In anticipation of Legacy of the Void's release next month, Blizzard has announced a significant refresh to the StarCraft II user interface. The updates will be released with the forthcoming Patch 3.0 for all instances of StarCraft II, including Wings of Liberty, Heart of the Swarm, and even the Starter Edition. The overall goal of the revisions was to create a more social experience in the client and the specific areas of focus were a direct result of community feedback. The update provides extensive improvements to the Arcade, the chat system, and the menus throughout the client, including the introduction of additional hotkeys.
One of the most impactful changes is that the menu navigation is has been localized entirely within the top-left corner of the screen. The Arcade menu has been completely overhauled, placing map info directly in the menu screen and moving 'Open Games' to be the default module. Accordingly, the 'Open Games' list is now quicker and easier to browse. Chat now has a permanent space along the right side of the player's screen and the interface has been designed so that it will never interfere with the new menu navigation. Blizzard has eliminated the multi-window regime from the previous design and instead has streamlined the chat experience into one chat window with multiple conversation tabs. To learn more about all of the changes, you can read Blizzard's announcement post and watch a summary video below:
Overhauling the UI To ensure this new chat system would work well with the rest of the UI, it became clear we would have to redesign the rest of the game’s screens so we meticulously overhauled the spacing, format, and content of every section. In order to give our content more space, we moved the navigation, sub-navigation, and the party panel to the top of the screen. With this extra room, we saw an opportunity to inlay new 3D scenes into every screen to further bring the StarCraft universe to life in the UI.
As an homage to the nostalgia that has persisted for more than seventeen years, Blizzard redesigned the StarCraft II campaign menu in the style of the original StarCraft and Brood War menus. While we are delighted by the throwback, technically, Wings of Liberty, Heart of the Swarm, and Legacy of the Void represent episodes 7, 8, and 9, in the StarCraft saga. Blizzard likely wishes to avoid the resulting confusion from new players to the franchise and view the StarCraft II campaigns as a standalone trilogy. However, we would love to see an alternative naming convention the respects the continuity of the story line. Better yet, having placeholder menus for the older campaigns that open short summaries and have links to the StarCraft and Brood War game clients would be an excellent gateway mechanic to entice a new generation to experience the original source material.
The Redesigned StarCraft II Campaign Menu
The Original StarCraft Campaign Menu
The StarCraft: Brood War Campaign Menu
The new interface design appears to inspired by minimalist design principles and due to the resulting simplicity, it possesses a clean modern aesthetic. By streamlining the menu and chat systems, Blizzard has addressed many of the longstanding original user interface issues that have caused vocal and widespread concern throughout the community since the introduction of Battle.net 2.0. The community has responded positively to the portions of the refresh previewed and, perhaps more importantly, to this example of Blizzard's willingness to invest in fundamental revisions to existing systems. Many in the community have noted and celebrated the similarities between the changes inherent in this revamp and the original Battle.net features found in Brood War, perhaps proving that great gameplay wasn't Brood War's only legacy. A perfect mix of new and old, Blizzard has always been forthright about their iterative process and this redesign is a perfect example of the goodwill and success that results that come from that strong commitment to game's ecosystem. These adjustments to the UI have the potential to drastically improve both current and future fans' StarCraft experiences.
While no specific date has been announced for Patch 3.0, luckily fans do not have long to wait, the update will be coming before Legacy of the Void's launch on November 10, 2015.
As Blizzard's James Waugh, Director of Story Development & Lead Writer for StarCraft II, recently announced at TwitchCon, there are five new StarCraft lore short stories currently in production. Today, Blizzard announced the release schedule for all five stories.
Blizzard has been slowly producing lore focused StarCraft short stories by various authors for several years now. The heaviest concentration of new material has consistently been released to build up hype leading up to the game launches and relevantly, these newest stories will all be published before Legacy of the Void drops on November 10, 2015. These Protoss-centric stories will likely endeavor to illustrate specific moments in their history, flesh out their culture and motivations in more detail, and act as a bridge between the previous games and what is to come in LotV. The last story, The Exit, by Danny McAleese was published on July 1, 2014.
Hopefully, these novellas will breathe some fresh air into the StarCraft lore and provide some great contextual clues for what is to come in Legacy of the Void. Check back after each short story's release for a brief summary and our review.
Today during Blizzard's TwitchCon presentation, James Waugh, Director of Story Development & Lead Writer of Legacy of the Void, and Matt Morris, Legacy of the Void Lead Campaign Designer, revealed the full version of the animated short, StarCraft Reclamation teased at the WCS Season 3 Premier League Finals in Kraków, Poland on September 13. You can watch the reveal here.
