Planetary Zerg Alert
StarCraft® II: Heart of the Swarm™ global launch party details announced
Day-long launch broadcast to feature "King of the Beta" matches between top pro gamers, community-created content, & live event coverage
In addition to the nine official launch events, thousands of stores worldwide will be open at midnight to welcome players and help roll out the next chapter in the epic saga of StarCraft II. (Check with local retailers for hours and availability.)
To kick things off and follow the celebration as it spreads across the
planet, Blizzard will be cohosting a special 21-hour launch broadcast
with noted eSports personality and commentator Sean "Day[9]" Plott, in
conjunction with Twitch.tv, at http://www.StarCraft2.com/SwarmLaunch.
Starting at
"The StarCraft community has been anticipating Heart of the
Swarm for a long time," said
In the US, the official launch event will be hosted by Blizzard and retail partner GameStop at:
Local festivities will start at
Attendees at the official StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm launch
events will have the opportunity to purchase† the standard
edition of the game (suggested retail price
- Behind-the-Scenes DVD and Blu-ray: Immerse yourself in the StarCraft universe with developer commentary, interviews with voice actors, and an in-depth historical retrospective on StarCraft's eSports legacy narrated by key members of the community.
- Collector's Edition Soundtrack CD: Enhance your Heart of the Swarm musical experience with this collection of 11 tracks from the game.
-
Heart of the Swarm Hardcover
Art Book : This 144-page tome features never-before-seen art from the expansion, including early concept sketches and meticulous 3D renderings. - Zerg Rush Mousepad: This Collector's Edition mousepad depicts the Terran Dominion holding out desperately under the onslaught of the Swarm.
- StarCraft II Torrasque: Crush the enemies of the Swarm with the indomitable Torrasque, a fearsome new look for your zerg Ultralisks.
- StarCraft II Portraits and Decals: New Swarm-infested portraits and decals help you customize the look of your online profile and in-game army.
- World of Warcraft® In-Game Pet: The Baneling companion pet is bursting with enthusiasm and ready to explode onto the Pet Battles scene.
-
Diablo ® III Blade Wings and Banner Sigil: Grow zerg-like wings in honor of the Queen of Blades, and unfurl an exclusive banner sigil to mark your allegiance to the Swarm in Sanctuary.
Heart of the Swarm picks up the story of StarCraft II where Wings of Liberty® left off, focusing on Kerrigan's quest to reunite the Swarm and exact revenge on Arcturus Mengsk. Over the course of 20 campaign missions, players will follow Kerrigan as she sweeps across the galaxy, incorporating a variety of distinctive zerg species into her brood. Kerrigan will grow in strength from mission to mission, and players will be able to customize her with powerful new abilities, as well as evolve various zerg strains into fearsome new subspecies to suit their play style.
New weapons of war also debut in Heart of the Swarm's multiplayer, including new units such as Terran Hellbats, Zerg Swarm Hosts, and Protoss Tempests, while certain existing units from Wings of Liberty will be updated with new capabilities. New features will enhance the game experience, including group and clan systems; unranked matchmaking; Global Play, enabling players to battle others in different regions around the world; additional stat tracking; user interface improvements; an enhanced physics system, for more visceral looking battles; multiplayer replays, to watch replays with friends; a leveling system that gives Heart of the Swarm players a new way to earn customization options for their online profiles; and much more.
Learn more about StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm at http://www.StarCraft2.com,
and for further details on the global launch events and the 21-hour
broadcast, visit http://www.StarCraft2.com/SwarmLaunch.
With multiple games in development,
For press inquiries, please contact
† Limited to supplies on hand.
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Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft®
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Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking
Statements: Information in this press release that involves
Blizzard Entertainment's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies
regarding the future, including statements about the expected release
date of StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm, are forward-looking statements
that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties.
Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment's actual future results
to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking
statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product
delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of
Activision Blizzard's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any
subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking
statements in this release are based upon information available to
rhilburger@blizzard.com
Source:
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