

RAYNOR
Mother of God… Kerrigan, what have they done to you?

 

RAYNOR
Sarah… Is that really you?

 

KERRIGAN
To an extent… I’m far more than I once was, Jim. You shouldn’t have come here.

 

RAYNOR
But the dreams… I dreamed you were still alive… that somehow… you were calling to me.

 

KERRIGAN
I was. While I was in the Chrysalis, I instinctively reached out to you and Arcturus telepathically. Apparently, Arcturus sent Duke here to reclaim me. But that was then, Jim. I’m one of the Zerg, now. And I like what I am. You can’t imagine how this feels…

 

RAYNOR
So what? Are you goin’ to kill me now, darlin’?

 

KERRIGAN
It is certainly within my power. But you’re not a threat to me, Jim. Be smart. Leave here now, and never seek to confront the Zerg again.

 

RAYNOR
Doesn’t look like I have much choice.

Kerrigan spares Raynor for the time being. She decides to unlock her full psionic potential, and raids a Science Vessel to find a way to transcend her Ghost conditioning. From now on, she is able to use all of her great powers: Ensnare, Psi Storm, Cloak and Consume.

This is where part one of our story ends. In the next part, we’ll continue following Kerrigan in her struggle to understand her new place in the universe, while questioning her loyalty to the Zerg, and see how she deals with her new, amazing powers.