The feature acts as a prequel to the beautiful Legacy of the Void opening cinematic that was also released at the WCS Season 3 finals a few weeks ago. Reclamation takes place on the eve of the Protoss' Golden Armada attempt to retake Aiur from the Zerg. In it, Artanis, Tassadar's protege and the Protoss Hierarch, contemplates his decision to invade Aiur and the typical burdens of leadership.
Artanis and Kaldaris
The short opens with Artanis contemplating the future in solitude. When Artanis' old friend, Khaldaris, the one-eyed Protoss Zealot featured in the intro cinematic, comes looking for him, Artanis shares his uncertainty of their current course. Lamenting the diminished number of Protoss that remain, he questions the wisdom of spending more lives to retake a relic of his race's past.
Aiur - Before the Fall
He muses whether the lost home world represents an ideal that is no longer practical or even desirable. Artanis recalls of the Aeon of Strife, the Dark Templar's choice to reject the Khala, and the Conclave's subsequent attempt to exterminate the rogue faction - members of their own species. He believes that Aiur's version of purity was the foundation of the Protoss' destruction. So enamored with their own infallibility, Aiur became a monument to the hubris that inevitably lead to their defeat at the hands of the Zerg.
Kaldaris
When challenged by his old friend, Kaldaris, the one-eyed Protoss Zealot featured in the intro cinematic, Kaldaris reminds him that there has been light throughout the darkness. He points out that Khas, the Protoss who introduced the Khala to the Protoss - thus ending the Aeon of Strife, forged order from the chaos. Kaldalis believes that retaking Aiur represents a new beginning for a united Protoss. He argues, that remaking Aiur as it could have been - how it could be - is worth dying for. He believes in it so much that he has volunteered to lead the vanguard and one of the first to step back on Aiur's sacred soil. He expects to perish in the attempt and in doing so provide a future for his people. Kaldaris epitomizes the ideal Protoss warrior and he is ultimately successful in convincing Artanis that Aiur is worth fighting for - it is worth dying for.
The short is elegantly animated, well scripted, and exquisitely voiced. It hits most of the major notes that many fans were hoping for, and ties-in wonderfully with the Protoss ethos. It is a compelling intro to all of the themes and Protoss characteristics that Blizzard has been saying they want to include in Legacy of the Void. If the material we have seen so far is any indication of Legacy of the Void's campaign story and dialogue, it could very well be the best of the trilogy - by far. Our only complaints regarding Reclamation revolve around missing references to Fenix, Tassadar, and Adun. Those warriors represent the very best of the Protoss, and all three, directly or indirectly, were major influences on Artanis. It would have been nice to have seen them included in Artanis' recollection. He has lost much and their deeds are as much a reflection of the Protoss as they are of who Artanis has become. However, Reclamation does do all of the right things and it is a wonderful tool to hype Legacy of the Void. As Blizzard continues to explore new ways to effectively continue the StarCraft story, short vignettes like this are, in our opinion, an excellent option - more, please.
Blizzard recently announced a new partnership with Random House LLC to publish new novels set in Blizzard's various universes. While only novels for Warcraft and StarCraft were disclosed, the announcement did hint that there may be future plans for tales set in Blizzard's other IPs.
This new publishing line will launch in March 2016 with the novel World of Warcraft: Illidan by William King, followed by an original StarCraft novel by New York Times bestselling author Timothy Zahn.
This announcement marks the first true StarCraft novel since Heart of the Swarm's 2012 Flashpoint by Christie Golden. However, several other short stories have continued to be published on Battle.net in the intervening years. The most recent of which was The Exit by Danny McAleese. Not only do expanded universe projects benefit the fans, they also provide yet another means for players to become engaged in the universe. For people already invested, additional transmedia works reinforce that loyalty and passion. Perhaps it is most fitting for StarCraft branded projects that they form and maintain such a unique and powerful symbiotic relationship. Abathur would likely approve of the elegant efficiency.
It appears that the StarCraft novel by Timothy Zahn will provide Blizzard an opportunity to push the story forward, past the StarCraft II game trilogy and focus on the aftermath of the Koprulu Sector as we have known it so far. Utilizing novels, with their limitless potential for world building, seems to be a good move by Blizzard to bridge the gap between the current story and whatever is next. Hopefully, the novel(s) will be long enough to provide serious depth, mature story lines, compelling characters. One of the developers once told us that the novels give the Blizzard the opportunity to illustrate a particular aspect of the story definitively. With fidelity to that vision and high caliber writing, quality StarCraft lore could live on beyond the games for years to come.
Today, Blizzard released details of each of the in-game goodies included with the purchase of either a physical or virtual BlizzCon 2015 ticket. Similar to prior years, the items will unlock shortly after BlizzCon begins and players will receive at least one in-game reward for each of Blizzard's current flagship games. BlizzCon 2015 will take place in Anaheim, California November 6-7, 2015. While tickets to attend the two-day convention have been sold out for some time, the virtual ticket is available for $39.99.
World of Warcraft - Murkadin Pet
After consuming the shin bone of Gul'dan, this fiesty demon hunter was caged for 10,000 years by his brother Murkfurion. Now he’s ready to unleash his finfernal rage in pet battles across Azeroth!
Heroes of the Storm - Nexus Battle Beast Mount
Teams will tremble and Cores will crumble when you storm into combat astride the mighty Nexus Battle Beast!
Hearthstone - Blizzard 2015 Card Back
Hearthstone on phones, Tavern Brawls, Blackrock Mountain, The Grand Tournament, and more—a very cool year, indeed.
StarCraft II - Portraits
Show off your status as a galactic BlizzConquerer with a pair of Legacy of the Void–themed portraits invoking the mysteries of the Xel’Naga and the power of the Spear of Adun.
Diablo III - BlizzCon Pennant, Pet, and Portrait
A trio of treasures awaits! Fly the colors of the BlizzCon crusade with an all-new pennant, and mrglgllglgll the demonic hordes with your Murkgoblin pet and portrait.*
The StarCraft rewards are a little underwhelming. Something BlizzCon themed would have been preferable. For example, a special BlizzCon inspired unit skin, ala the 2014 & 2015 BlizzCon Heroes of the Storm mounts, or a unique Allied Commander mission, would have been exceptional. We will just have to console ourselves with all of the new campaign, features, UI, modes, units, and skins coming with Legacy of the Void's imminent release.
A few months ago Blizzard announced the StarCraft Field Manual, a standalone reference book focused on the lore of the various units, races, and notable characters in the StarCraft universe. Published by Insight Editions, the book has been designed as a standard issue field guide for Terran Marines. Battle worn, the primer includes "handwritten" annotations from its previous owner that provide practical and humorous commentary on the manual's content.
The book includes details on both old and new units, general overviews of the races, as well as a wealth of original illustrations and charts. The StarCraft Field Manual follows the blueprint first utilized by Blizzard in the 2011 Diablo: Book of Cain and the 2013 Diablo: Book of Tyreal. Similar in design, the source books are all are written in-universe and expand on the game's world from a particular point of view.
Blizzard Entertainment’s StarCraft saga has captivated millions of players worldwide since its initial release in 1998. A genre-defining military strategy and sci-fi adventure, gamers are drawn to StarCraft’s iconic central characters, Sarah Kerrigan and Jim Raynor, and its thrilling storyline chronicling the battle between the scrappy Terrans, mystifying Protoss, and terrifying Zerg swarm.
Published in anticipation of the latest expansion, Legacy of the Void, StarCraft Field Manual draws on more than a decade’s worth of lore to create an all-encompassing collector’s item for fans, filling in every detail of the game’s extensive tech, races, and units.
A visually distinctive, in-world overview of the entire StarCraft franchise, this unique book unveils new details about the wide range of combat forces and technology employed by each of the three primary races within the game universe. A definitive field-guide, original illustrations pair with an engaging narrative that showcases all of the vital statistics, origins, lore, and other interesting facts that have emerged in each expansion.
Lore fans have been waiting years for additional, definitive, detailed lore. This product promises to be enrich our understanding of the StarCraft universe and provide an impressive amount of content for fans to draw on.
One extremely cool and interesting detail about the field manual is that Robear, a StarCraft Legacy community member, actually designed and drew the unit scale charts included in the finished field manual. What started as one fan's passion project is actually being published in a canon StarCraft lore compendium. If you're interested in learning more, you can check out the nearly four year evolution of the project here. Robear has our congratulations and our sincerest gratitude for his devotion to the StarCraft lore and community.
The hardcover StarCraft Field Manual will retail for $39.99 and will be available November 17, 2015 - one week after Legacy of the Void launches. However, a special edition of the book will be included in the physical Legacy of the Void Collector's Edition.
James Waugh, Blizzard's Director of Story Development & Lead Writer for StarCraft II, will be signing copies of the StarCraft Field Manual at the 2015 New York Comic Con (October 8-11, 2015). If you have the opportunity to attend the signing, we highly recommend it. We've had the pleasure of discussing StarCraft with Mr. Waugh several times and it is clear he has true passion for the lore.
As November 10th draws ever closer, and any new information regarding Legacy of the Void is only fueling the hype. In one week, fans will have another opportunity to learn about the Protoss expansion. On Friday, September 25 Blizzard will broadcast an exclusive Legacy of the Void presentation at Twitch.tv's inaugural convention, TwitchCon. Blizzard has announced that during its TwitchCon event, the following Legacy of the Void information will be divulged:
All new Legacy of the Void video features
New details surrounding the co-op missions gameplay mode
A rundown on what’s to come from the game developers
If you're interested in checking out the new information, here are the event details:
Time: Friday, September 25 at 11:15 A.M PDT Stream:twitch.tv/twitch Where: Kappa Theater
TwitchCon is the streaming site's first ever convention celebrating the streamers and viewers that power the massive broadcasting site. A select number of exhibitions and special events, such as the Battle of the CEOs, will be taking place throughout the weekend. The event runs from September 25-26, 2015 in San Francisco, California.
StarCraft Legacy will be covering the event; so if you're unable to attend the event at the Kappa Theater or watch the live broadcast, check back here to see all of the new information announced with commentary.
During the premiere of the StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void cinematic at the WCS Season 3 Premier League Finals in Kraków, Poland, Chris Sigaty, Lead Producer of StarCraft II, teased fans with the announcement of StarCraft Reclamation. Dropping later this month, Reclamation, a short animated feature in the strain of the Warlords of Draenor: Lords of War animated series, will tell the story of the Protoss leading up to the invasion of Aiur.
The Lords of War animated series debuted in the weeks leading up to the release of Word of Warcraft's fifth expansion, Warlords of Draenor. Animated in a dark, raw, manga style not usually associated with Blizzard's games, the series served as an introduction to various characters featured in the impending game. Unusually, but welcomed, the series almost exclusively focused on the lore and backstory. Overall, the shorts proved to be a popular and effective way to expand the lore outside of the games.
In the past several years, Blizzard has been experimenting with different types of transmedia campaigns to add depth to their worlds. For example, leading up to the launch of StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm, Blizzard published StarCraft: Project Blackstone, a lore focused event delivered via Twitter and a secret "classified" website. While the campaign was well coordinated and presented an unusual perspective in the StarCraft universe, until the project was declassified, it provided difficult to consume. In the current climate of visual media dominance, the shorts have provided another avenue for Blizzard to explore - both creatively and efficiently. Aside from the games themselves and various novels published over the years, there have been relatively few lore focused events or products. Hopefully, Reclamation will be successful and will confirm that the fan base is both ready and willing to support larger lore focused projects.
Based on the teaser trailer, it appears that Reclamation, will provide additional insight into pivotal moments in the Protoss' history, such as the Aeon of Strife, the coming of Adun, and the severing of the Dark Templar's nerve cords, or it will illustrate the great struggles of the past that now repeat themselves as Artanis tries to reunite the tribes in Legacy of the Void. Either way, the information presented will likely complement the final campaign's story.
Today during the WCS Season 3 Premier League Finals in Kraków, Poland, Blizzard revealed that Legacy of the Void, the final chapter in the StarCraft II trilogy, will officially launch on November 10, 2015. Our long wait is almost over, just two days after BlizzCon 2015, the Protoss expansion will conclude the StarCraft story lines that began almost 18 years ago. In addition to the Protoss campaign and new multiplayer units, Legacy of the Void, available as a standalone game, includes major new features, including Archon Mode, Allied Commander, and automated tournaments.
Blizzard has also been very vocal about the improvements it has been making to the new player experience. The new progression system that guides novices through the various game modes, gradually introducing them to more complex parts of the game, will hopefully act as a source of fresh blood into the amazing and passionate StarCraft community for years to come. While Legacy of the Void is the last announced expansion for StarCraft II, Blizzard has been very clear that this isn't the end of the StarCraft mythos, just the end of the current story threads. Additionally, their commitment to supporting the game well into the future is well documented.
While no official launch celebrations have been announced yet, in typical Blizzard fashion, it is likely that there will be some spectacular events around the globe to celebrate the game's launch. As various events are announced, StarCraft Legacy will keep you updated.
In a special feature segment during the WCS Season 3 Premier League Finals in Kraków, Poland, Blizzard revealed the StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void intro cinematic. Among the Protoss ruins on Aiur, the cinematic depicts an intense battle between a small party of Protoss warriors and an overwhelming Zerg force.
It provides a rare glimpse of the the raw power, generally only seen in the lore, that the Protoss wield. Throughout the short clip, the determination and resiliency of the Protoss are artfully illustrated. In StarCraft: Brood War, the Judicator Aldaris articulated the importance of Aiur to the Protoss' identity:
"... the Protoss do not run from their enemies. Aiur is our homeworld. It is here that we shall make our stand".
That sentiment is beautifully portrayed in the cinematic as the Protoss warriors selflessly give their lives to protect and avenge Aiur. The story the cinematic portrays reinforces all that we already know about the Protoss, but also teases what promises to be a major plot point in Legacy of the Void - the inevitable attempt by the remaining Protoss to reclaim Aiur from the Zerg Swarm.
The cinematic is nothing less than what we would expect from Blizzard's team. It is beautifully rendered, charged with action, and dripping with nostalgic emotion, the cinematic finally gives the Protoss their due.
The date of the world premiere for Legacy of the Void has been announced. On September 13, the new expansion will be displayed in two ways: in person and on Twitch.tv.
Hosted by William “Chobra” Cho, the stream will take place on September 13 at 10:00am PDT on the official StarCraft Twitch channel and finish with the epic conclusion of the WCS Season 3 finals.
Or come on out and watch it all unfold on the big screen with StarCraft II developers and friends at the Blizzard Barcraft in downtown L.A.! Join us for food, goodies, and fun—the first drink’s on us! Doors open at 6:00 A.M.
Get in on the action at:
The Theatre at Ace Hotel 929 South Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90015
Showing possible enemy placements on a map has been increased to 25 seconds.
Protoss
Removed Chrono Boost.
Warp Gate research time reduced to 140 from 160.
Nexus provides 11 supply up from 10.
Zealot
Charge now deals 30 damage on hit.
Charge speed buff reduced to 2.75, down from 2.95.
Warp Gate
Warping in units at a Pylon increased to 16 seconds, up from 5.
Warping in units at a Pylon that is near a Warp Gate or a Nexus will take 2 seconds.
Warp Prism
Warping in units takes 2 seconds, down from 5.
Disruptor
Purification Nova removed.
New ability: The disruptor becomes immobile and shoots out a ball of energy that can be controlled and detonates after a few seconds, dealing 145 damage and 55 damage to shields.
If the Disruptor is destroyed before the energy ball detonates, it will fail to explode.
Build time reduced to 50 seconds from 60.
Terran
Calldown: MULE has been removed.
Cyclone
Lock On damage reduced to 300 over 20 sec.
Can use Lock ON against air units; deals 120 damage over 20 sec.
New Upgrade: Increases Lock On damage to 600 over 20 sec against ground units and 360 over 20 sec for air units.
Medivac
Removed faster unload upgrade.
New upgrade increases Ignite Afterburners by 50%.
Zerg
Spawn Larva
Spawns 2 larva, down from 4.
Set to autocast by default.
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue that caused clicking sounds when launching StarCraft II for Windows 10 users.
In a lengthy post, Blizzard has announced that "Automated Tournaments" will be coming to the Legacy of the Void beta. These automated tournaments will be a way for people to compete without the managing, organizing, and communication normally required to hold a tournament.
Once the tournament begins , you will receive a notifcation (even while in-game) that will take you to prepare for your first match. You will get a chance to veto up to three maps of your choice each round, allowing you to cater your map choices to the opponent you’re playing next. Your opponent will do the same, not knowing your veto choices. You’ll be able to see your opponent’s win record on each map to help with your veto decisions.
Signing up to an automated tournament is done in the game client. 3-round tournaments are held Mondays to Thursdays, and 6-round tournaments are held Fridays to Sundays. The rules for each of these are different, as seen below:
There are two tournament formats:
3-Round Tournaments
Schedule: Monday–Thursday
Duration: Approximately 60–90 minutes
Format: Single-elimination bracket
6-Round Tournaments
Schedule: Friday–Sunday
Duration: Approximately 3-4 hours
Format: Group Stage -> Single-elimination bracket
More information on how to sign up to tournaments can be found on this page. Also on that page are Blizzard's plans to add onto the automated tournament system, and what's to come in the future.
A new contest is starting for all aspiring mappers/modders. Called Rock the Cabinet 2015, it's an official Blizzard contest that is offering over $20,000 in total prizes.
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.
The first place prize for this contest includes two tickets to BlizzCon 2015, a hardcover World of Warcraft Udon Tribute Art Book, two StarCrafts Cut and Sew hoodies, their game's text localized into Chinese (traditional and simplified), Korean, Russian, and Spanish, and a chance for the winners to interact with members of the StarCraft II development team and discuss high-level game design topics. To see the full list of prizes, as well as the official rules, click here.
Legacy of the Void, the next expansion for StarCraft II, is now available for prepurchase. The expansion, which includes new units for all the races, new multiplayer features, and a new singleplayer campaign, costs $39.99 USD for the standard edition. The digital deluxe edition, which costs $59.99 USD, includes in addition: new portraits and Protoss unit skin for StarCraft II, a pet for World of Warcraft, a card back for Hearthstone, transmogs for Diablo III, and a Voidseeker mount for Heroes of the Storm.
The shop page for the game does not state a specific release date for the game, though it does say "Expected Game Release Winter 2015/2016*" and "*Game is due for release before March 20, 2016.", which means that we can expect the game by late March 2016 at the latest. There is also confirmation of an epilogue past the end of the singleplayer campaign which shows the various races and what happens to them.
After you play through the Prologue and the Protoss single-player campaign, wrap up the StarCraft II trilogy storyline by finding out what happens to each race in the Epilogue.
For the Blizzard store page for Legacy of the Void, click here. Also, for the news post of the start of prepurchases, which has an FAQ and some announcements, click here.
Reminiscent of the original StarCraft Precursor Campaign and the StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Protoss mini-campaign, Blizzard has announced a three-mission prologue campaign, titled Whispers of Oblivion, that will bridge the gap between Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void. The announcement was made by Dustin Browder, StarCraft II's Game Director, and Chris Sigaty, StarCraft II's Executive Producer, during the inaugural E3 PC Gaming Show. The three-mission series will follow, the Dark Templar Prelate turned mystic, Zeratul's quest to unravel the final piece of the Xel'Naga prophecy. Since the Legacy of the Void campaign will focus on Artanis, the Protoss Hierarch, this addition to the canon will provide players with another opportunity to experience more of the StarCraft mythos from another perspective.
During the reveal, Dustin Browder also announced that Whispers of the Void would be released for free to all players regardless of whether they have purchased any of the previous StarCraft games. However, to receive early access, players will need to pre-order Legacy of the Void.
What is Whispers of Oblivion?
Whispers of Oblivion is a special three-mission prologue series that has been created to bridge the storyline between Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void.
What can we expect from these missions?
In Whispers of Oblivion, players will join Zeratul for the first time since Wings of Liberty to unravel the final piece of the Xel’naga prophecy.
How can I play these new campaign missions?
We will be making Whispers of Oblivion available to all players before the game’s release, but prior to that, we will be providing early access to the Prologue missions with pre-purchase of the game. Look for more details sometime in July.
The announcement of Whispers of Oblivion is an unexpected and exciting development. As the original StarCraft arcs are wrapped up in Legacy of the Void, it is fantastic that more single-player content will be provided than players originally anticipated. If this series proves to be a success, perhaps it lays the foundation for Blizzard to consider producing mini-campaigns as paid DLCs. The creation of mini-campaigns would provide several benefits to the StarCraft community. They would provide high-quality first-party content regularly into the game's ecosystem, provide a mechanism to explore new lore on a continuous basis, and provide perpetual momentum for the StarCraft product as a whole.
As we get closer to the release of this mini-series and Legacy of the Void, we'll continue to provide coverage of the conclusion to the story that began almost seventeen years ago.
David Kim has made a forum post to talk about some proposed changes to Zerg in Heart of the Swarm. The post talks mainly about Roaches and Swarm Hosts, and how to make both units viable in play.
Analyzing the effects of the last Swarm Host patch is one of our top priorities for Heart of the Swarm right now, so we wanted to share some more thoughts in this area to get more input from you.
Currently we’re not seeing much new Swarm Host usage. We see two potential reasons for this: The Swarm Host isn’t effective enough in its current state or players haven’t figured out the best use cases with them yet. The answer is probably a mix of both factors, and we’re hoping to see more Zerg games in all matchups in order to drill down on the correct course of action here.
The new StarCraft II season is on its way, bringing with it a free name change for every player. It has just been revealed that the name change will be available on April 10, and that all players should use their current name change (if they still have one) since name changes do not stack. For anyone looking to play under a different name for the upcoming season, this is a great opportunity to do just that.
Another Call to Action has been issued, this time to test an important change to the Tempest. The new test map is called “Deadwing LE (2.1.8 Balance v1.2)”, and includes the following update:
Balance Test Map: “Deadwing LE (2.1.8 Balance v1.2)” This is an update. For a complete list of changes please also reference our post regarding Balance v1.0 and Balance v1.1
Protoss
Tempest
Deal +14 massive damage to air units.
A note that the balance testing extension mod has also been updated with this change, in case players want to try out a map other than Deadwing.
David Kim's reasoning for this Tempest alteration is that they were too weak against Colossi, but also needed to be inefficient against Brood Lords. He explains this in a small forum post:
We felt that by removing damage to massive, Tempests simply became too weak versus Colossi. We wanted to make a damage change to Tempests that would severely change how they interact versus Brood Lords, while less-severely affecting their relationship against Colossi. Changing their massive bonus to +14 felt like a good number because it doubles the number of shots Tempests take to kill Brood Lords, while changing the relationship vs. Colossi by about 67%.
To see the full post from David Kim, click here. For the announcement post for the Call to Action, click here.
Here comes another Call to Action, testing some Locust, Viper, and Tempest changes:
Balance Test Map Changes
Balance Test Map: “Deadwing LE (2.1.8 Balance v1.1)” This is an update. For a complete list of changes please also reference our post regarding Balance v1.0.
Zerg
Locust
Locust duration decreased from 30 seconds to 25 seconds
There's a preview out for the first Legacy of the Void balance update. It explains some of the changes that are coming in, and what parts of the game they will affect.
Lurker starts off with 9 range, and upgrade is removed. Lurker attack is also more responsive after burrowing. The Lurker feels buried at the moment, especially in ZvZ vs. Roaches where we’d really love to see more Lurker play. Against other races the steps needed to start using Lurkers also feels like too much. Hydralisk Den has to be upgraded to the Lurker Den, which also competes with the Hydralisk upgrade, Lurkers then need to be morphed and also research the upgrade before Lurkers are useful. We’d like to try out this change in order to see what happens when Lurker timing is sped up.
It's been quite some time since the reveal of Legacy of the Void, the upcoming addition to the StarCraft franchise. At BlizzCon 2014, attendees were told that they would be given priority when Legacy of the Void beta access is handed out. Now it seems that preparation for beta is well underway.
The Daily Dot wrote an article a few days ago stating that their sources say, “Blizzard will be aiming for an end of March or early April release." While their article isn't very long, it gives a very tight estimate of when we may see the game.
Another person added: “Blizzard will be aiming for an end of March or early April release. It’s great timing for them. WCS Season 1 will be all but over and this will give players plenty of time to stream the beta and generate some excitement. As things stand the beta is pretty much ready to launch with the balance team just tweaking a few units.”
The source added that the beta will most likely be rolled out in a manner akin to Heart of The Swarm. “It will be initially closed with access to the pros, the press and people’s machines that fit a certain type of spec,” the person explained. “Then increasing waves of requested keys and giveaways before becoming an open beta.”
Other sites have found interesting information that supports a late March beta release. JudgeHype has discovered new images in the Battle.net application, ones that appear to be background images for Legacy of the Void's launcher.
Furthermore, Blizzard announced that the StarCraft II PTR will be taken down on March 5th before being reactivated the following week. This could be in preparation for starting up the Legacy of the Void beta servers.
We'll be taking down the PTR on the morning of Thursday, March 5 and potentially bringing it back online the following week. However, due to our current development timeline, there is a chance that we will not bring the PTR back online and will simply release the build to our live servers a few weeks later.
For those Arcade developers who have been hard at work with the new Warcraft III assets, make sure to save your projects before Thursday.
Thank you!
Any more news about the beta will be covered on our site, so keep an eye out.
April Fools has come and gone, and this year had more StarCraft-related jokes. Blizzard made some amusing posts on the official StarCraft 2 front page, including selling the Spear of Adun as a Legacy of the Void keepsake for the measly sum of $9,999,998.00, which is well worth it for a life-size replica of a Protoss arkship.
What came next was the shocking announcement that the Legacy of the Void beta has concluded after a very short run. Players were promised a balance change of their choice for when Legacy of the Void releases, in order to "balance everything out again."
Lastly, the astounding and revolutionary B'Motes were announced. Featuring pre-recorded emotes, B'Motes can give players a winning edge in their social expression.
And that concludes this year's Blizzard April Fools jokes. It was a rollercoaster of emotions, but everyone made it off safe and sound.
The official beta preview for Legacy of the Void has been released. It explains the changes that will be tested during this beta, as well as the various additions to the game. Below is a snippet of some of the general changes coming with the Legacy of the Void beta:
Resource changes
For the beta, we’re altering the number of resources at each base. Half the mineral patches have 1500 minerals, and the other half have 750. The main goal here was to make a change that would keep the feel of resourcing rates similar to Heart of the Swarm, while simultaneously encouraging players to take additional expansions more aggressively. So far, this change feels like a very solid way to achieve this and we’d love to try it out further during the beta. It clearly gives additional incentives for players to expand more, and from our internal testing, we feel like this change hits the mark on what we’re trying to do with the resource changes.
Starting worker count
You’ll also notice that the starting worker count has been increased to 12. This change is meant to reduce the downtime at the start of games, since the first few minutes of any game often grant little in the way of choices. So far, 12 feels like a good starting point for us, but we wonder if we can increase this even further without affecting early game choices too much.
Unit Scan Range change
We’ve improved the target acquisition of ranged ground units. Now, we’re just looking to see if any strange, unexpected behavior is caused by this change. We don’t currently know of anything unwanted that’s caused by this change, but we’d like to make sure that this is in fact the case during the beta. We’d really like to thank our community for locating this behavior, and we also agree with you all in that this could potentially be a really solid change to the game.
A lengthy explanation of the StarCraft II ladder, where it currently stands, and where it's expected to go has been posted.
Adjust league distribution As mentioned, we’ve identified that the current league distribution percentages aren’t in line with our target percentages. The upcoming distribution changes should allow many more players to be in the correct league, and for each league to have the correct percentage of players based on the figures we announced for Heart of the Swarm. Once this adjustment is made, some players will see a change in their current league placement.
The winners have been announced for the 2014 Blizzard Stream Awards, with over $100,000 being given to various streamers throughout the community. The list of winners is quite long, so check out the official post for more details.
Blizzard has revealed plans to reward outstanding members of the community with a unique portrait. While details on who will receive this portrait is currently being contemplated, the prospect of having recognition for community contributions is reassuring to those that have helped make great strides in StarCraft II.
The portrait, called the StarCraft II “Community Commander” portrait, looks like this:
For the full post explaining the StarCraft II “Community Commander” portrait, click here.
The long-awaited start to the Legacy of the Void closed beta is here! With several new units and balance changes in tow, the beta is sure to bring a lot of information and excitement in the months ahead.
In the official announcement, Blizzard has included a small FAQ, which explains various ways to get into the beta as well as rules pertaining to it.
Which game content will be available in the beta? To start off, we will be focusing on the multiplayer experience only. We’ve added an exciting array of new units and abilities to the Terrans, Protoss, and Zerg, and we’d like to have as many eyes on them as possible. This testing will also include the upcoming Archon Mode. We will share information about future plans for the beta as we get closer to new content being released.
Patch notes are also available for viewing, which can be viewed in full here.
More information on the beta will be reported as it appears.
The dates for this year's BlizzCon has been announced! It will take place at the Anaheim Convention Center on Friday, November 6 and Saturday, November 7, 2015. Tickets will go on sale on Wednesday, April 15 at 7pm Pacific and Saturday, April 18 at 10am Pacific for the price of $199 each and purchasable from Eventbrite. See the full press release for more details.
A new multiplayer development update for Legacy of the Void has been released, asking for feedback on currently proposed changes to units new and old
Scan range experimentation
We've also seen some community feedback about changes that can be made to the scan range to increase the responsiveness of units in combat. We’ve made some adjustments internally and we’re initially liking how it plays out. This is something we’re planning on testing further in the beta.
Thor
The Thor self-repair ability has been removed.
The Thor self-repair ability isn’t really working. As we’ve pointed out before, we don’t like that fact that there’s no strategic decision outside of combat. If a Thor is damaged, players will always use the self-repair ability if they’re not in combat. Our current plans are to remove this ability for the start of beta and see how the Thor works without the added complexity of a different mode or an active ability.
Immortal
Barrier is no longer an upgrade
Damage absorbed has been reduced to 100 down from 200.
Immortal Barrier ability being an upgrade isn’t working out well for us, so we went back to no upgrade and reduced the damage absorbed. It was too buried in tech, and in order to use Immortals with max efficiency, you had to have the additional building. So we’re trying to just balance the unit without the ability being an upgrade.
Roach
Roach burrow move now works when Burrow is researched and no longer requires an upgrade.
This ability allows for some cool micro that we’d like to see more of in Void, so we made it a bit more accessible for now. We’re also considering increasing the movement speed of Roaches while burrowed.
![StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void Cinematic](/"images/uploaded/starcraftiinews/lotvlaunch/cinematic-shield-bordered.jpg')
